Pubs and bars across Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland have been banned from hosting any form of Euro 2020 'events' at their venues - despite matches being an opportunity for hospitality to recoup lost lockdown revenue.
Pubs will also be barred from letting football fan punters shout or sing during games after the Scottish Government announced that only particular kinds of hospitality businesses will be allowed to hold Euro-themed 'events'.
Guidance from the government states that general hospitality settings operating at 1m physical distancing aren't allowed to hold events for the matches and must continue table service, Test and Protect tracking and the wearing of face coverings.
As a result, pubs aren't allowed to take bookings and can only operate on a first-come-first-served basis, much to the disappointment of customers desperate to secure a seat to watch the matches.
Noise control measures are also in place.
The Scottish Government guidance says: "We want everyone to enjoy the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament responsibly.
"There is a particular need for increased awareness around non-compliant customer behaviour that may result from spontaneous responses to events on the pitch.
"This includes customers leaving their seats, shouting and singing, and failing to observe physical distancing from others not in their own household.
"In the current context of the pandemic this presents a risk to safety and order in premises. Customer information should be visible during matches as a reminder to follow the rules while enjoying the game in the interest of the safety of other customers, staff and the wider public.
"As with all measures, we will continue to keep everything under review while the tournament progresses."
Bars and pubs in Level 2 also have to shut at 10.30pm - meaning that if a match runs past closing time, punters will miss the end of the game.
Stephen Montgomery, spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group, commented: “We saw in the Europa League final that the game went on to extra time and then 22 penalties. If the Scottish Government doesn’t give some flexibility to the current rules, we could end up in a situation where people can watch the group stages, but when it comes to the knockout round, hospitality staff are going to be forced to ask fans to leave right in the middle of all that."
