Football fans to spend millions, says NatWest

11 October 2005

Football mad Brits are set to spend £2 billion if England gets to the World Cup finals according to a survey by NatWest Credit Cards.

The survey of football fans, in association with MasterCard, found that each football fan will spend an average of £87.26 during the World Cup and could spend up to £897 million even if England fails to make it to the final stages.

A spokesperson for NatWest Credit Cards said: “Despite talk that football crowd numbers are dwindling, our research has indicated a potential surge in support from a new die hard fan base – people with high incomes and expensive tastes.

“It also highlights a growing passion for the game amongst women, with high-profile football events increasingly attracting female fans.”

According to the survey carried out by the two credit card companies, die-hard fans could spend £300 million on travel, accommodation and match tickets just to travel to German to see the match.

The survey also includes the money spent on beer and food by football fans who will watch the game from home or in their local pub.