Roughly 300 passengers bound for Moscow on British Airways flights from London "picked up free waistcoats in tribute to England football coach and fashion icon Gareth Southgate," according to Sam Burne James of PR WEEK. London to Moscow travelers on Tuesday and Wednesday were "offered the complimentary garment, with 300 taking up the offer" as of Wednesday morning. The Marks & Spencer waistcoat that was given away "is the same as that worn by Southgate throughout the tournament" (PR WEEK, 7/11).
RECORD SPENDING: In London, Oliver Gill reported records were "smashed" by Young's as the pub company "rode the wave" of England's World Cup run. The Wandsworth-based brewer had its "best-ever Tuesday and Saturday takings" during the Three Lions' matches against Columbia and Sweden, respectively. The "stand-out days" were not included in Young's quarterly trading update, which showed sales in the pubs it manages up 5.2% on a like-for-like basis (TELEGRAPH, 7/10).
CAN'T STOP THE FEELING: BILLBOARD's Sofia Mele reported before Justin Timberlake's concert in London on Wednesday, The O2 opened its doors early "for the first time ever" and welcomed his fans to watch the England vs. Croatia semifinal match on the arena's big screens. Timberlake said on social media, "I've been thinking. We had a crazy show on Monday and we've got another one coming up on Wednesday. There is also another very important thing happening on Wednesday. ... We're gonna watch this together, and you know what? It's coming home" (BILLBOARD, 7/10).
STAR SEARCH: THE SUN's Gary Stonehouse reported Harry Kane "is on course for global domination -- both on and off the pitch." That is according to Data Powa, which revealed the England striker is now the fourth-most "searched for player online on the globe." His exploits in Russia are "helping him to become the leader of a new generation of young stars looking to eclipse Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi," who rank third and second, respectively, in search volumes. Neymar currently leads the way (THE SUN, 7/10).
