THERE will be no need to sing the blues at Blackburn Rovers during the World Cup after magistrates granted a blanket "bacon and beer" licence.

The Blues Caf bar, based in the Blackburn End of the Ewood Park complex in Bolton Road, Blackburn, will be able to serve from 7am on all days involving early morning matches.

But magistrates who granted the blanket extensions warned they had treated the applications as a "one-off" after they heard the bar was a "special venue" with 24 television screens to be dedicated to football coverage during the World Cup.

The competition, hosted this year by Japan, includes 21 early games between the opening ceremony and first game between France and Senegal on Friday, May 31, and ending with the final on Sunday, June 30.

David Forbes, who appeared before magistrates in Blackburn to apply for the licence on behalf of the club, said it had already been established that the World Cup could be viewed as a special occasion. He argued that the Blues Caf Bar was a special venue in that context.

Granting the application for special orders of extension the chairman said they were treating it as a one off situation and granting all the applications which run from 7am until 11am on week days and Saturdays and until noon on Sundays. On June 25, 26 and 29 the club will be able to serve from 10.30am and on Sunday, June 30, from 10am.

"That is not to say we are setting a precedent for other licensed premises, we feel this is an exception," said the chairman.

Blues Caf Bar licensee Janet Jenkin said that breakfast will be available at the bar and food will be served all day. "It is a special occasion and we want people to come along and enjoy it in the special setting of the Blues Caf Bar," said Janet.