The 2022 Qatar World Cup is fast approaching and while everyone is figuring out where they’re going to watch, millions of Brits are said to be planning sickies already.
As games are running from anywhere between 10am and 7pm, Monday-Friday, England and Wales fans are already thinking of ways to squeeze the games into the working week.
Not only does the first game of Qatar 2022 start at 4pm on 20 November but England’s first match against Iran kicks off at 1pm the following day — on a Monday no less! As for the Welsh, they’re earliest fixtures is their second game which starts at 10am. Oof.
With that in mind, more than 30% of British workers have admitted they will call in sick so they can watch their respective teams play, as per a study by ‘Road to Victory‘: Europe’s largest fan zone.
The massive space set up by interactive experience and events provider AIX Live is showing every England game in Manchester’s Depot Mayfield this World Cup, but they’ve also been looking into what the fans are planning to do get watch the games during working hours.
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According to RtV‘s research, the top three excuses fans are expected to give to their employers in order to miss a day of work are vomiting and diarrhoea (14%), followed by migraines (4.5%) and finally Covid (3.6%). Hey, we’ve all pulled a sickie for much less important reasons.
As for those still enjoying work-from-home days, over two-thirds (61.4%) say they plan to skip going into the office to watch the footy whilst ‘working’ from the comfort of their own gaff.
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Moreover, despite everyone obviously planning to pull a sickie and skive off work to watch the Three Lions and The Dragons, almost half of workers in the UK (46%) said they would take an ‘honest’ half-day holiday if their employers offered one. These numbers are extrapolated form a surey of over 2,000 fans.
Credit: England (via Twitter)Credit: FA Wales
However, that isn’t enough for Road to Victory, as they have started a petition for businesses around the nation to issue half-day for all England fans wanting to watch the first game. Sounds fair to us.
Speaking directly to employers, their campaign aims to discourage faking calling in sick and unnecessary WFH days by promoting the match as a team-building exercise where employees can hopefully celebrate the victory together.
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We recently went to Depot Mayfield to get a sneak peek at Road to Victory, as it happens. It was seriously impressive. Certainly worth pulling a sickie for!
AIX Live’s David Norris said: “The upcoming world cup is not just about supporting England, it’s an opportunity for friends, family and employees to come together and celebrate victory.
“The Lionesses won gold this year – and now it’s time for the boys to bring home the trophy.
“With the world cup taking place in Qatar, more fans than ever will be supporting from home in the UK and it’s the responsibility of businesses to ensure that employees are able to celebrate.
“Sign the petition – and let’s make a milestone change.”
Oasis’ Wonderwall on the brink of becoming UK number one for first time ever 30 years after initial release
Emily Sergeant
Could Wonderwall FINALLY become UK number one for the first time ever?
England may no longer be in the running to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being knocked out in the Semi Finals by Argentina, who claimed a 2-1 win when the two teams faced off in Atlanta on Wednesday night (15 July), but it looks like that hasn’t harmed Wonderwall’s trajectory to the top of the Official UK Charts.
Oasis’ most-streamed song of all time – and arguably their most famous – is currently sitting right at the top of Spotify’s Global charts, meaning it is in the race to become the official UK number one later today.
Despite the fact it never reached number one when it was first released back in 1996 as part of the band’s second studio album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, the song has always had such cultural significance here in Manchester.
But after being adopted by the fans of the England men’s national football team during this World Cup, and belted out after every Three Lions victory this tournament, the song has taken on a whole new life.
Wonderwall was described at the time by the band’s lead guitarist and songwriter, Noel Gallagher, as being about ‘an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself’ – with the song’s title inspired by George Harrison’s solo album Wonderwall Music.
Sure, it has nothing to do with football (but neither did Sweet Caroline, let’s be real), but it’s an absolute anthem and one that’s become a symbol this year for the belief that football may have just been coming home after 60 years.
Win or lose, Wonderwall remains.
Unfortunately, while Wonderwall is in pole position as it stands, it’s up against some fierce footballing competition with the likes of Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds’ enduring anthem, Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home), hot on its heals.
Standing between both of them – and chart glory – is, of course, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s record-breaking duet, Rein Me In, which looks to retain the top spot as it eyes a 17th non-consecutive week at the summit.
It’s also expected that The Beatles’ iconic 1968 hit, Hey Jude, will also find its way into the Top 40 in honour of the tournament’s star player Jude Bellingham.
So, will Wonderwall reign supreme then? Will the Gallagher brothers have another reason to celebrate tonight after the success of last year’s historic Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour? We’ll have to wait and see.
You can tune into the Official Chart Show on BBC Radio 1 from 4pm today.
New Man United signing Andrey Santos reveals what Cole Palmer told him before transfer
Danny Jones
Manchester United new-boy Andrey Santos has revealed what local lad and former teammate Cole Palmer told him before he joined the club earlier this week – one of two midfielder signings they’ve already made this summer.
He and his fellow new arrival may not have been the transfer supporters were expecting, but with a cosign from ‘Cold’ Palmer, it’s fair to say fans can hope for big things.
The young Brazilian CDM, who arrives from Chelsea on a fee worth a reported £48 million, is purported to be a player with great potential.
With the ‘Seleção’ supposedly believing he could one day be a Casemiro successor, it seems only fitting that he replaces the footballing veteran in the middle of the park for Man United; and it looks as though the 22-year-old has been vouched for by a boyhood MUFC fan in Palmer, too.
🗣️ Andrey Santos on Manchester:
"Cole [Palmer] sent me a message because he was born here, he knows here, he said all the best for your career and a lot of things… So I'm so excited to be here in Manchester!"
As shared in his first media duties at the Carrington training complex, the ex-Strasbourg player and one-time Nottingham Forest loanee said that the Wythenshawe-born winger and attacking midfielder wished him nothing but the best on his move, noting his knowledge and lasting love for his hometown.
Palmer, himself still only 24, may have played for Manchester City, but he’s been a Red since he was a kid and confessed that he initially never wanted to leave the region.
Having also commented on Santos’ announcement post – simply writing, “What a player! Good luck bro” – leading plenty of people on social media to start speculating over whether the England international could also be convinced to make the move (back) up North.
The prospect seems to be fairly thin at spurious at present, but stranger things have happened.
It’s worth noting that Palmer struggled to be quite as his very best for Chelsea last season, not only missing out on game time due to injury problems but also struggling to lock down a guaranteed spot in the starting XI despite his obvious talent, especially given the extremely large and ‘bloated’ squad.
Not unlike Santos, you could say – though Palmer has obviously hit much bigger heights in the blue already in his career.
On the other hand, when asked about transfer rumours and the most recent round of links to his beloved Red Devils in a Guardian interview earlier this year, the Manc footballer admitted that while Manchester is still his home, he’s grown to enjoy life in the capital and can usually just “laugh it off”.
However, with the west London club looking at yet another overhaul under a new manager, you never know who could be deemed surplus to requirements, a good bargaining chip in the transfer market, or simply not as big a part of Xabi Alonso’s plans.
Meanwhile, United and the INEOS board have brought in the likes of Youri Tielemans elsewhere in the middle of the park, along with back-up goalkeeper Kyle Darlow so far in this window.
As for the Vasco de Gama youth graduate, you can hear more from Andrey Santos in his first full interview as a Manchester United player below.
Danny Jones -
8th November 2022 
