Fancy celebrating a Scots World Cup victory with a pint at 5am? - Vladimir McTavish

The council have agreed that pubs can stay open in Edinburgh until the end of every game. Some fixures on the West Coast don’t kick off until 5am, which means full-time will not be until 7am. Ooft!

The old Penny Black (now part of the Voodoo Rooms) used to open at 5am

I can’t see there being much uptake, particularly as none of these very late matches in the group phase involve Scotland. However, Australia’s first game does start at 5am, so I’m guessing that could pack out a few of the Oz-themed bars in the Old Town.

But will they turn up to start drinking that early or already be on the way to alcoholic poisoning?

After all, who decides to go a pub at 5am for their first drink of the day? Admittedly, the old lamented Penny Black (now part of the Voodoo Rooms) used to open at that unearthly hour, due to an ancient licence that allowed postal workers the chance of a pint at the end of their shift.

In later years, Fringe time especially, it would be rammed full of all-night drinkers, determined to stretch their benders further.

Scotland’s latest kick-off is our opening game against Haiti at 2am on a Sunday morning. Many fans will go to the pub to watch. Myself, I’ll be drinking at home, pacing myself so I’m not blootered before the game starts.

In Boston itself, the stadium will be packed with Tartan Army who have had a swally at a normal hour. How many Haiti supporters will be there is in doubt.

The Caribbean island is on Trump’s list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the USA, so only a small handful of the crowd will be cheering them on.

Indeed, there is no guarantee their team will allowed into America. Scotland could therefore end up playing against nobody.

If that happens, I fancy our chances of at least getting a draw.