Andy Burnham has urged England fans to grab the 'golden chance' to be in the pub until the early hours of tomorrow morning.

The PM-in-waiting said he wanted the country to 'make the most' of the World Cup showdown even though it is a 'school night'.

Employers are braced for staff to turn up late, extremely weary or not at all in the wake of the clash with Mexico. 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has also been pleading with parents not to let kids skip school after watching the game. 

Kick-off is scheduled for 1am UK time after a last-ditch move to bring it forward was blocked yesterday. With delays for thunderstorms also possible, that means the contest might not end until 3am or even later. 

In a video wishing the team luck, Mr Burnham said: 'What a golden chance to be in the pub together at 1am on a school night... make the most of it everybody, but mainly let's hope that England do the job - come on England.' 

The former Greater Manchester Mayor is expected to watch the event live tonight. It is the first time England have played at Mexico's high-altitude Azteca stadium since the 'hand of God' match against Argentina at the 1986 World Cup.

Downing Street initially suggested Arsenal fan Keir Starmer's schedule tomorrow was too busy, but he is now proposing to watch.

The Government has announced that pubs across England will be able to stay open until 5am without licence extensions, although the decision came too late for many to make arrangements.  

Mr Burnham makes great play of his fondness for football. 

An Everton fan, he was a member of the notorious New Labour 'Demon Eyes' team alongside the likes of Ed Balls and James Purnell - both now tipped to be part of his Government.

Mr Burnham has pledged to promote sport, and yesterday backed calls for football fans to be allowed to booze in the stands at matches.

In a social media post, he criticised the ban which has been in place for England's top five leagues for more than forty years in a bid to curb hooliganism.