Tomb
Early mornings at the pub for World Cup
I’m tired bleary-eyed and in need of coffee as I stumble into Fiddlers Courtyard British Pub in Crescent Heights. In some ways I’m a typical bar patron. But there’s one big difference. It’s 6 a.m.
Just a handful of TV events could rouse me from my sleep at this hour and soccer a sport of which I know little and care even less isn’t one of them. But that’s my assignment: report on the local pubs opening early for the World Cup.
At least it involves going to a bar albeit a sparsely populated one. A match between Paraguay (ranked 31 in the world) and Slovakia (ranked 34) on this Sunday morning draws a rather limited crowd — me.
Now I can chug with the best of them but opening the door to Fiddlers at 6 a.m. I decide it’s still a little early for imbibing (not that boozing’s an option yet; it won’t flow until 8 a.m.). As required by law though this cozy English pub is serving breakfast. I pass on traditional British fare — fried tomatoes blood pudding and other culinary delights — but tip my hat to tradition by ordering a pot of tea with my sausage and eggs.
My waitress Sam says many people are sticking to normal breakfast beverages but some down beer. One dark Irish stout it seems is a favourite.
“ Guinness is actually really popular early in the morning ” she says.
Fans of England who dominate the crowd at Fiddlers (at least when they show up) have certainly needed something to drown their sorrows. The English squad has bitterly disappointed many of its supporters. Still St. George’s Cross has pride of place behind this bar right alongside the flags of Scotland and Wales. Unfortunately the Scots and Welsh don’t share the pub’s pan-British love. According to Sam most of them have been rooting for whichever team is playing against England.
But the fans at Fiddlers aren’t only concerned about the U.K. according to Sam. Many patrons are rooting for an African team or other underdogs.
“ I think a lot of people want some team that hasn’t won the World Cup or hasn’t won in a long time to go through ” she says. (I don’t think this includes England whose Cup drought is a year longer than the Maple Leafs).
But if the empty bar is any indication these are fair-weather fans. According to Sam the number of early-bird customers has varied widely and unpredictably. So rain or shine underdog or top dog the pub is opening at 5:30 every morning during the soccer series.
The rather sparse turnout at Fiddlers mirrored the televised crowd at Free State Stadium. This was clearly not a match most people were interested in. Watching the game I recalled a quote from a Simpsons episode.
“ This match will determine once and for all which nation is the greatest on Earth: Mexico or Portugal! ”
The CBC commentator wasn’t quite falling asleep in his chair like Kent Brockman but he was certainly struggling to make the action sound interesting. If I’d kept a tally of the words he’d used “ slow ” would definitely have ranked near the top.
Fortunately a faster-paced match was on the screen as I wander into the larger and sleeker Jamesons Pub & Bar in Brentwood at about 8:15 a.m. and order a cranberry juice (I decided just because I could be pounding ’em back didn’t mean I should). This bar is taking a more cautious approach to the World Cup opening early only for select matches.
On this particular morning reigning World Cup champ Italy is playing the poorly ranked squad from New Zealand.
Jamesons is studiously neutral in its national loyalties with nary a flag or insignia in sight. Gathered in this no man’s land however are about a dozen members of the Down Under Social Club a mixture of disappointingly sober Aussies and Kiwis who have shown up to cheer on New Zealand. It isn’t quite a union of the two Koreas but there is still something heartening about these rival nations coming together in self-described “ brotherly love. ” To their surprise they actually have something to cheer about.
“ Can you put it in the beginning in block capitals that NEW ZEALAND WAS BEATING ITALY? ” asks Kiwi Alan before Italy ties things up. “ You’ve got to put that in. ” (Fine Alan but the middle will have to do).
Of course brotherly love has its limits.
“ We’re particularly happy if New Zealand’s winning and Australia’s losing ” Alan adds.
The Kiwis had a realistic sense of their team’s chances. But spurred by their unlikely success so far they were still daring to dream.
“ It would be a great thing if we get through to the second round ” says Fred Guinness in hand (ironically they have to beat or tie Paraguay to advance).
And if they don’t?
“ We’ll just drink more beer. ”
Cheers to that.
SIDEBAR
Five best places to watch the World Cup:
• El Paso : With first call at 8 a.m. Albertan soccer fans can get smashed earlier than their Ontario or B.C. counterparts. But we’re no match for this West Texas town where at least one bar is licensed to turn on the taps at 7 a.m.
• Anywhere with Sky Deutschland or Canal Plus: Con: The commentary on these channels is in respectively German or French. Pro: The vuvuzelas are being filtered out.
• The office : That is if you work for CIBC or Rogers Communications which are turning their workplace TVs to the games. If not you can probably catch a surreptitious glimpse online when the boss isn’t looking.
• The slammer : OK it’s obviously not the “best” place. But it is well-equipped if a riot breaks out. And some jails are embracing the World Cup more fervently than companies with South African prisons showing the games on donated big screens and hosting their own mini-tournaments. No word yet if Corrections Canada will follow suit.
• The W.R. Castell Central Library : No booze. No raucous cheering. No sound from the TV. But no cover.
