Only five out of 800 Wetherspoons to open for England v Mexico and two are in the North East

JD Wetherspoon has confirmed that only five of its 800 pubs across the UK will be open for England's last 16 clash against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Monday morning. However, fans in the North East can take heart as two of the five venues are located in the region.

The two North East Wetherspoons opening their doors for the early hours match are The Bishop's Mill in Durham and The Cooper Rose, which is now the city's last remaining Wetherspoon. The other three branches opening for the occasion are The William Rufus in Carlisle, Penderel's Oak in Holborn, and The Solomon Cutler in Birmingham.

This announcement comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted pubs permission to extend their opening hours until 5am to enable fans to watch the fixture in full. The unusual start time reflects the match being held at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, requiring English supporters to sacrifice sleep in hopes of seeing their team progress to the quarter finals.

Speaking about the extended opening hours, Starmer said: "Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to. Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together."

England secured their place in the last 16 with a narrow 2-1 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday, with striker Harry Kane scoring twice to set up this encounter with the host nation. Kane equalised in the 75th minute before clinching the winner at 86 minutes, allowing Thomas Tuchel's side to progress to face Mexico in their formidable home at the Azteca Stadium.

The decision to allow extended opening hours means the hospitality sector will be able to capitalise on the distinctive late-night atmosphere created by the unusual kick-off time, giving fans across the country the opportunity to watch the match from their local pubs.