CALVIA ADOPTS “SOFTLY SOFTLY” APPROACH TO WORLD CUP KICK OFF

PALMA
UNLIKE during previous World and European Cups, Calvia Council is taking a “wait and see” approach to this month's competition.
Security has traditionally been significantly tightened during the football tournaments, in particular during the games involving England and extra restrictions slapped on bars.

However, Calvia Councillor Kate Mentink told the Bulletin yesterday that she raised the issue during yesterday's weekly council meeting and it would appear that the council, and the local security forces are going to taking a more relaxed approach. “No specific crackdown has been ordered this year. Obviously, the current laws still stand for the bars but I think the general idea is to let the tournament begin and the authorities will monitor the response and reaction from the people in the resort. “Security as a whole has been stepped up in key black spots this year but there will be an increase in police on the beat, a total of 40 will be operating a shift system during the games but that is about it for the time being,” she said.

Over the past few days the Bulletin has spoken to a number of bar owners in Magalluf and they said that unlike in previous years, no official warnings have been distributed.

The fact that the council is not planning any kind of crackdown, for the time being, will be welcomed because some of the bar owners were concerned that security would be tightened and the council would prevent them from cashing in on the World Cup as the resort continues to suffer a very slow start to the summer season. “Things are still pretty quiet in Magalluf and, after the poor winter and last summer seasons, the last thing we need is the council spoiling the party and preventing us from making some much needed money,” one bar owner told the Bulletin.

COMMON SENSE
Common sense is going to be the rule of the day, especially tonight when England play their first game against the United States.
This could prove the first big test.
Current regulations require that bars have all their television screens facing inwards and that all drinks are served in plastic cups, Mentink explained yesterday. “The spotlight is not going to be on England games in particular but the World Cup as a whole. “The council is going to wait and see what happens in the resorts during the first few games,” she underlined.