The England Goals That Cost 5 Million Pints: A Market Research Study

Scenes of fans hurling beer into the air when the ball hits the back of the net have become regular sights at screenings of European Championship and World Cup matches. After analysing videos online, we estimated just how much beer is being wasted. Here’s what we found:

“England fans spill nearly five million pints of beer every time Gareth Southgate’s team scores at football tournaments.”

Our study showed that when England scores, about 20% of people holding a pint spill at least some of their drink, while a further 15% throw their drink into the air. Another 5% lose some of their beer after being knocked during the mayhem.

Industry data confirms that around 243 million pints will be served in England during the Euros. Based on previous results at the last Euros, England played in seven games. So that means:

“34,714,285 pints will be served per game. If 20% of the beer is spilt per goal, that equates to 6,942,857 pints hitting the floor. This assumes only one goal a game, but in Euro 2020 (held in 2021 because of the pandemic) England averaged about 1.5 goals a game, so we should divide it by 1.5, which gives us 4,628,571 pints spilt per goal.”

While the numbers are tongue-in-cheek, the methodology behind this study highlights how much we can learn from careful observation and analysis, even when dealing with seemingly light-hearted topics. It’s a reminder of the power of market research to uncover unique consumer behaviours, whether through video analysis or other forms of data gathering.

At Split Second Research, we often combine this type of real-time analysis with desk research, such as reviewing academic journals, to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer habits. By leveraging both approaches, we ensure that our insights are not only detailed but also well-rounded, offering our clients the full picture.