THERE’S nothing quite like a run of international football success to boost business.

Pubs across the district have seen a rise in trade throughout the World Cup, particularly during England matches.

The feelgood factor resulting from England’s success in the tournament, coupled with the recent hot weather, has had a positive spin-off effect on local trade.

And tonight’s semi-final, when Gareth Southgate’s mighty England team face Croatia for a place in Sunday’s World Cup final, will see another surge in spending, with football fans - both diehards and the fair weather variety - descending on pubs and beer gardens to watch the match.

The economy boost started early in the tournament, with spending in pubs surging by a third on the day of England’s debut match in the 2018 World Cup.

Figures showed that consumer spending in pubs jumped by 33per cent on the day of the first England match compared with the same day a week earlier, as England fans toasted the team’s success against Tunisia on June 18.

Boosted by the kick-off of the World Cup, pub expenditure grew by 9.5per cent overall in June, when compared with June 2017, according to Barclaycard’s data. Spending grew by 5.1per cent overall year-on-year in June.

Non-essential spending grew 5.5per cent, its best performance since October 2016 - driven by a particularly strong month for entertainment, Barclaycard said. Entertainment spending increased by 10per cent week-on-week in the first seven days of the football.

The hot weather is also encouraging people to open their wallets according to Barclaycard, which surveyed 2,000 people as well as using its own data. One in three people say they have spent more than normal so far this summer.

Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: “As the warm weather continues and World Cup fever sets in, it’s clear many households are prioritising fun in the sun while making the most of the summer’s best experiences.

“While some lingering caution remains, confidence in household finances is at a 12-month high. This may be good news for retailers, especially as many shoppers are keen to use their spending power to help their local high street.”

Stephen Winrow, general manager at the Angel pub in Baildon, which recently re-opened following a refurbishment, said: “The World Cup has been really good for us, we’ve been packed out for the England games.

“We did well on Saturday; we had a lot of people in watching the match, it was a great atmosphere. Now we’re gearing up for the semi-final - we’ve got seven TV screens inside the pub and a screen outside. We haven’t got any particular events planned around it - at this stage people just want to concentrate on the team and the match.”

Kevin Dean, area manager at city centre pub Ginger Goose pub on Market Street, said there had been a rise in custom for all World Cup matches, particularly England matches. Like some other pubs and supermarkets, the Ginger Goose is offering a pizza and beer deal during the World Cup. "We have four large screens in the pub, it's been really good for business throughout the tournament," said Mr Dean.

For some, the World Cup and warm weather has had the opposite effect. At Fanny’s Ale House in Saltaire the scene on England match nights has been one of peace and tranquility. “We’ve been very quiet - we have a television upstairs but it’s a small space, and people prefer to watch with a lot of others, where there’s a lively atmosphere,” says manager Matthew Mos. “It was the same during the Euro championships. We also don’t have a beer garden.”

He knows business will pick up again once the World Cup is over, but in the meantime he adds: “I'd encourage anyone who wants a nice quiet drink to come and visit.”

Watching the football at home has had an impact on business too. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG retail sales monitor showed that in June, UK retail sales increased by 1.1per cent on a like-for-like basis from June 2017. Helen Dickinson, chief executive at BRC, said: “Beer, barbecues and big TVs lifted June’s sales as warm weather and World Cup fever gripped the nation.”

But she cautioned: “The reality is that sales don’t grow on the feel-good factor alone. With household incomes still barely growing faster than inflation, conditions for consumers and retailers remain extremely tough.”