World Cup - Brazil 2014 - advance notice!

At the time of preparing this article we are 151 days from the kick-off of the World Cup with the match between hosts Brazil and Croatia kicking off at 21:00 on 12 June in Sao Paulo.

In 1966 England delivered an excellent World Cup and introduced the first mascot "World Cup Willie" a Lion who roared England to victory. We are now in 2014 and Brazil's mascot is "Fuleco"; the three-banded armadillo's name is a blend of the words "Futebol" ("Football") and "Ecologia" ("Ecology"); does anyone know what sound an armadillo emits? Might it be described as a roar?

Yes, I am searching for a link upon which I can place my expectations; more tenuous the better!

For those locked in reality and planning for the tournament, England's group games are as follows (all time given as UK BST**):

Game 1 - Saturday 14 June vs. Italy - K.O. - 23:00
Game 2 - Thursday 19June vs. Uruguay - K.O. - 20:00
Game 3 - Tuesday 24 June vs. Costa Rica - K.O. - 17:00

If England win their group their route to the final and ultimate victory would be:

Game 4 - Sunday 29 June vs. Runner up of Group C - K.O. - 21:00
Game 5 - Saturday 5 July - Quarter Final - K.O. - 21:00
Game 6 - Wednesday 9 July - Semi Final - K.O. -21:00

If England were to find themselves as runner up in group D, group their route to the final and ultimate victory would be:

Game 4 - Saturday 28 June vs. Winner of Group C - K.O. 21:00
Game 5 - Friday 4 July - Quarter Final - K.O. - 21:00
Game 6 - Tuesday 8 July - Semi Final - K.O. -21:00h

In the unlikely event that England lose the semis the next game would be:

Game 7 - Saturday 12 July - 3rd/4th place play-off- K.O. 21:00

But our prediction is that England will be crowned champions after annihilating Germany in a thrilling final 4 -2 after extra time on:

Game 7: Sunday 13 July - Final - K.O. 20:00

Although England's matches, with the exception of the first game on the 14 June, should commence and conclude within the majority premises' licensed hours, Temporary Event Notices (TENs) can still be an option to extend hours to mark England's eventual glory. If you are intending to broadcast the entire tournament there are a number of 23:00 kick-offs and you will not want to miss the Ivory Coast vs. Japan which kicks-off at 02:00 on 15 June! Further, for the games in the early evenings you may wish to consider TENs to license external areas for bottle bars - weather dependant of course!

Although the Tournament is still some time away, it is not too early to make plans, seek variation to licences or TENs to maximise the potential additional revenues that can be raised from the Football fan or, alternatively, to provide an attractive option to those seeking refuge from the seemingly never ending football!!

If you would like to discuss the terms of your licence and the available options, please give one of our solicitors a call.

** fixture details drawn from FIFA.com and are correct at the time of drafting this article.