Month: November 2022

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Top 10 Reasons To Watch The World Cup In The Pub

Tuesday 29th November 2022

Top 10 reasons to head to the pub for the World Cup

The World Cup in Qatar is well underway and we’ve already seen some crazy results. The Argentinians and Germans have had a surprise defeat, whilst England and Spain look incredibly impressive so far.

Now, we’re all aware its not quite the same as what we’re used to. Cold, dark and dreary winter nights are not what World Cup’s are meant to be. The short daylight hours and the cold understandably want to make people stay inside. Also, it’s not the type of country where its great to travel to and watch England.

But, we’ve got 10 reasons to make it clear We Love Sport pubs and bars are better than both your home and Qatar to watch the 2022 World Cup with We Love Sport.

1. You can drink here!

Let’s just address the elephant in the room right away. You CAN in fact drink in We Love Sport pubs and bars. Qatar pulled the plug on drink around the stadiums at the last minute and if you do find pints, you’re paying a tenner.

We’re aware you can of course drink at home, but we all know you can’t beat an ice cold draught pint!

2. The atmosphere

The obvious one here is atmosphere. We’re not deluded, there’s nothing better than being in the stadium for a late winner and you and your pals going wild. For the EURO’s last year, loads of people got to a stadium. There are a few thousand English fans out in Qatar, but everyone knows its not the same kind of vibe.

That vibe hasn’t changed with us. The We Love Sport venue’s have kept that wild atmosphere, and as England progress, the atmosphere will get even better!

3. Screens & sound like no other!

At home, you might have a great 4k TV with an incredible sound system. Doesn’t matter. We Love Sport venues have the greatest set up in the country. Top quality sound and incredible screens. Yes, screenS. No matter where you look, you’ll be able to see the action!

4. Food and drink whilst you’re watching

Of course, you can do this at home. Not the same fantastic draughts or great food (which you don’t have to put any effort in preparing), but you can do it. However, both in Qatar & in English stadiums, you cannot drink and eat in the stands, something rugby fans take for granted.

It’s not like that with us though! Ice cold pints the whole way through the game and a selection of fantastic food to watch as the World Cup is going on.

5. Turn up, drink, eat, watch, leave!

The worst thing about hosting parties is the preparations and cleaning up after. You don’t have to do that in the pub. You can just rock up and have as much food and drink as you can handle, without having to clean up after yourself!

That’s obviously not an invitation to ruin any venue you’re in, but the knowingness that you can have fun & not worry about afterwards is a huge plus.

6. The social aspect

We’re well aware you can socialise at home, and even in Qatar (just be careful). But it’s different in the pub. You can grab all your mates for one game and find yourself watching all of them back to back. Then, you’re already out. No excuses, you’re out for the night!

You’ll even find yourself with strangers laughing, crying and celebrating with them across the tournament. A sport like no other!

7. The immersive feeling

We’ve already mentioned the atmosphere, but it really is the next best thing to being in the stadium. At home, you might have a few people, but a We Love Sport venue could have hundreds packed into the one room.

The bellowing of the chants, the booing of the opponents, the groans of a missed pass and a celebration of a goal. They’re all better when with a load of people. The pub offers you the opportunity to be in stadium atmosphere, just without the £200 ticket in Qatar.

8. Before and after

The pub experience isn’t JUST about the football. Many venues have pool tables, slot machines, darts and shuffleboard games that you can play at any point, so you’re always entertained.

Once the game ends, that doesn’t have to be it. In a stadium, you have to leave, at your house people may start leaving. Once you’re out, you’re out. Pints can flow before and after and the fun doesn’t have to stop at the football!

9. The warmest place in the world

Your home might be cosy, Qatar might be hitting 30 degrees, but the pub is the warmest spot in the world. There is nothing that’ll quite warm your belly on a cold winter’s night like a pub-cooked dinner, a few pints & the football.

10. Preparation for Christmas pints

Christmas is the heaviest period of the year for drinking. Sometimes, you’re not even prepared but the next thing you know, you’re knocking back five drinks a night for a fortnight. This winter World Cup gives us the opportunity to train the liver for the weeks ahead… we’ll need it.

WE LOVE SPORT

10 great reasons to get to the pub for the World Cup. We Love Sport have the best sports pubs and bars across the country and there is genuinely nowhere better to watch this tournament. Get yourself geared up for Christmas, find your nearest venue & then book your table.

Oh, and we don’t just do football either. All of these reasons count for every single sport!

England’s Best World Cup Moments in the 21st Century

Tuesday 29th November 2022

Top 5 England World Cup Moments in the 21st Century

There’s been a lot of recent success for England in the last couple of years. EURO 2020 finalists and 2018 World Cup semi-finalists. Of course, ideally there’s at least one tournament win there, but it’s much better than the most part of the last 50 years!

