I have to admit that I am not a big fan of soccer. But Peter has a different point of view entirely. Growing up in Italy, he and his buddies played soccer constantly. The rules were easy to follow, and it was cheap: they could play it on any patch of grass and they didn’t need fancy clothes or expensive equipment.

When Peter’s older brother invited him to a soccer match at Varsity Stadium in the 1960’s he was delighted. When he found out that a world-class star, Pele, would be there, Pete was over the moon. And so were the fans. The stadium was packed, but the fans inside were outnumbered by the wannabe fans on the outside. As the interlopers began climbing the concrete walls, the police noticed. They considered their options. Then they stepped back and let the fans, paying and non-paying, cheer on their team. It was the right call.

Peter’s daughter, Andrea, is also a soccer fan and during the winter she put her heart and soul into finding tickets online for the FIFA World Cup. She managed to come up with at least one pair, for a “friendly” game against Tunisia on March 29th and she offered to take her dad with her. They agreed to meet at the GO station near BMO field. They bundled up because their seats near the field were uncovered and outside. As soon as they met at the GO station, the heavens opened up and, by the time they had run to the stadium, they were almost drenched. Once there, they had to wait because their seats were flooded out. After standing for an hour waiting in damp clothes, they gave up and went home.

But this did not dampen their soccer spirit, not one bit. Nor has weather, or anything else for that matter, affected the spirit of Toronto fans in general. FIFA signs are everywhere. Public transit and roadways are being upgraded. Restaurants and hotels are preparing for huge increases in business. Media coverage is being expanded; even the grass growers for the venues are advertising on TV. Kids of all ages are buying soccer merch.

Peter and I got into the spirit by going on a Toronto heritage walk on Saturday, where the tour leader told us about the history of soccer in Toronto. It was not surprising to learn that soccer was imported to Canada by Scottish immigrants in the mid 1800’s. The first recorded game was played in 1876 at the Toronto Cricket Club. In 1906 the Ontario Soccer League was formed. In 1912 a Canada-wide league was created. And in 1914 Canada joined FIFA. The first World Cup was hosted by Uruguay in 1930. That’s 94 years ago and yet this year marks the first time the World Cup has been partly hosted by Canada. No wonder there’s so much enthusiasm!

The first official venue for soccer in Toronto was Exhibition Stadium, built in 1948 to compliment the facilities at the CNE. It was used as a soccer field and concert venue for many years. The Blue Jays began their Toronto history there as well. But by 1999 the Jays had moved to the Skydome, and Exhibition Stadium was plagued by problems. The weather coming off lake Ontario, even snow in late fall, affected players and fans alike. And the pigeons gathered to consume fans’ leftover snacks and leave their poop behind. The stadium, nicknamed “the mistake by the lake,” was demolished in 1999.

After a lot of fundraising and politicking, enough money was raised to build the new, soccer-specific, BMO Field, on the site. But as readers know, that’s not the end of the story. For the FIFA World Cup, extensive renovations have been needed. Temporary seating, adding seats for 18,000, has brought the fan capacity up to 40,000. New LED scoreboards and video boards have also been added. And there is even heating, just in case.

You can be sure that fans without tickets will try hard to foil the police when the Toronto FC plays the first game on June 12 against Bosnia & Herzegovina. As for Peter, he will be home watching from the comfort of his living room chair. And Pele? He will be watching from another world.

Sue