Petition to make Monday after Euro 2020 final a bank holiday tops 350,000 signatures

Let’s be honest, people across England woke up on Thursday morning with a sore head, and it wasn’t the most productive working day for many.

The Three Lions’ historic semi-final victory over Denmark secured them a place in their first major final since 1966 so, yes, Wednesday night was a big one – but Sunday is going to be bigger.

Pubs will enjoy extended opening hours to mark the occasion – serving until 11.15pm – to ensure fans can continue to pull in the pints if the game runs into extra time or, dare we say it, penalties…

Bearing all that in mind, people up and down the country are calling for some time off to recuperate on Monday, which really only seems sensible.

Inevitably, a petition was started demanding July 12 be named a bank holiday, and racking up more than 300,000 signatures by 8.30am on Friday. This means that ministers will have to give it due attention and respond to it. (You can access it here.) By Saturday afternoon, it had reached more than 350,000.

But Government officials had allegedly already been pushing the idea, no matter whether England win or lose the showdown against Italy.

Politico reports that the prospect of a national day of celebration was circulating around Whitehall late on Wednesday, with authorities trying to figure out the feasibility of organising a last-minute bank holiday if Harry Kane does end up lifting the trophy.

However, during a Q&A in central London on Thursday, Boris Johnson tried to dampen down hopes that he’ll give the impromptu day off the green light.

Asked whether he would agree to it, he told reporters: “I think that would be tempting fate, let’s see what happens.”

One thing’s for sure, if the fates do allow the move, it will certainly go down well with, well, everyone.

Former England defender Gary Neville is among the voices endorsing the proposal. He told ITV : “We have never done this before in our lifetimes. We have had so much pain, so much dismay and so much let-down, and now we are going to a final.

"For the next few days those lads have got to focus, but we don’t have to. This country is absolutely bouncing. National holiday, enjoy yourselves."

And across social media people are clamouring for the plan to get the thumbs up:

Snickers also got in on the action, pledging to bring back its iconic Marathon bar if July 12 is made an official holiday:

All we’re saying is, whatever the outcome, people aren’t going to be in a fit state to do much concentrating come 9am on Monday.

Give us the day off and we promise to work extra hard on Tuesday… Or maybe Wednesday…