England's football fever may not run so high

While we may have thought that the whole nation will be gripped with football fever this Thursday, latest research from MINTEL finds this simply won’t be the case. It is surprising to see just how many British will be steering clear of the beautiful game at all costs, with as many as one in three (35%) of us doing anything but watching the England vs Trinidad and Tobago match. And while you might think that only women will be shunning the game, as many as three in ten (29%) men will be at work or at home taking no interest (20%), anywhere without a TV (4%) or away on holiday (4%) and believe it or not one in a hundred (1%) men will be hitting the shops! Although a significant minority will be avoiding the second game of England’s group stage matches, there are still many Brits who will be entering into the spirit of things. More than one in three (34%) British fans plan to enjoy the Thursday game in the comfort of their own home, with a further one in ten (11%) watching it down the pub. And employers beware as for many workers their minds will be elsewhere, with one in twenty (6%) admitting that they will be following the game either on the radio, internet or TV while still at work.