Parents are being urged by a senior minister not to allow their children to bunk off school on Monday after England’s last-16 World Cup tie against Mexico.
Harry Kane’s team is due to play Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with kick-off at 1am on Monday UK time, after the England captain scored twice in Wednesday’s win over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Far more Londoners slipped away early from work to watch England in their last 32-tie, than staff in other parts of the country, according to research.
One fan, who was in the pub for the 5pm kick-off, joked that he had a doctor’s appointment with “Dr Congo”.
For many fans the timing of the Mexico game will mean they are likely to be exhausted if they stay up and watch it into the early hours of Monday.
So there will be a temptation to call in sick at work or allow children to miss a day’s school.
But skills minister Baroness Smith urged parents to get their children into class.
Asked if parents should allow their children to miss school the day after the Mexico game, she told Times Radio: "Parents will make their own decision.”
But then she added: “What I will say is, I will be watching but I'll be in work the next morning as well.
"Kids have to be in school in order to be learning, and that's what I would ask parents to reflect on.
"All of us need to go into work on Monday to celebrate England's victory against Mexico."
The former Home Secretary, who was also a teacher for 11 years, said she would take a "disco nap" before the game so she could go to work on Monday.
Few bosses are planning to offer flexible working hours during the World Cup despite the timing of some of the games, new research suggests.
A survey of 1,100 managers by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that only one in five employers plan to offer flexible working hours, such as adjusted start or finish times, to help staff watch World Cup matches.
A minority of firms are offering extended breaks, workplace screenings or additional leave options, according to the study.
Petra Wilton, director of policy at the CMI, said: “We’re not saying every England win deserves a bank holiday, but if millions of people have stayed up until 3am supporting their team, asking employers to let them start a little later the next morning is simply common sense.
“We’re saying to employers across the country: ‘let them start late’.”
England’s World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo delivered a significant boost to the high street as fans left work early and headed out in support.
Overall footfall rose by 7.4% week on week on Wednesday, driven by a 15% increase across high streets, according to data from MRI Software.
Activity built steadily throughout the afternoon, with high street visits jumping 28% between 2pm and 5pm as people left work early to meet friends, visit pubs, bars, and fan zones, and enjoy the pre-match atmosphere before kickoff.
The impact was most notable in London, where office-dense locations recorded a 31.7% uplift during the same period.
Footfall across the capital increased by 46.7% week on week.
Visits after 5pm, when the match began, were also up 13.3%, highlighting how major sporting events are increasingly extending the evening economy beyond the match itself, MRI said.
