A rugby-mad pub landlord has marked the arrival of the World Cup by turning his boozer into a GRASS PITCH.
James Bambury, 32, has spent £500 laying turf on every inch of his 65 square metre bar after being dared to do it by a punter.
The co-owner of the Bull Pub in Broughton Astley, Leics., even has goal posts, corner flags and markings to get drinkers into the World Cup mood.
Dad-of-one James, from Kibworth, Leics., said: “It’s amazing what a bet with one of the locals can turn into.
“It was banter in the bar. He challenged me and I said I would and not being a man to go back on his word, I went through with it three days ago.
“We’re watering it and trimming it with shears. It looks great at the moment but I reckon it might turn into a mud bath soon. I will think about the clean up after the World Cup’s finished. Hopefully it doesn’t ruin the carpet.
“People who’ve seen it are totally bemused, they say I’m crazy but they absolutely love it.”
“The locals are tweeting it and putting it all over Facebook. Some of the people who see the pictures are saying it’s astro turf but it’s 100 per cent real.
“There’s no better way of getting behind our England boys than turfing out the pub.”
“Fans can come in their rugby boots and there’s no problem with people spilling their pints or getting down into a scrum while the game’s on.
“We want as much spillage and debauchery as possible.
“In fact, at the last pub I had a rugby team came in to watch a game at the last World Cup and they had a scrum after the game.
“Problem is we had a tiled floor then and when the scrum collapsed one of the guys broke both his front teeth.”
Over the next six weeks, 20 international teams will clash at 13 venues around the country for the Webb Ellis Cup, which England last lifted in 2003.
