Where to watch the World Cup this summer

by John Naldrett

It is rare that as a nation we can unite behind one cause. We are right wing or left wing, conservative or liberal, religious or atheist. Some love Marmite and some hate it. Some support the Blues and some support the Reds but this summer, rich or poor, young or old, most of us will be right behind the Three Lions.

The World Cup is coming and, with the overwhelming feeling of national unity, expect to be stirred into a frenzy of excitement as we celebrate and maybe commiserate together as a nation.

England failed to qualify for the last major tournament, Euro 2008, which means fans have had to wait four long years to experience the atmosphere of a big tournament game. Now though, England are back and pubs will be full of people passionately willing them on.

So where are the best places to watch the big games and how can we watch them?

If you’d prefer to watch the games at outdoor venues you might be disappointed. Plans to erect an enormous screen at Regents Park have been ditched thanks to pressure from the Regents Park Open Air Theatre and local residents.

Of course you need not look any further than the UAL campuses. The bars at Holborn, CSM, LCC, LCF, Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon will all be showing the World Cup games up until June 25 when they will close for the summer. Although nothing is confirmed yet, the Blueprint bar at Holborn and the bar at Chelsea are expected to open up to show all of the big games beyond June 25.

Of other bars in London, The Circle Bar in Clapham North will show the games in their beer garden on a big screen with a further three giant screens inside. The Pavillion End in Bank will also show games outdoors and The Railway in Tulse Hill boasts a huge garden and a massive screen to show the England matches.

If sheer quantity of fans is what you’re after, the Sports Café in Haymarket say they can fit over 800 people in front of their big screens. The posh cocktail bar Jetlag in Fitzrovia provides a more up-market option with HD cinema screen and a moody, everchanging lighting scheme.

Of course, there is always the DIY. An England game at the World Cup is always a great excuse to throw a party and the summer sun (fingers crossed) will provide ideal weather to have a BBQ.

However you decide to watch the World Cup, let’s hope that by the end, we can all be proud of England’s performance.