Venue change for semi-final screening in Guernsey

The England Fan Zone, organised by Owl Events, has been moved indoors.

Plans to show England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina on the Crown Pier tomorrow (15 July) have changed.

The free, but ticketed, outdoor screening had sold out quickly, but organisers say they've had to move the event away from the seafront and indoors.

Guernsey Police said they could not support the application because of the short planning timescale and limited policing resources.

Guernsey Ports also raised concerns about the impact on visiting yachts during one of the harbour's busiest periods.

Instead, the screening will now take place at Beau Sejour.

Doors to the Sir John Loveridge Hall will open at 5:30pm, ahead of the 8pm kick-off, with the same large LED screen originally planned for Crown Pier.

All existing standard free tickets will be cancelled. A new set of free tickets will be released at 6pm this evening, with anyone who previously held a ticket getting priority access from 5.30pm.

This will allow organisers to record attendance and ensure safety.

Alex Lock of Owl Events says the team has worked tirelessly to make this work.

“We are naturally disappointed that the event cannot proceed at Crown Pier.

"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.

“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.

“However, we respect the final decision and want to continue working closely and constructively with the authorities.

“When it became clear that Crown Pier could not proceed, cancelling the event would have been the easiest option, but we did not want to let everyone down.

“We immediately began working on an alternative and have worked tirelessly, including throughout the night, to rebuild the event around Beau Sejour.

“We are incredibly grateful to Beau Sejour and everyone involved for helping us make this possible at such short notice.

“Moving indoors gives us an opportunity to create an even bigger atmosphere, with hundreds of England supporters together in one hall watching the match on the same large LED screen originally planned for Crown Pier.

“We genuinely hope people will continue to support the event, reclaim their tickets and join us for what should be an incredible evening.”

“We want every supporter to enjoy the experience at Beau Sejour and help create a brilliant atmosphere throughout the evening.

"We also ask everyone attending to treat the venue, its staff, event personnel and fellow guests with respect, and to follow any instructions given on the night.

"We would love the opportunity to work with Beau Sejour on more events in the future, but that will depend in part on Wednesday’s event being delivered safely and responsibly.

"We are therefore asking all supporters to work with us and the venue, respect the facilities and help ensure the evening is remembered for the right reasons.”