CALVIA BARS AND CAFES SLAM RESTRICTIONS AS “UNFAIR”

By Humphrey Carter CALVIA council has declared England's World Cup football matches as high risk and yesterday issued a special set of restrictions which bars, cafes and restaurants in certain areas of Magalluf and Palmanova have to comply with during England games only. To start with, between the hours of 2pm and midnight on the days which England play their first three qualifying matches, June 10, 15 and 20, bars and cafes, etc, in the targeted streets in the two resorts, are prohibited from serving drinks in glasses, cans or bottles. Secondly, during the one hour prior to kick-off, the match and the hour following the game, supermarkets, liquor stores and other alcohol sales outlets are not allowed to sell any glass-bottled alcohol. Thirdly, no large screens, television screens or any other kind of audio visual equipment are allowed to be positioned outside bars and cafes on the terraces and proprietors have also been ordered to make sure that interior screens showing the football are not visible from the outside. What is more, should England progress further than the qualifying round, then the special restrictions on England football fans, drawn up to “guarantee public security” according to Calvia Council, will have to be enforced on every day England, and only England, play until the end of their participation in the tournament. The new decree approved by the Mayor has not been well received by Calvia's tourism entertainment sector, bars, cafes, etc, represented by the association FECOTUR. Its president Pepe Tirado said yesterday that the new decree is “unfair.” “According to the Spanish constitution article 14, we're all the same before the law. But not here in Calvia. “We all pay the same taxes in Calvia but it's one law for some and another, ‘prohibition', for others,” Tirado told the Bulletin. “The start to this summer season has been even slower than last year and we're hoping for a good World Cup month in which the fans have fun and enjoy themselves. But, there are going to be extra police on the streets, the Guardia Civil in Calvia has declared the England games ‘maximum alert' and, while some areas of Calvia have to comply with the strict restrictions, other areas are exempt and it will be business as usual.” Tirado called his members together for a special meeting to explain the measures yesterday evening. “They're not going to like them but I'm going to urge them to comply. Most of are professionals with many years of experience in this industry. “We know how to control the situation, but we really have no choice. We either comply or face very heavy fines,” he said. “It's a shame considering that the World Cup organising committee appears to be more lenient and flexible than ever this time around with everything being done in Germany to make sure the fans have an excellent time,” he added.