Amsterdammers will not be allowed to watch live public screenings of the World Cup group phase in Qatar, says Mayor Femke Halsema.
Usually, when an important match happens, you’ll find Dutchies and internationals alike gathered on canals and terraces in front of a huge public screen, swaying, screaming, laughing, and crying together.
However, this will not be happening during this year’s World Cup, at least not in the Dutch capital. This, according to NH Nieuws, is due to Amsterdam’s strict “winter policy.”
The “winter policy” leaves football fans cold
Amsterdam municipality regulations state that TV screens are not allowed to be placed on the terraces during winter.
This is entirely different to the policy during summer, which permits TV screens to be set on terraces, provided these screens are not watchable from the road.
Of course, terraces are much larger during summer and open until much later.
Fortunately, there’s some wiggle room
Halsema did mention that if the Dutch national team were to get further than the group phase, then she’d be open to a second opinion.
READ MORE | Dutch cabinet will go to Qatar for World Cup, and the king might too
This restriction may likely disappoint D66, which hoped for the World Cup to be used to make viewers aware of the human rights violations currently taking place in Qatar.
Horeca could score a goal
If Amsterdam’s winter regulations about terraces were overturned, this would draw football fans to bars, cafés, and restaurants in order to follow the matches.
In turn, this would give those businesses a big boost in income.
VVD group chairman Claire Martens pointed out that replenishing the “piggy bank” would be much deserved after how much the Horeca sector suffered during the pandemic.
While we may hope for a change of heart in Amsterdam, for now, Amsterdammers are going to have to keep the foam fingers and orange fedoras indoors for this World Cup.
What do you think of this move? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
Feature Image: Dmitrij Nejmyrok/Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons 3.0
