World Cup posters at Farnham Town FC’s Memorial Ground said not so much ‘Come on England!’ as ‘Come on government! Be fair to fathers!’ on Father’s Day last week.

The Memorial Ground was just one of hundreds around the country plastered with posters about the UK’s paternity leave system, highlighting that the World Cup lasts three times longer than paternity leave, which in the UK is the least generous in Europe, at two weeks paid at half the minimum wage, or nothing for the self-employed.

The campaign was organised by the campaigning group The Dad Shift, among whose members is Farnham dad Andy Laird.

He said: “Footballers famously don’t take much time off when a baby arrives, but we do know every new dad would like a better chance of showing up for their loved ones in those crucial early weeks.

“Too many dads are opting not to take time off as they can’t afford it on the current rates of paternity leave, and self-employed dads get nothing, so we’re asking Farnham Town FC fans to get behind our call for change.”

The Dad Shift is campaigning for fathers to receive a minimum of six weeks of paternity leave at 90 per cent of pay. The European average is eight weeks at full pay.

Polling by More In Common for men’s health charity Movember and The Dad Shift, released earlier this month, found that 92 percent of British people believe it’s important for fathers to spend time with their babies in the early months, while 50 percent of fathers say financial pressure prevents them from taking more leave.

Further research found that 82 percent of fathers name better paternity leave as the single biggest thing the government could do for new dads’ mental health.