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June 2 - June 9, 2002 |
The forbidden dream
Fans lose bid to watch early morning World Cup in bars
By Irene Zerbini
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Fans celebrate and watch the 1998 World Cup games which took place fin France
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Japan and South Korea cannot imagine that Canadian bureaucrats, politicians, bartenders and soccer fans are quarrelling about them. Yet the geographic location of the two countries where the next soccer FIFA World Cup is being held is causing more than a few headaches here.
The problem is linked to the eagerness of soccer fans to watch the games in groups, despairing and rejoicing together, in a public bar. This eagerness is an innocent one in any country where the sale of alcohol is not regulated. But bars in Ontario must observe a provincial ruling that forces them to serve the last round at 2 a.m. No delay, no exception. Not even for World Cup games that, due to the difference in time zones, will be broadcast between 5 and 7 a.m. Toronto City Hall asked the provincial Alcohol and Gaming Commission to grant an exception to allow soccer fans to watch the games. This exemption would concern hundreds of thousands of Torontonians who, by culture or nationality, are accustomed to enjoying soccer as a collective rite.
"The event will take place anyway," explains Councillor Joe Pantalone, "and people won't stay home. The World Cup is an exceptional event, and deserves an exceptional ruling. Why should people be forced into clandestine meetings? Let's organize openly. This will benefit everyone." Pantalone's voice is among the many raised in favour of the soccer rite.
City Hall passed unanimously a motion proposed by Councillor Mario Silva one month ago. Councillor Silva, whose Portuguese heritage includes soccer as a mainstay, felt the need to ask for an extension of the closing time for bars during the World Cup. But City Hall has no jurisdiction over this; provincial bureaucrats entrusted with overseeing alcohol and gambling had to make a ruling. After an initial refusal by this board, Mario Silva reduced his proposal, asking that bars be allowed to stay open on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22. "Extensions have been granted in the past," he remarks "but technically speaking they were linked with events taking place in Toronto."
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