Credit card owners should prepare for a scramble this Saturday

July 1, 2006

All credit card holders who also happen to be football fans could be in for a mad rush to find a cash machine at half time in England's quarter-final match against Portugal this Saturday.

ATM operator Link has said that it expects a surge of activity during the break of the Three Lions' crunch game as footie fans hurry to take some money out without missing any of the action.

Link reports that during the breaks in England's previous games against Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden and Ecuador cash withdrawals increased by about 40 per cent.

In the fifteen minutes between the first and second halves of the Paraguay game, a staggering 6,200 withdrawals were made every 60 seconds, with a total of £3.5 million being taken out.

A high level of 6,000 withdrawals per minute was seen again following the match, as jubilant supporters secured the financing for their post-match celebrations.

"If this quarter-final match is as tense as England's previous games, fans won't be able to tear themselves away from the action during the match and will rush to get cash during half time," said Link spokesman Graham Mott.

"Those fans watching the games in pubs which have an ATM in the building will be at a real advantage as they won't have to charge about looking for a machine in those few precious moments before the game restarts."