Football fans who were hoping to watch England beat (sorry ‘play’) Argentina on an outdoor screen by the sea will have to settle for watching the match indoors, after organisers were forced to move venue at the last minute.
The fan zone was supposed to outdoors at Crown Pier, in St Peter Port, but because of late safety concerns it has been forced to move inside.
The organisers, Owl Events, had contacted authorities, but some of the information was communicated too late, leading to the change of venue.
Alex Lock, from Owl Events, said he was “naturally disappointed” as “a huge amount of work, time and expense went into the original proposal, and we genuinely did everything we could to respond to the concerns raised”.
Guernsey Police and Guernsey Ports said they rejected the plan because of the short notice and police staffing concerns.
Guernsey Ports also said the fan zone could impact visiting yacht crews during a busy time.
Mr Lock said: “It is frustrating that some of the key concerns were communicated so late, as this left us without enough time to redesign the event for another outdoor location.”
The fan zone will now move indoor to the Sir John Loveridge Hall at Beau Sejour, using the same LED screen that would have been used at Crown Pier.
Mr Lock said cancelling “would have been the easiest option, but we did not want to let everyone down”.
He added: “We are incredibly grateful to Beau Sejour and everyone involved for helping us make this possible at such short notice.
“We immediately began working on an alternative and have worked tirelessly, including through the night, to rebuild the event.”
He said moving indoors gave organisers the chance “to create an even bigger atmosphere”.
Doors will open at 17:30 with pre-match entertainment and buildup before England take on Argentina at 20:00.
