World Cup in Gozo
by Pierre J. Meilak

It was lunchtime. I managed to go through the crowd and reach the bar. "A ham and cheese toast," I shouted. Soon came the reply: "After the game!" England was playing Argentina and my village stood still.

The World Cup fever hits all parts of the world: Gozo included! There were more people supporting Argentina at my village's Band Club that morning than there were ever Gozo FC supporters following their squad in the MFA Second Division League!

Being a hot-blooded Mediterranean country, we love arguments. Exciting brawls are something we hungrily look for and enthusiastically try to create. The World Cup gives us one of the best excuses to do so in style! The British supporters at the Band Club were more worried with the Italian supporters ready to test their firecrackers if Argentina prevailed.

The majority of the Gozitans support either England or Italy. You'll quickly notice their soft-spot if you peep at their cars or house façades. Posters of Vieri or Owen, the tri color' or the Union Jack are as abundant as Gozo's gbejna tal-bzar during World Cup days.

The Brazilian team is also well represented in Gozo. Pele' seems to have influenced lots of Gozitans. You can still see the name of the Brazilian all-time legend painted on old abandoned houses. If you manage to be in Gozo this summer, try and visit Dahlet Qorrot Bay in Nadur. On your way down, take a look at a very old and abandoned room on your right hand side. There you'll clearly read the following: 1970 BRAZIL 4 - ITALY 1 Pele, Rivelino, Alberto, Everaldo… and all the Brazilian players who won the World Cup on 21st June 1970! That was more than 30 years ago. Those men who devotedly made this Gozitan-Brazilian shrine produced more Samba supporters in the following years… who, unlike the European-countries supporters, can only enjoy their favourite national team every four years. No wonder they expect a lot from them every World Cup!

If one supports England, in all likeliness he dislikes Italy and vice-versa. This means that he will support all other countries playing against that team! And even celebrate if they lose! Once my friend drove all around Gozo in the middle of the night for six times, joyfully destroying his car's horn just because England was eliminated! And for him it was one of the best days in his life!

At the end of day, this makes the World Cup something to eagerly wait for and something you terribly miss the day after it ends.