It’s not all been negative though! We’ve compiled the 5 best World Cup moments for England in the 21st century.

Before we get started, we must add that there’s going to be more great moments in Qatar, and there’s no better place to watch than in a We Love Sport pub or bar! Book your table now!

5. Joe Cole’s wonder-strike v Sweden

Back in 2006, one of England’s golden generations headed to Germany, expecting glory. The group had Trinidad & Tobago, Paraguay and Sweden. The game against Sweden was very tight, until the ball fell to Joe Cole outside the box. The Chelsea man hit it clean as it headed straight into the top corner with a looping strike to send England 1-0 up.

4. Beckham’s penalty against the Argies

David Beckham is one of the most loved England players of all time, but it wasn’t always that way. He got sent off against Argentina in 1998 and he was public enemy number one. 4 years later though, he got his chance for redemption.

England needed a win to top the group and the Three Lions got a penalty. Beckham smashed the penalty home, celebrations were wild and England topped the group.

3. Those 3 seconds where everyone thought Lampard equalised

The 2010 in South Africa was quite frankly horrific. It was boring, there were no real iconic standout moments for England or the entire tournament. The most iconic thing was the ball that just moved all over the place.

England were knocked out to Germany after losing 4-1, but it could’ve been a different story. 2-1 down, the ball fell to Frank Lampard on the edge of the box. His strike glided in off of the crossbar, but the goal was not given.

The country erupted. The old enemy pulled back. The World Cup dream still alive. For 3 seconds. The goal was not given, there’s no VAR or goal line technology and everyone’s joy swiftly turns into anger.

Payback for the possible ’66 ghost goal, perhaps.

2. Penalty win v Colombia

Just astonishing wasn’t it? 2018, a tight, tight game against Colombia led to eventual penalties. Flashback of Portugal (twice), Italia 90 went through everyone’s heads. It got even worse when Jordan Henderson missed. Never fear, Jordan Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca.

Jamie Vardy pulled up injured just before the penalties, meaning Eric Dier had to step up. Score, and England win. Bottom corner, bedlam. John Stones and Harry Maguire giving it to the Colombian’s who had been kicking everyone around, Gareth Southgate’s penalty redemption, Eric Dier into the history books and the genuine belief that there’s something special here.

Here’s the video, with Titanic music. Beautiful.

1. Kieran Trippier’s free kick v Croatia

You knew it was coming. The penalties wasn’t even the best moment of the 2018 tournament. A dominant win over Sweden sent England to the semi final v Croatia. The belief was truly there. Early into the game, Kieran Trippier stood over the ball and sent a free kick straight into the top corner.

In fact, that’s all that needs to be said. That moment sent the entire country into raptures, and it’s below.

We Love Sport x World Cup

Hopefully England can go two steps further and win the tournament in Qatar. Hopefully, on December 19th, this entire list is replaced by 5 incredible moments from this tournament. Get your seat with your pals, head to one of our venues and enjoy those moments coming up with us!

Wales v England Preview

Monday 28th November 2022

Wales v England – World Cup 2022

It’s do or die for Wales. The final group games are here. England v Wales is a derby at the best of times, let alone when it’s for World Cup progression.

The Al Bayt stadium hosts England again as they face Wales on Tuesday evening. They’ll be hoping for a better performance than against USA. For this huge game, there is no better place to be than in a We Love Sport venue. It’s a tight, tense game which will be enjoyed 10 times more down the pub!

What’s the state of play?

For England, it’s simple. Don’t lose by 4 goals and they are through. Win and they’re guaranteed top spot. Draw & Iran win? Second place. Draw and USA win or draw? Top.

For Wales, it’s tough. They have to win. If Iran and USA draw and Wales win, they’re through. If Iran or USA win, Wales then need to win by 4 goals against England to eliminate England. Not ideal, but not impossible. Earlier this year Hungary beat England 4-0.

Expectations of the game?

With most teams in this World Cup, England’s first two games have been chalk and cheese. England battered Iran going forward and scored 6. They did give up a few chances to Iran, but as a whole England were fantastic.

Against USA, they were absolutely bereft of ideas. USA ran the midfield and some great chances. The Gareth Southgate questions came out again, as he brought on Jordan Henderson for Jude Bellingham & Mason Mount managed to play 90 minutes. Phil Foden was left on the bench despite the midfield struggles with Gareth Southgate saying “it wasn’t the game for Phil”. Yes, a game where there is no chances being created wasn’t a game for England’s most talented footballer. Similar to Jack Grealish at the last tournament, England’s most technical generation being misused.

