THOUSANDS of Scottish rugby fans will be able to take a drop of the hard stuff to calm their nerves during tomorrow's vital clash with England as bars up and down the country will throw their doors open in time for the early kick-off.
With the crunch World Cup clash against the Auld Enemy in New Zealand kicking off at 8.30am, dozens of bars have been given special dispensation to open just after dawn so fans can cheer on their team.
From Hawick to the Highlands, fans of both nations will be bolstering their full Scottish breakfasts with their favourite tipple after local authorities gave the nod to early opening to mark an unprecedented occasion in the sporting history between the two nations.
The game, in Auckland, is the first time England and Scotland have clashed on neutral territory.
Anything short of a win by eight or more points will see the Scots become the first of the Home Nations sent packing from New Zealand, and it is safe to assume most fans watching north of the Border will hope “early doors” applies only to the pubs .
Under Scotland’s liquor laws, licensed venues can appeal to local authorities several times a year for extra hours outside their normal trading time, and many reckon tomorrow’s game is an ideal occasion to get the punters in.
But it won’t all be pints and drams, with most licensees laying on breakfasts for their early-morning guests.
As expected, Scotland’s rugby heartland in the Borders is gearing up for a busy Saturday morning, with local rugby clubs in Selkirk, Peebles, Kelso, and Hawick taking advantage of the flexibility, and local bars, hotels, golf clubs and even Hawick’s Conservative Club opening their doors at around 8am.
In all, more than 20 licensed premises in the Borders local authority area have applied and been granted early opening.
Around 20 premises in Edinburgh are also opening early, on top of which many hotels and bars, which can permanently sell liquor outside normal times, will also be hoping to attract the rugby crowds.
One pub which has secured an early licence is Bert’s Bar, on William Street, near Haymarket in the capital.
General manager Becky Dale said: “Given our proximity to Murrayfield, we naturally attract lots of rugby fans and there has been a big demand for us to open early to show the match.
“No-one wants to miss out on the buzz of watching the game in the pub just because of the time difference. It’s an early start for the team here but it’s such an important game and we’re sure it’ll be a great day.
“We’re planning to open the bar at 8am for breakfast and we’ll be cheering the lads on when the match starts.”
Others have applied and been successful in Fife, Midlothian, East Lothian, Aberdeen and Stirling, which has required all venues to also serve food. Other areas with strong rugby connections and English populations are also ex-pected to open early.
Glasgow, much less a rugby city than its rival at the other end of the M8, has only had a handful of applicants for early opening. These include chains such as O’Neills and Australian-themed sports bar Walkabout.
The Dolphin Bar in Partick, in Glasgow’s west end, is more usually associated with football, but licensee Stephen McBride has had a request from core customers to apply for pre-noon hospitality.
Mr McBride said: “If this was Scotland versus England at dominoes or ludo there’d be interest, but while we’re known mostly as a football bar there’s an interest in sport overall. There’s a core of customers, a group of businessmen, who asked if I’d be up for opening early.
“It’s a great occasion and I’m here to look after my customers, so I applied and the folk at the licensing board gave me the OK. Not everyone will want a pint at 8am so we’ll be serving teas, coffees, sandwiches and sausage rolls. You can’t come in and not expect something to eat.
“But it’s not expected lots of folk will walk off the street. I know the people who’ll be here, and while we might have the odd one supporting the team in white, most will be cheering Scotland of course.”
David Carson, general manager of Dram on Woodlands Road, said: “We’re delighted that, despite the early start, our customers will be able to enjoy the match and soak up the atmosphere here at Dram.
“We’re planning to open the bar at 8am and we’ll be serving breakfast ahead of the match. We expect it will be a busy morning and we’re really looking forward to a great match and a great atmosphere.”
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