'Euro Tournament and Patios is great timing': Soccer Fans enjoying province's reopening of outdoor dining
Moving into phase one of Ontario's reopening plan comes at the perfect time for soccer fans.
Outdoor dining was permitted the same day UEFA European Football Championship tournament started.
"We've got the TV out here (on the patio) which is good," says Billy Thomson, general manager of The Scots Corner in London, Ont.
"We can't get as many people in as we'd like to because we can't get inside yet, but we're doing the best we can and everyone's enjoying themselves.”
The British pub is headquarters for many soccer fans in the city, and the patio was full Sunday morning as England took on Croatia in Euro 2020.
"This is a dream for football fans, and this is the way of getting back to the world given the circumstances of COVID and everything," says David Halfacre, an England supporter.
"The Euro tournament and patios, it's really great timing.”
Across the city at Highbury Avenue, and Oxford Street, Amjad Abdul Hamid was setting up his pop-up trailer full of soccer jerseys, flags and car decals.
"We do this every two years for the Euro and for the World Cup but having the tournament delayed by a year has been tough on business," says Abdul Hamid, who runs the trailers with his father.
"We had to pay a lot more storage because of COVID but it's good for the community to be able to enjoy this after being in lockdown for a long time."
Amjad Abdul Hamid sets up his trailer full of soccer gear on Highbury Ave in London, Ont. Sunday June 13, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
Abdul Hamid says the majority of his gear in London is sold to Portugal and Germany supporters.
"People need something to enjoy right now because there's not too much of that so this stuff helps everyone get a smile on their face,” he says.
Back at The Scots Corner, David Grassie was among a group of friends who were cheering on England on the patio.
"All of us can come out now, socialize, and that was the biggest thing because we never had a chance to get together as friends or as a family," says Grassie.
"We can watch England play, sit together and we haven't had a pint for about six months, so it's great that we can enjoy ourselves,” he says.
Grassie and the other fans went crazy when Rahim Sterling scored for the 'Three Lions' in the 57th minute to give England a 1-0 win in their opening match.
Thomson says the patio will be first come, first serve for the daily soccer matches.
"You're only allowed four to a table at the moment, but hopefully everything goes well and we get to that second phase and they bump into six people per table, which will help us out," says Thomson, who has eight tables on the Dundas Street patio.
The pub won't open for all the 9 a.m. games but they will be there Monday morning when Scotland takes on the Czech Republic.
Fans are most excited for next Friday's round two match when England faces Scotland for the first time since 2017.
"It's a big game they haven't played each other in a long time," says Thomson. "We'll be busier, it's a shame that we can't be inside and have full capacity where the place would be rockin' but we'll take what we can get and get as many people in here watching the game as we can on Friday.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.