Footie hero Sir Geoff Hurst urges England fans to make a matchday meal swap for good luck

Show your support for England this World Cup and tuck in to fish & chips for your matchday meal.

As the anticipation heats up for the 2026 World Cup, we’ve been comparing the nation’s support for the England squad with its support for our ultimate traditional English dish. 

A new study from Poppies Fish & Chips has revealed the top foods chosen by England footie fans when watching international matches and the lack of patriotism might spell bad news for the Three Lions this summer! Three quarters (72%) of those polled opted for a pizza, burger, hot dog or snack instead of England’s most iconic and patriotic dish of fish and chips.

At the same time, the poll showed 58% believe in luck and do all sorts of things to get good luck or avoid bad luck e.g. knock on wood, salute a magpie or throw spilled salt over their left shoulder. And almost half (45%) of the nation’s footie fans have specific matchday rituals they do religiously to bring their team good luck e.g. wearing lucky pants, kissing the team badge, or sitting in the same spot when watching a game.

England football hero Sir Geoff Hurst, who scored an incredible hat-trick for England in the 1966 World Cup winning final, says the nation is missing a trick with their food choices and possibly even jinxing England’s chances. This National Fish & Chip Day, he’s calling on fans to make a simple matchday swap:

When it comes to watching England, fish & chips should be as much part of the matchday ritual as singing Three Lions. I was shocked when I heard how few fans are choosing fish & chips – how can you cheer on England with a slice of pizza in your hand?! This could be the reason why England hasn’t won in the last 60 years!

Back in 1966, the fervour of fan support created a palpable feeling that Sir Geoff said buoyed the team on to their historic victory. Now, 60 years on, he’s urging fans to start the same wave of patriotic pride:

With all the wonderful rituals fans have, it seems far more likely that eating England’s most iconic dish will spur the team on to victory than wearing lucky pants! If we want to recreate that winning spirit, we need to get behind our national dish as well as our national team.

Back your team, support your chippy! 

This simple matchday switch could make a big difference for England and also for hard up chippies across the country. Surging oil, energy and fish prices alongside reduced demand has led to around 500 chippies closing every year with only around 9,000 left in total.

Fish & chips have been part of our national identity for generations and chippies are often the cornerstones of our villages and towns. We need to support them if we don’t want to lose them and what better time to do that then when cheering on England.

Speaking of which, isn’t it time you got booked in?