Wales are in trouble. They were outplayed by Iran before the red card and were more than fortunate to only lose by 2 goals. Against USA they did score, but from the spot. They were battered in the first half and didn’t create much in the second. However, they’re still in with a shot so they can’t be ruled out. Both England and Wales got their midfield’s over ran by USA, so if Rob Page can make the tweak to get the upper hand in the midfield battle and get the win.

Team News

England have a fully fit and available squad. Not defeating USA and qualifying has put a bit of a spanner in the works though. If England were through, Southgate could’ve got the likes of Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips on the pitch to get them at least a little bit match fit. Saka, Sterling & Mount all struggled v USA, but its unlikely all three will be dropped. It was clear the midfield is at fault, but Southgate won’t change.

Wales obviously don’t have Wayne Hennessey available after his red card v Iran. Joe Allen made a late appearance in the last game but it was his poor clearance that set up Iran’s first. So, bar Hennessey, Page has a full squad. His issue is who he plays though. What he’s done so far hasn’t worked, but now he doesn’t really have the time to experiment.

Predicted England line up (4-3-3); Pickford; Trippier, Maguire, Stones, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Foden, Kane, Rashford

.Predicted Wales line up (3-4-3); Ward; Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Roberts, Ramsey, Ampadu, Williams; James, Moore, Bale

Match Prediction

Our predictions haven’t been fantastic thus far, so don’t go putting any bets on this. However, England need to prove a point, and most importantly secure top spot. They were not at the races on Friday, but adding Phil Foden to a side automatically improves a team’s chances of winning.

Wales are in desperate need of a win, but at no point have they looked like beating anyone, and its tough to suggest they’d beat England.

Wales 0-2 England

We Love Sport x World Cup

The World Cup is the greatest tournament in the world, and the greatest place in the country to watch it is in any We Love Sport venue. Our venues are incredibly immersive and will give you that feel of being there live, just without the £11.50 pints. Make sure you grab a table for this game and click here to book for any game of the World Cup!

England v USA Preview

Thursday 24th November 2022

England v USA – World Cup 2022

The World Cup is very much underway! England are sitting pretty at the top of Group B after the 6-2 demolition job of Iran. Next up, USA.

The Al Bayt stadium plays host to the match on Friday evening as England look to qualify for the Round of 16 with victory over the Americans! 7pm on a Friday evening, there is no better place to be than in a We Love Sport venue to watch the game, celebrate an England win and get your weekend started!

Will England build on the Iran victory?

England were obviously favourites heading into the Iran game. Iran were known for their strong and rigid defence over the last 4 years. Despite this, England hit them for 6. Southgate dropped the five at the back and it paid dividends as the side’s attacking prowess just was too much for Iran.

With Argentina and Germany losing their opening games to lesser opposition, England’s win should be getting much more respect worldwide than it is. The United States are a strong team, and England shouldn’t be underestimating them, but if they perform like they did Monday, a win is certain.

6 goals and none from star man Harry Kane is only a good thing. Goals all across the squad shows that the team is not a one man band, so it’s not as simple as keeping the Spurs man quiet.

Amongst all of the glory and goals, people have seemed to forget that Iran did have a good few chances and a different team could punish them. However in this group, as proven, England will score a lot more goals than those weaker teams. In short, yes, they will.

How did the USA do in their opener? Promising for England?

USA should really be on 3 points as well as England. A fantastic first half performance meant they went into the break 1-0 up. Really, it should’ve been more. They played very well and Wales were struggling to deal with them.

They took it easy. The American team took their foot off of the gas and Wales put it on. Granted, it took a late penalty from Gareth Bale to rescue a point, but that’s the type of game both sides needed to win. There weren’t many clear cut chances for Wales but they brushed through the American midfield and just couldn’t get the final ball off.

Ethan Ampadu and Aaron Ramsey didn’t have that quality to play the ball through. Unfortunately for USA though, they’re not playing against Ethan Ampadu and a finished Aaron Ramsey. It’s Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

If England break through the midfield like Wales did, it could be a long night for America.

Team News

Harry Kane was on the receiving end of some late challenges from the Iran team, but after a scan midweek, the scare is over. He’s fit. Manchester City pair Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker have had a few more days preparing in their bid to be fit, but they’ll most likely get their starts against Wales if qualification is confirmed Friday.

James Maddison is yet to train, so it can be assumed he’ll miss out again. Harry Maguire came off ill, but he’s okay to play. With that, it can be expected that the 4-3-3 will stay and it’ll be an unchanged XI, despite goals from substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish.

Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah both came off for USA v Wales, but both men are ready for the game vs England. Other than that, the entire squad are fit and ready to go.

