‘UK population unaware of 2002 World Cup scheduling’

The majority (71 per cent) of the UK population has not yet realised that live matches from next year’s World Cup will be shown in the morning.

A survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres on behalf of marketing agency Poulter Partners suggests that the marketing industry will have to come up with some fresh thinking if it is to capitalise on next year’s games, to be held in South Korea and Japan.

The poll of 1,000 respondents shows that 15 per cent of people intend to watch all the games live and 40 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women are likely to watch at least some of the England matches live.

The majority (77 per cent) intend to watch at home. Almost a fifth intend to watch in a pub and only two per cent say they will watch at work.

Poulter Partners managing director Gary McCall says: “The fact that next year the Cup will be held in a different time zone just means we have to think differently. Where one door closes another opens – think eggs, bacon, orange juice.”