Garden supper this evening. Would it be reasonable to suggest that guests might leave the table for the football?

[LemonRoses]

We have a ten people arriving for supper this evening. We plan to eat on the terrace, with a 7pm start to catch the last of any sunshine. Clearly if they arrive at 7.15, have drinks and warm spiced nuts/olives then sit down to a starter of crab, we’re not going to be serving the entree until well past 8pm.

I don’t know two of the couples. My guess would be that three, maybe four, of the men would want to see the match. I don’t think most of the women would be particularly interested.

My problem is I wasn’t aware there was a football match this evening and I rather suspect some guests will want to see it.

Do we;

• open the doors so people can pop in and out?
• suggest those that wish cut their food at table and then eat of their knees with a fork whilst watching the television?
• suggest we watch together later?
• not mention to football and hope nobody else does?
• arrange regular update messages from someone who is watching?

If a match is at 8pm, what time will it finish? Should we defer eating until after the match but add in more substantial canapés?

@museumum

Actually, looking at your timings again I’d skip aperitifs and nuts, serve food early at the table and expect people to freeflow to either tv or not from just after 8.

Yep, I'd serve the mains ok arrival and let everyone snack on the canapés when the match was on. I'm not a huge football fan at all but will be watching as will most people I know, it's a big event after a pretty horrible year and England are genuinely in with a shot at the finals.

On arrival! 😂

I’m wondering if this thread is a piss take based on two highly debated threads in the last 24 hours - football (should we move the time of parents anniversary dinner) and the dinner party (what time is it rude to turn up)

Main course before kick off, pudding at half time. (8:45-9pm) coffee at close of play (9:50ish unless there’s half an hours extra time and penalties in which case you’re screwed)

This is the second thread that I have read this week where hosts are dishing up warm nuts - are these a thing? Who warms up nuts

Anyway, I would go for the eating of knees whilst watching the match option. Plus, you haven't said where you live but here in the Midlands, nobody will be eating on the terrace later, thunder/lightning and rain are forecast!

tricky one presumably arranged before it was clear there was some rather important football on tonight.

No idea really but this supper sounds very posh and I'll happily come along if anyone cancels.

suggest those that wish cut their food at table and then eat of their knees with a fork whilst watching the television?

Another one agreeing with that - but as a woman who has watched almost all the games so far, note that one or two of the women might go too!

To be honest, presuming this was booked before we beat Germany and that I liked these people, I’d probably message and see what people want to do.

Football is generally rather disliked on MN, so this might not be the best place for balanced opinion - and the best people to check in with are going to be those people who are going. Your issue will be if you have one or two people who hate it; and a few who want to watch it… but if you’re sure that in your friends group, it’ll be mostly the men who want to watch if and the women who don’t; letting the people who want to watch it eat while doing so isn’t a bad idea.

Fantastic OP Hope all goes well

Just let them know they want, they can watch the football at yours. Let them decide how/where they want to eat. Some may be happy to have it on in the background some may want to sit in front of it all night!
Could you put it on the radio or loud enough it can be heard at the table in the background?

sorry op but women do like football too

@LemonRoses please may I come? Both the evening and you sound lovely.

@Shoxfordian

I would just ignore it, people should be able to come to your dinner party and watch it tomorrow if they’re interested

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'd be a bit annoyed if I'd agreed to attend a nice dinner party and then we all had to watch football with food balanced on my knees.

So stick to your plans.

Oddly, not a tease thread.
We’re not a football household. I’d barely registered the World Cup was on and England were in the final. Only Johnson spaffing about on a giant flag made me realise something was happening. None of the guests have mentioned it and we know the majority very well.

I’ll email them, I think. One chap will probably be fretting.

At this time of year DP’s nuts are warm enough.

No Pom Bears?

I suspect at least some of your guests will have assumed it is now a football party rather than a dinner party so you might as well go with the flow.

And even people who aren't normally interested in football will get interested for things like this so I wouldn't assume it's just the men who will want to watch.

“Supper” 🤣

Is this a wind up to push as many stereotypes as possible?

You don’t serve grown adults popcorn and hot dogs just because the football is on TV. It’s not Y5 movie night 🤣

Hmm what would Hyacinth Bucket do?

It’s not the World Cup, just the Euros and it’s not the final.

@Pootles34

Why orchid flower? Are you popping round for crab and entrées?

Because the whole thing sounds odd!

She didn’t know there was football on.

She’s having people round she doesn’t know in the middle of a pandemic.

She’s having more people over than is allowed in England.

She talked about sunshine and the weather across the uk is a bit rubbish today.

It was very sexist that women won’t want to watch the football.

Just sounded like an expat entertaining other expats.

I like warm nuts, and crab and football!
I’d go with main on arrival, snacks with match, pudding at half time
But message people and see what they’d prefer

@LemonRoses

Oddly, not a tease thread. We’re not a football household. I’d barely registered the World Cup was on and England were in the final. Only Johnson spaffing about on a giant flag made me realise something was happening. None of the guests have mentioned it and we know the majority very well.

I’ll email them, I think. One chap will probably be fretting.

Why would you email your dinner guests? Surely you know them well enough to phone or text hyacinth?

@LemonRoses

Oddly, not a tease thread. We’re not a football household. I’d barely registered the World Cup was on and England were in the final. Only Johnson spaffing about on a giant flag made me realise something was happening. None of the guests have mentioned it and we know the majority very well.

I’ll email them, I think. One chap will probably be fretting.

Em it’s not the World Cup and regardless how the media are portraying it England are not in the final

Someone mentioned above about streaming it at the table, which is that I'd go for. After you've all eaten, sounds like you're open to going with the flow so at that point if anyone really wants to they can go inside.

I’d barely registered the World Cup was on

That’s because it’s not.

and England were in the final

Nope, that’s not true either.

Do your guests not have phones?