It's 1 p.m. and the Weatherford Centre Ice Restaurant at the Centennial Centre is nearly abandoned.
The ice has been removed from the two local rinks for a few weeks, the Stanley Cup finals are over and hockey won't be thought of very much for the next few months, which might explain the lack of activity in the restaurant.
But, off in the corner, two gentlemen are intently watching soccer. France is playing Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup and this tournament is exactly what these two football fanatics live for.
“It's kind of a British thing,” says Keith Durie, in his noticeable Scottish accent, explaining his love of the sport. “As soon as you can walk, you're given a ball.”
“It's just like your lot with hockey,” says Dave Cowan, in his English accent.
Cowan is solidly rooting for England in this year's tournament but admits that there are a number of strong teams in the field.
“My heart says England is going to win the tournament,” he says. “But my head says Brazil or Spain should take it.”
Durie lists France, Germany, Italy and Holland along with the three teams Cowan mentioned as picks to win it all.
Durie pulls no punches when talking about his home country Scotland and their performances at the grandest stage in soccer.
“With the Scottish, you just expect to lose,” he jokes. The Scottish national team hasn't qualified for a World Cup since 1998 but it won't stop Durie from missing a moment of this year's tournament.
“It's the first time I'm going to watch a World Cup without British people around me,” he remarks.
Which is why hanging out with a fellow Brit and watching the matches makes for such a comfortable time.
For Cowan and Durie, it's not just the World Cup that brings out their passion in soccer. Both admit to being huge fans of the English Premier League.
“I get up at 5:30 every Saturday morning they have a game,” Cowan says. “Usually with a pillow over my mouth so I don't wake the house up from my yelling.”
Cowan supports Manchester United while Durie pledges his allegiance to Liverpool. Normally, this would make the two heated enemies but with so few huge soccer fans here in Bonnyville, the two have formed a bond.
Both Cowan and Durie coach youth soccer in Bonnyville and would like to see the sport develop more of a following locally.
“There are more opportunities for kids in soccer than in hockey,” Durie says. “I think a lot of the kids that play here in Bonnyville have never watched the game and the World Cup is the perfect chance to do so.”
“I think what everyone at the Bonnyville Soccer Association really wants is for the people here to love soccer and learn to play it well but it will be a slow progression,” he adds.
For the time being though, the two will spend the rest of the month glued to the television, like hundreds of millions of others all across the globe.
“Every game you watch in the World Cup will be a little different,” Durie says. “We love it and it will always be the number one sport for us.”
Feel free to join Durie and Cowan afternoons at the Weatherford Centre Ice restaurant during the 2010 World Cup.
Just look for the two loud, friendly British guys watching the TV very closely.
And if I can manage to slip out of work again, I'd love to join them again and watch more of the beautiful game.
