Political leaders have indicated a desire to "mark the occasion" if the Three Lions emerge victorious
England are just one game away from winning their first major tournament since 1966, with the formidable presence of Spain standing in the way of Gareth Southgate's team in the final of Euro 2024.
There has been plenty of heartache over the years since Bobby Moore and the Three Lions lifted the World Cup at Wembley six decades ago, but Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Co. have a chance to make history as England's men's team contest their first major final on foreign soil.
Should they triumph on Sunday, the prospect of a bank holiday has been raised, with fans, pundits and politicians discussing how to mark such an enormous sporting achievement. So, will there be a bank holiday if England win? GOAL takes a look.
Getty ImagesWill there be a bank holiday if England win Euro 2024?
It has not been confirmed that there will be a bank holiday if England win Euro 2024, but a number of figures have expressed a desire to mark the occasion in an official way, suggesting that it is a possibility.
Ahead of the final, when asked about the idea of a celebratory bank holiday, new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told : "We should certainly mark the occasion… I don't want to jinx it.
"I went to the last Euros final and I don't want to go through that again so I don't want to jinx anything."
He added: "We must mark it in some way. The most important thing is getting over the line on Sunday."
Starmer had previously called for a bank holiday after England reached the final of Euro 2020, saying that "the country should get the chance to celebrate [winning the European Championship] properly with an extra bank holiday, granted in the name of the England team."
Unfortunately for Starmer and England, the Three Lions lost that final to Italy – which perhaps explains the Labour leader's reticence to speak about it on this occasion.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, has unequivocally called for a day to mark the occasion if England win.
"The Three Lions are playing their first ever final on foreign soil, and if they bring it home, the government should bring home a bank holiday to celebrate," Davey said.
"England deserves the chance to celebrate a once in a generation event. Who knows, we might even get decent weather."
AdvertisementGettyWhat is a bank holiday?
A 'bank holiday' is the name given to a national public holiday in the United Kingdom. They can only be created by Royal Declaration, with the UK's head of state – the King – acting on the advice of government ministers.
While the core of the holidays observed in the constituent parts of the UK are the same, Scotland and Northern Ireland have slight divergences.
UK bank holidays in 2024
January 1New Year's DayYesYesYesJanuary 2January 2NoYesNoMarch 17St Patrick's DayNoNoYesFriday before Easter SundayGood FridayYesYesYesMonday after Easter SundayEaster MondayYesNoYesFirst Monday in MayMay Bank HolidayYesYesYesLast Monday in MaySpring Bank HolidayYesYesYesJuly 12The TwelfthNoNoYesFirst Monday in AugustSummer Bank HolidayNoYesNoLast Monday in AugustAugust Bank HolidayYesNoYesNovember 30St Andrew's DayNoYesNoDecember 25Christmas DayYesYesYesDecember 26Boxing DayYesYesYes
There are currently eight bank holidays observed in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Some bank holidays are only observed in particular nations. For example, St Patrick's Day and The Twelfth are only bank holidays in Northern Ireland, while St Andrew's Day is only observed in Scotland.
You can see the full list of UK bank holidays above.
When would a Euro 2024 bank holiday take place?
In the event that a new bank holiday was agreed by the UK government, the timing means it is unlikely to fall on the Monday after the final – July 15. In truth, it may prove difficult to fit an extra day off into 2024 at such short notice, particularly since there are bank holidays in August coming up.
A major consideration to factor in is that an extra national public holiday could be costly to the UK economy, with some estimates suggesting it would cost between £1 billion and £2 billion.
It is also unclear whether it would be UK-wide or limited to just England. Given sporting rivalries, logic suggests that England would be the only one to observe such a bank holiday, but, equally, it is possible that the whole of the UK may wish to bask in the glory of the Three Lions with another day off.
A YouGov poll conducted ahead of the Euro 2024 final suggested that 51 per cent of Britons did not want to have a bank holiday if England won, with 39 per cent being in favour. Make of that what you will!
