BUSINESSES in Oxfordshire are in line for a £13m trade boost once the World Cup kicks off, according to a county accountant.

This could rise by another £7m if England defy all the odds and reach the final on Sunday, July 13.

James Cowper accountants believes each person in the county will spend at least £20 more on average during the four-week tournament, which begins tomorrow.

It comes as pubs, cafes and shops launch promotions.

Chef Flausino, a Brazilian family-owned takeaway in Cowley Road, will show all Brazil games on a 42-inch TV and hold barbecues.

Manager Ana Flausino said: “There’s a lot of excitement about the World Cup and we’re expecting a lot of people to come and watch our games here. There are lots of Brazilians living in Oxford and we hope it will be busy.”

The Home Office allowed pubs to apply for late licences to stay open until 1am when England matches start at 8pm or later.

Oxford City Council has approved 21 applications for pubs to extend licences, including Eurobar in George Street.

General manager Massimo Tenaglia said: “We have people from all over the world as customers, so there should be a good atmosphere here with everyone just enjoying the football.”

The City Arms pub in Cowley Road will use the late licence for England matches, but will close at midnight as normal on other days.

Supervisor Jackson Gould said: “We’re judging it on what happened with the rugby because when the Six Nations was on it was very busy, even for games where England weren’t playing.”

Richer Sounds in Botley Road has a special World Cup promotion offering reductions on certain TV models and has seen sales rise.

Cumnor Hill-based James Cowper worked out the figures using estimates from the British Retail Consortium.

It said the 2006 and 2010 World Cups generated an additional £1.25bn and £1.5bn for the British economy, while this summer’s tournament is estimated to add £2bn- £3bn.

James Cowper partner Mike Farwell said: “Top of the list will be food and drink, and if the sun shines, barbecues. TV sales rocket in World Cup years, as does advertising spend. Then there is, of course, all the merchandise.”

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce policy executive Clair Prosser said: “It has been proven that productivity goes up when the national team are doing well, so I hope England have a good run in this tournament.”

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