B3 -Sunday News, August 31,1980

side-lines

by Andy Fraser

Soccer and suds combine

Your interesting little fact for the day: Labatt

Brewing Co. Ltd.,

that

good old Canadian

brewery, is coughing up $500,000, (that’s half a
million for those who get mixed up with the zeros)
for Canada’s national soccer team in their quest
for a final berth in the Worid Cup.

That's the whole tab — all
the costs involved in trying
to put ourselves up among
the elite in the world’s most

popular sport.
For some out there in
reader land, it may be

somewhat paradonical that a
brewery ends up backing
sport, when in supposed
fact, the two just aren't
supposed to mix all that well.

There are even some who
decry the moves of the
brewery and who feel they
should not be the ones
sponsoring such ‘prestigious’
events. They are, in their
own way, being’ very
righteous, and pure. and
unrealistic.

Labatts and other
breweries are involved in the
promotion of sport to a
considerable degree in
Canada. Whether it ts ‘nght
or ‘wrong’ is a moot point.
As is their reasons for doing
so. The point is that no one
else in Canada 1s willing or
able to put up the kind of
money necessary to promote
at the higher levels. The
breweries are, and do. And
all without requiring an arm
or leg for doing so.

Soccer fans will remember
the 78 World Cup = and
having to cough up the rent
money to watch the games

West Van
gymnastics

After a successful sum-
mer, gymnastics classes are
ready to begin the fall
schedule at the West
Vancouver Recreation

Centre
The fall) program has
added ai number of acw

classes al the recreational
level to try to allow more
people to lake advantage of
the instruction available at
the Reercahon Centre
Classes are offered at all
levels starting with == pre-

school gymnashcs program

all the way up to an ad-
vanced competitive
program last year saw
gymnasts from the
Recreation Centre com
peng in the BC Wioter

Games. Western

Canadian
and the
Nabonal Championships as
well as the many kxal and
regional mects

Cham pronships

As the compeutive classes
are becoming more popular,
Mois neccessary to try oul for
any class oof
fered Lf you wish to youn a
competitive or
competitive class this fall
try outs will be Saturday
September ti) or Sunday the
14 at 100 pm
whichever os

compctilive

pre

ether day
more Gon

venicnt

on closed circuit TV. Well,
that won't happen for the '82
series in Spain. Earlier,
Labatts obtained the TV
nights and will be broad-
casting to the homes, just
like the real world.

A spokesman for Labatts

also indicated that
discussions are presently
under way for televising

Canada’s preliminary games
this fall, both in Canada and
the games in the United
States and Mexico.

Without a doubt the
World Cup of Soccer is the
prestige sporting event of the
world, making the Stanley
Cup and Grey Cup pale by
comparison. And yet the
government has not seen fit
to assist in any way, except
by undoubtedly expecting to
be invited to all the official
ceremonies.

Labatts is picking up the
tab — in total. Knock it if

you will, but where else is
the money going to come
from? Remember, in Canada
we do not place sport or
culture very high on our hist
of economic necessities. We
do not seem to feel that our
representation in these areas
is very important to our
lives.

Fortunately, and = for
whatever reasons, Labatts
does not share these
feelings.

The sponsorship comes at
a good time. Canada should,
potentially, be fielding the
most powerful team ever for

preliminary series against
the United States and
Mexico.

With two teams to ad-
vance to the next round,
Canada, along with Mexico
are the favorites at this time.

With more than 70
Canadians playing in_ the
NASL and more than 40 of
those guys in starting
positions, coach Barrie
Clark will have the greatest
array of tested players the
Country has ever had.

Hopefully, all the players
will be available, although as

arinteed seat to 20 Car
important part of the action f

Oficial Canuck schedules are now ‘available at
imperial Oil dealers and agents and at the”
Canucks. office.

we said before, the
organizers have left
everything dangerously to
the last minute before
contacting the players.

The 40 man player pool
will be announced the

middle of next week, the
same time the training camp
opens for those players
whose NASL teams are now
on the sidelines. And on
September 15, the team will
take on New Zealand in a
‘friendly’ at Empire Stadium.

Labatts is sponsoring what
they call the ‘Labatt Worid
Cup Series’ prior to the
World Cup preliminary
round games featuring New
Zealand, the Insh League,
Sporting Cristal from Peru,
and, of course, the Canadian
National team.

It will be a travelling road
show with games scheduled
for Vancouver, Edmonton,
Toronto, Calgary and St.
Johns, Newfoundland.

What it is, is a series of
exhibition games for the
national team.

Vancouver audiences will
also be able to see Sporting
Cnistal of Peru October 5.

The preliminary round of
the World Cup will feature
home and home games

North Vancouver
1527 Lonsdate
888-9815

1550 Pemberton
988-5711

between the three countnes
with Canada playing U.S.A.
here on November 1.

Even with the NASL
winding down, there's some
great soccer coming up.

With Labatts and their
money in the forefront, the
event should be publicized
and funded to the degree it
deserves. And if all this has
sounded like a hymn of
praise for the brewery, you
are perfectly correct.

This company has come
up with the money when no
one else appeared willing or
able. And in the long run, it's
the sport and the kids who
are becoming involved who
will benefit from what's
happening now.

hockey
registration

The West Van girls

grass hockey organization
will be

holding
registration for all girls
interested in participating
in this fast growing sport
on Sunday, September 7.

Registration will take
place at Hugo Ray Park,
Third Street, from 1-3
p-m., rain or shine.

For more information
call Carolyn Fleming at
922-1342.

A Challenge in
Fostering

Joseph suffers fram Down's Syndrome and a hearing disabiity. He ts

Contact: Al Beighton at 926-0114
Ministry of Human Resources
204 - 1544 Marine Drive

West Vancouver, B.C.

e 24 hr service on

And here's another couple of
reasons for getting it done
at North Shore Darkroom.

colour developing & prints °
e low prices & Quality service

*?4a nw Service onty on C 41 Cotor Print Flim

The Finishing Touch