Licensing officers issue advice ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022

With just days until the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off, licensing officers in Northamptonshire have issued advice to local premises which are planning to show televised matches.

As with previous major football tournaments, this year’s World Cup offers an opportunity for licensees to attract customers who want to watch live matches and enjoy a great atmosphere with fellow fans.

For the first time in its history, the tournament is being held in the winter, with matches being played between November 20 and December 18 - traditionally an extremely busy time for the licensing trade with people getting together for festive celebrations.

To support licensees through this busy period, the British Beer Pub Association has produced a guide in partnership with UK Hospitality, British Institute of Innkeeping, Local Government Authority and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The aim of the guide is to encourage police, licensing authorities and licensed trade to work together to ensure that everyone who works or is visiting the night-time economy enjoys a safe and successful tournament.

To support licensees, the following advice is:

• Consider contacting the police and/or your licensing officer to let them know in advance of your plans for showing World Cup matches where there could be implications relating to crime & disorder and/or public safety. That way they can incorporate these plans into any actions they may be taking

• Check conditions on the premises licence to make sure that you are complying with all requirements, and if a Temporary Event Notice is needed. Submit your TEN as early as possible to the local authority and police

• If there is trouble at your premises, call the police immediately and cease serving alcohol. In the event of trouble outside the premises, keep customers inside. Pass on any concerns or reports of disorder to the police and other premises in Pubwatch

• Make sure the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) is on duty if possible. If not, a duty manager with a personal licence should be available to oversee the event. Make sure they hold the keys to the front door and can secure them at any stage

• Ensure enough staff numbers are in place to cope with the anticipated number of customers and are fully briefed regarding the law relating to the sale of alcohol, particularly underage and those who are heavily intoxicated

• Consider use of plastic drinkware such as polycarbonate, if necessary, particularly for use in outside areas. Instruct staff to carry out regular glass collections. This also aids regular supervision by your staff of all areas, not just those in sight of the bar area

• Check your screening apparatus (TV aerials, connections) well in advance of showing of any matches to prevent disappointment and potential disruption to games. Think carefully about where television screens are situated to avoid potential congestion and consider the use of tickets to control admission and prevent overcrowding

• If you have CCTV, ensure it is fully operational with all cameras recording. It would be advisable as good practice that a staff member able to operate the CCTV system is available. Be sure to monitor and control smoking areas where appropriate, especially at half-time and at the end of the match

• Make sure there is no excessive consumption of alcohol - remember it is an offence to continue to serve somebody who has had too much to drink. Consider food and soft drink offers if you feel it appropriate

• Be vigilant to the early signs of tension or trouble between customers and either take steps to safely intervene to prevent escalation, instruct door staff to intervene if on duty or, if necessary, call the police

• While fixtures involving England and Wales are likely to attract larger numbers of customers, please also be aware of games where the national team playing may also attract a large following from the local community and plan accordingly

Licensing Sergeant Simon Moreton said: “The World Cup is a major opportunity to attract customers who want to watch the televised matches in the great atmosphere which licensed premises can provide.

“However, this is the first time a major football tournament has been held in November and December, when licensed premises are traditionally very busy in the run up to the festive season with people getting together for Christmas parties and nights out.

“Even under normal circumstance when tournaments are held in the summer, these events can carry greater risks to your business, your staff, customers, and the local community if they are not properly risk assessed and managed.

“By following the advice listed above, you will be doing your utmost to minimise any risk of disruption and disorder within your premises. It is also worth mentioning how important it is to ensure your premises are appropriately licensed to televise the matches.”

For more information and to read the full guidance issues, please click here.