England have reached the round of 16 in the World Cup and, as is customary before a major international football fixture, the country may be losing its mind. On top of 60 years of hurt for the men's team, fans face another obstacle: a gruelling kick-off time of 1am BST. At the earliest, the final whistle might blow at about 3am, but extra time and penalties could push it to 4am. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Should we let the kids stay up? Where will we watch? When's time at the bar? When should we start drinking? When should we stop? Here we look at the potential impact of the 1am fixture.
The row over what kids should be allowed to do for the 1am fixture blew up after England's win against DR Congo, when manager Thomas Tuchel urged parents to let children bunk off school for the Mexico match. "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football," he said. "They have so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years."
Parents' WhatsApp groups are ablaze with strategies. Some suggest putting kids to bed at normal time, waking them at 1am, and putting them back at 3am. Others plan to keep them up all night, risking tantrums the next day. A third group prefers a full night's sleep and a replay in the morning.
Ministers have been vague. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "It's a late game, but children can be in school the next day." Some schools allow late arrivals, while others plan to screen a replay at 7am. It is at headteachers' discretion.
Police and authorities are also preparing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed pubs to stay open until 5am. This decision has worried police. Mark Roberts and Scott Green of the National Police Chiefs' Council said in a joint statement: "This late announcement leaves policing having to adapt our plans, seeing officers working extended shifts." They urged fans to "enjoy the match safely and responsibly."
Economically, payment data company Ayden said transaction volumes during the England v DR Congo match increased by 184% compared with a non-matchday. Starmer's decision may boost the economy. However, police brace for trouble from the combination of alcohol and football in the early hours.