World Cup offers men 'excuse' to create a 'den'

Thousands of men will spend £460 each on setting up a "den" to watch football matches during the World Cup, a bank said today.

Nearly a third of British males already have their own area fitted with home entertainment gadgets or equipment for hobbies such as a dart board or pool table.

Research for Halifax found that 4% of men without a "den", the equivalent of 936,000 people, planned to create one for the forthcoming football tournament.

Martyn Foulds, from the bank, said: "The impending World Cup finals have given men the excuse they need to create luxury lads-only areas in their homes. This new generation of male-only dens provide a comfortable space for men to enjoy the football or construct that train set they've always wanted."

The research suggested that the average spend on either creating a den or upgrading the existing area would be £462.

Of those questioned who had their own den, 69% said they had a computer in the room, 46% had a stereo or radio and a fifth had a games console.

More than one in 10 had a beer fridge (13%), while 9% had a musical instrument and 6% a dart board.

Other games included a train set or Scalextric (both 4%) or a pool or snooker table (2%).

:: 1,000 men were polled by ICM Research online between February 25 and March 1.