More than two-thirds of football fans will watch their teams from their local pub this season

This equates to a £30m boost for pubs on each and every match day, assuming a £17.79 average spend per head per visit.

These are the key results from an independent survey, commissioned by Molson Coors of 2,000 sports fans, 565 of whom were football fans.

The survey also highlighted a north-south divide in people visiting the pub, as 69% of people in Yorkshire, 64% in the north-east and 66% in the north-west visit the pub to watch sports, compared to just over half (57%) of people doing so in the south and east of England.

Nearly a third (32%) of football fans go to the pub just to watch sport, with 23% of those doing so at
least once a week.

While 64% drink beer, on average they consume more than three drinks per visit. And nearly a quarter take their wives or girlfriends with them. For cricket fans, 57% say they visit their local to socialise with friends, while white wine is the drink of choice for just over one in 10.

According to the research, rugby union supporters seem to be the biggest fans of the pub, with 70% visiting. A further 70% also drink beer, consuming an average of three drinks per visit. More than a quarter (28%) also take a wife or girlfriend with them.

Rugby league fans are the most obsessed with sport, however, with 34% watching sport in the pub more than once a week and 11% watching sport in the pub every day; 88% of them drink beer, on average 2.5 drinks per visit. In addition, 16% choose to go with their mother and 68% take a ‘significant other’ along with them.