The failure of UK teams to qualify for Euro 2008 means that millions of football fans look set to save a small fortune in supporting expenses, according to Abbey Banking.

Had UK teams qualified, the research reveals fanatical fans expected to shell out as much as £557 on the tournament.

Alcohol was set to fly off the shelves with 18% saying that they estimated to spend an average of £98 on booze for the tournament and a further 11% said they would have spent a hefty £135 watching football in the pub.

Beyond drinks, over two million people said they would have invested an average of £147 on supporters kit for the family and 4% said they would even have invested an average of £782 on a new TV had their team qualified for the tournament.

Despite the absence of UK teams at Euro 2008, 59% intend to watch some or all of the tournament, but Abbey predicts expenditure will be significantly lower without the home interest.

Steve Shore, head of Abbey Banking, said: “It’s still hard to believe that all of the UK’s teams failed to make it into Euro 2008. Supporters may be disappointed at their team’s absence but fans need only look at their June bank balance for some comfort as we all look set to make significant savings.”