LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - England's dismal World Cupcampaign in Brazil was doubly disappointing for Britain's puboperators, with the team's early exit prompting soccer fans tostay at home to watch the rest of the tournament, leading pubchains said on Thursday.
Mitchells & Butlers, whose chains include All BarOne and Harvester, blamed the soccer showpiece for keeping salesflat at its pubs open for more than a year in its financialthird quarter. It said average food spending had fallen in a"weak" eating and drinking market in May and June.
The firm said demand, particularly for food, had picked upagain since.
Had England made it past the World Cup's first-round groupstage, that would have been worth 175 million pounds toBritain's bars, pubs and restaurants, according to a report bythe Centre for Retail Research (CRR).
Instead, supermarkets are likely to have benefited as fanschose to buy their food and drink and watch games at home.
Rival pub firm Marston's, which has a 1,800-strongestate of managed, franchised and leased pubs and is also knownfor beer brands such as Pedigree and Hobgoblin, said thetournament had failed to ignite sales in its third quarter.
"The impact of the World Cup was broadly neutral, withhigher drinks sales offset by weaker food performance in ourpubs, and strong sales growth in the off-trade," the firm said,adding it was confident of meeting full-year expectations.
Underlying sales at its self-managed pub restaurants were up4.1 percent in the first 41 weeks of the year, indicating aslowdown from growth of 5.7 percent posted at the half-year, dueboth to a tough comparative period and difficult trading forfood outlets during the World Cup.
Sales at its more drink-led managed, franchised and tenantedpubs and leased division were both up.
Smaller London and southeast-focused pubs operator andbrewer Fuller, Smith & Turner made no mention of theWorld Cup in its update but said trading had started stronglyacross all of its divisions in its first quarter. (Reporting by Neil Maidment; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)