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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Kyle O'Sullivan

Days England fans need to book off work to avoid any World Cup 2022 clashes or hangovers

England kicked off their World Cup 2022 campaign with an impressive win - but millions were forced to miss it because of the start time.

Gareth Southgate's men set a high bar for the rest of the World Cup as Bellingham, Saka, Sterling, Rashford and Grealish all scored in the 6-2 thrashing of Iran.

However, the frustrating 1pm start time meant that many England supporters were unable to give the big fixture their full attention. Many were forced to sneakily listen to the match while they were at their desks, or get top notch updates from The Mirror's live blog, rather than enjoy the game with a pint in the pub.

Thankfully, it's not too late to get plans in place to make sure such a scenario doesn't happen again.

England's second game against the USA takes place at 7pm on Friday (November 25) so the majority of people will be free to watch it - and have a late one celebrating or commiserating the result.

Next up it's the big British derby against Wales the following Wednesday (November 29), which is also a 7pm kick off, so only take the 30th off if you want a large one.

Now it gets a bit more complicated as we (hopefully) enter the knockout stage of the competition.

England are expected to top the group and face the runners-up of Group A (Netherlands, Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal).

No need to take the day off as that match will take place on Sunday December 4 at 7pm, but the Monday might be needed for hangover time.

Assuming they progress, the quarter-final will take place on Saturday December 10 at 7pm, so no dramas there, while the semi-final will be at the same time on Wednesday December 14.

The final takes place on Sunday December 18 at 3pm - but you may want to book the next day off work in case there's a long night of partying or drowning sorrows.

England topping the group makes it easy for everyone, but if they slip up and finish second then there's a lot more hassle.

Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring his team's fifth goal (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Finishing runners-up of Group B will result in a 3pm kick-off against the Group A winners on Saturday December 3 in the Round of 16.

Progression into the quarters down that route will lead to another 7pm fixture on Friday December 9, which means no need to take valuable annual leave.

The semi-final would then be on Tuesday December 13 at a much more convenient 7pm - and then of course the final five days later.

If we fall short at the semis like we did in Russia, the boring third place play-off will take place on Saturday December 17 at 3pm.

For those who don't have any holiday left and are tempted to pull a sickie, experts are warning that you could land yourself in hot water.

England fans will be hoping there is a party (AFP via Getty Images)

Andrew Knorpel, consultant solicitor in the employment law team at Richard Nelson LLP, says workers should pursue other options rather than faking illness.

Taking an extended lunch break or working remotely from home are far better options - and won't get you sacked.

"With England having come agonisingly close to winning the European Championships last year, the anticipation around the World Cup will only grow in the coming week," Knorpel said.

"Due to the time difference many of the games are being played during working hours.

"While many England fans may be worried about missing the team's first group stage match, we'd encourage them to have an open discussion with their employers about their working arrangements for that day."

England fans have big decisions to make (Chloe Knott/Getty Images)

During last year's Euros semi-final, an employee was fired for faking an illness to watch the game between England and Denmark at Wembley.

Knorpel is urging those who are considering pulling a sickie to think again, as it could amount to gross misconduct.

If you're found proven to be fit and healthy, further action could be taken by your superiors and being sacked is possible.

"Employees should consider taking annual leave rather than resorting to pulling a sickie," the lawyer added.

"If an employer thinks their employee has called in sick and it is not genuine, they can investigate the case and take disciplinary action over unauthorised absence."

Another issue that fans should be aware of is not arriving back at work drunk after a few mid-game beverages.

A Budweiser beer stand at Fan Festival in Qatar (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

There's very little danger of England fans out in Qatar getting too smashed, as authorities made a last-minute decision not to sell any booze at the eight World Cup venues.

It was ratified and agreed by FIFA on Friday, just 48 hours before the opening game between the host nation and Ecuador.

The Football Supporters' Association, which represents around 60,000 England fans and fan groups, blasted the ban on the sale of beer.

The official England fan group, released a statement saying: "Some fans like a beer at the match, and some don’t, but the real issue is the last minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters.

"If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues."

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