Could the World Cup give UK consumers a boost?
As we approach the South Africa 2010 World Cup there is hope that a good showing from the England team will give UK consumers, UK businesses and the UK economy a welcome boost. Historically we have seen boom time's in economies in World Cup years and there are hopes we will see a repeat this year as the UK economy desperately needs some inspiration.
Pubs and clubs around the UK are already licking their lips at the potential crowds as the World Cup approaches and World Cup fever begins to mount. We've also seen some positive comments from the UK bookmaking industry which is forecasting a bumper year with regards to football and especially the World Cup. Whether this is enough to kick start the UK economy after a very tough time remains to be seen but hopes are high that the World Cup will at least take minds off the dire economic situation in the short term.
It is easy to discount the World Cup, and other sporting events, as irrelevant in the overall picture of the UK economy but historically they have in many cases injected a feel-good factor into the UK and other countries. Fingers crossed that the England team can go all the way!
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