Football and Fashion |

Pub owners across England are hoping that the World Cup encourages a hangover for patrons that lasts the entire month, given the fact that pub patronage is not quite what it used to be. In fact, there has been a steady decrease in the amount of pub beer sales since the smoking ban went into effect in 2007.

Adding to the declining sales is the fact that now England’s supermarkets is able to offer much cheaper beer leading to Bloomberg News to report that only about 50% of all beer consumed in the UK is consumed in pubs which is a sharp difference from 88% back in 1979.

Punch Taverns Plc Operations stated that the World Cup without a question is the best way to get people back in the pubs, but in order to truly be effective England needs to make it to at least the quarterfinals so that people will continue to tune in at the pubs.

Directory of Punch Taverns, Kevin Georgel, stated that if England does not make it past the first round pub owners across England will be ‘cheesed off.’

Manager of Sun & Doves, Nicky Francey, stated that pub owners have a lot riding on the back of World Cup 2010 and after the horrible years in sales they are hopping for sales to pick up and help them survive just a little longer.

Watching football in a pub is the natural setting without debate, as British as eating fish and chips out of newspaper, of course that’s another tradition that has slipped away

The stampede and resulting injuries amongst soccer fans at an exhibition match between Nigeria and North Korea prompted football authorities to put some better security measures in place for the games in the upcoming World Cup.  At least 14 people, including one police officer, were injured in the crush trying to get through the stadium gates at Makhulong on Sunday.

FIFA, football’s chief governing board, maintains that the responsibility for the melee lies with the Nigerian security organization, and that FIFA had nothing to do with arranging the ‘friendly’ match.

The FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, said his organization takes this warning very seriously, and assured members of the media that this sort of thing will not happen during the World Cup games.

The stampede was apparently caused chiefly by the distribution of free tickets at the stadium just prior to the match.  Fans both with and without tickets mobbed the gates once they were opened, and police and security guards managed to get them closed temporarily, but another stampede occurred when they reopened a short time later.

FIFA emphasized that they will exercise greater caution in several respects, including pre-game distribution of tickets and keeping a wider perimeter around the stadiums where World Cup matches are played.  Presumably, no one without a valid ticket will be able to get closer than 40 metres from the gates, and there will be more entrances to keep bottlenecks from forming.  Fans will also be warned to get there on time or early, and leave their cars parked elsewhere.

Officials warned that up to 40,000 women may head to South Africa around the time of the World Cup this year in order to find work as prostitutes during the festivities.

In anticipation of the sudden influx of prostitutes South Africa has tightened its border procedures and is hoping to help prevent those who want to make money from the fans during the tournament.

Deputy chair of the Central Drug Authority of South Africa, David Bayever, stated that local officials are worried that girls from the area will be encouraged to also head to the streets in an effort to get sex work from tourists in an area where up to 16% of the total population is thought to have HIV.

Bayever continued to say that the problem is a large concern and that organizers of the event are aware of the threat and that the women looking for work and money as sex workers are expected to come from areas located throughout the globe with a large concentration from Eastern Europe.

The problem was discussed at a meeting of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and policies designed to limit the amount of women allowed in the country were discussed.

According to Bayever, the UN office has been given assurances that passport control checks will be conducted at the borders on those who look suspicious and that screening methods will be in place.

Officials are also fearful that children may be attracted to sex work while on holiday during the World Cup.

The World Cup finals are coming and with them of course the chance to celebrate, incredible anticipation, and eventually commiseration for the fans of the losing team.

However, this year the finals will come with a twist as they will be held in Africa for the first time since the World Cup began and thus all the major sporting merchandise brands are gearing up with plenty of African themed items.

Puma, which has enjoyed a long standing line of sponsorship with African teams, will introduce a lifestyle clothing line that celebrates the African football team and fans.  Additionally, they received a commission for a uniform that will be worn by all African nations that are competing as part of their third kit.

With the aid of African American artist Kehinde Wiley Puma also has a commission for a wide range of training gear, street wear, footwear, and four paintings that were inspired by the top three football players in Africa.

The clothing line will debut in Paris this week as a travelling exhibition and will move onward through Europe, Australia, and Asia before finally landing in South Africa as the World Cup commences.

In an interview Wiley stated that her work with Puma started when she began to look outside of America and using global fabrics.  She stated in the past that she was already working on her own clothes which is why it was the perfect time when Puma approached her about working on a World Cup football line.

David Beckham is known for his great figure whenever he slides into a nice pair of keks, but it is about to get more personal as he will soon design his own clothing line and even model the entire range himself.

The news comes after he officially signed into a deal to follow his wife into the fashion industry after the World Cup is over this year, when he will temporarily hang up his cleats and pen menswear designs for the top couple’s DVB fashion line.

According to a source that knows the famous couple they have been working together on her already popular fashion ranges with Armani and that he has big plans for his own lines.

The source continued to say that fashion is a passion of David’s and that it is only logical that he would want to work on his own fashion line.

His wife, Victoria better known as Posh, established herself as a fashion designer after ending her career as a pop icon with the Spice Girls.

Since she entered the fashion world she has earned millions from her designs that include lines of sunglasses, dresses, and jeans.

David also has modelled already for Emporio Armani underpants and is usually seen around town in the most popular designs, although the skirt that he famously wore while in the South of France may be one of his most known fashion faux pas that is not likely to make an appearance in the line.