Pub's free beer offer backfires spectacularly

A pub landlady in the UK has shrugged off her “own goal” when she gave away a free beer for every goal scored by her local English Premier League team, and they ended up winning 7-0.

Beccy Webster, who runs the Gedling Inn in Nottinghamshire, in central England, ended up serving 300 pints of free beer, worth £1500 ($3000), when Nottingham Forest thrashed Brighton last Saturday.

She told the BBC her backfiring promotion had prompted an international response, with messages and media inquiries from Australia, the US and South America.

Nearly all were asking whether the pub was still trading after the big financial hit.

“It’s been overwhelming – but it’s been lovely to have something good come from what looks like a loss,” she said.

The pub only publicised the offer 45 minutes before kick-off in the match.

Few supporters of Nottingham Forest could predict the ensuing goal blitz after the club was coming off the back of a 5-0 drubbing in its previous game.

Webster said she expected Forest to score “two or three” and had been upstairs feeding her baby when the goal rush began.

Despite her partner suggesting they abandon the offer, she insisted they keep it.

She briefly forgot the cost as “everyone was having such a good time”.

Now, after tallying up the financial hit to her business, Webster is hoping the brewery will help her out.

She even says a contribution from the owner of Nottingham Forest, Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis, would be welcomed.

“But actually if he came to visit we would give him a free pint, he is doing such a great job,” she said.