Predicted line up (4-3-3); Pickford; Trippier, , Maguire, Stones, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Saka, Kane, Sterling.

Match Prediction

We said last time out that it could be a difficult day for England. It wasn’t. Southgate didn’t play 5 at the back and they went out to cause damage. It can be expected they’ll do the same against USA and qualify for the knockouts.

England 3-0 USA

We Love Sport x World Cup

Pint Sized Preview – World Cup

Friday 18th November 2022

2022 WORLD CUP PREVIEW: GROUP-BY-GROUP, TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE

The 2022 World Cup is finally here. 4 and a half years after the last one, the world’s biggest tournament heads to Qatar for the first ever winter World Cup. There’s a lot of information to take in, but we at We Love Sport want to give you a pint sized preview.

This preview is going to look at only a few things, rather than bore you with a 10,000 word essay. We’ll tell you the groups, one line on each teams chances and the venues. Short, sweet and informative.

And as Qatar is so far away, make sure you find your nearest We Love Sport pub to watch the World Cup!

The group draw

Like the last edition, the World Cup will start with 32 teams split into 8 groups of 4:

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

What can each nation expect?

There’s 32 nations, so an in-depth factfile on all teams is simply boring, so we’re going to give a one liner on each team’s hopes this winter.

Group A

Qatar: A team better than people expect in one of the easier groups, but unlikely to progress.

Ecuador: Expectations of the knockouts and it is possible, but not favourites to qualify.

Senegal: AFCON winners and should qualify in second, dependent on Sadio Mane heavily though.

Netherlands: Easy group for a team full of strong players, aiming to go deep into the competition.

Group B

England: Should fly through the group, talented squad expecting to build on semi finals in 2018.

Iran: A country being overlooked, rarely concede & are experienced here, don’t be shocked to see them in RO16.

USA: Strong players at big European teams and will be expecting RO16 at the least.

Wales: Players not at the same level as Euros, again looking for RO16 but could be disappointed.

Group C

Argentina: Copa America holders looking very strong and are one of the tournament favourites.

Saudi Arabia: Respectfully, here to make up the numbers in a very hard group.

Mexico: Strong World Cup pedigree and will be going toe to toe with Poland, expecting Quarters.

Poland: The exact same as Mexico, just without the regular World Cup appearances.

Group D:

France: Current Champions aiming to defend their crown, but needing a better showing than at Euros.

Australia: Not a bad team by any means, but thrown into a group with two great European sides. Out.

Denmark: Semis in the Euros and nothing to suggest Quarters or Semis is out of reach in Qatar.

Tunisia: Similar to Australia, not a bad team but simply no chance in a tough group.

Group E

Spain: A strong, young team who went under the radar in 2021 who are definitely aiming for Semis.

Japan: Very good team and not all hope is lost, but they’re not likely to qualify out of a very hard group.

Germany: A revived German team under Flick and winning the tournament isn’t out of the question.

Costa Rica: Had an amazing 2014 tournament but its just not going to happen again this year.

Group F

Belgium: Not quite the team of the past decade and shouldn’t be expected past the Quarters at best.

Canada: 36 years in the making so they’ll enjoy their only three games in Qatar, home by December.

Morocco: Side full of flair but in a hard group, but will entertain the masses.

Croatia: Unlikely to see the final again but they’ll make themselves proud almost certainly.

Group G:

Brazil: 5 time winners are favourites and rightfully so, anything less than winning is failure.

Serbia: A strong European side and its incredibly close between them and Switzerland, RO16 at best.

Switzerland: Consistent side at every tournament, but out in the RO16 at best.

Cameroon: Would be silly to rule out Cameroon completely but their group has not been kind to them.

Group H

Portugal: Strong squad the whole way up the pitch but you can never predict how they’ll perform.

Ghana: A good team but likely to come up short to Uruguay.

Uruguay: An ageing squad but the quality is still there, so aiming for the Quarters isn’t crazy.

South Korea: Another side who is full of good players, but the group is a tough one.

The venues

You’re not the only one who hasn’t got a clue about stadiums or cities in Qatar, but we’ve got your back.

There are 8 stadiums being used in the tournament and they’ve all been built or rejuvenated in the past 5 years so it’s all fresh and ready for the world to see.

The games will take place in eight different stadia: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Education City Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium.

All but Al Bayt Stadium (60,000) and Lusail Stadium (80,000) who host the Semi-Finals & Final have a capacity of 40,000.

We Love Sport

Quite frankly, this is the pinnacle of all sport. And we are the pinnacle of all venues to watch sport. With that, get down to your nearest We Love Sport venues for the World Cup as it is the place to be. Whether it be Japan v Costa Rica or the World Cup final, there is nowhere better to watch than with us at We Love Sport!