A Scottish pub in Australia has been slammed by expats after they revealed they won’t be screening our World Cup matches. The Invergordon Bar, in Melbourne, have instead revealed plans to play the games on an old-fashioned wireless radio system – leaving Scots in the city furious.
Filled with tartan, saltires and pints of Tennent’s lager, the boozer in the city’s Docklands area is about as Scottish as it gets and has been a big hit since opening last year. But regulars have been left shocked that it won’t be showing any of the World Cup fixtures next month – despite it being our first appearance on the world’s biggest sporting stage since 1998.
In a post on Facebook, the pub’s owners Dean and Erin Jackson revealed: “Scotland are in the World Cup. And we’re not putting it on the telly! While every other pub in Melbourne is squinting at a screen, Invergordon Bar is doing it the old way, the wireless. Just like your grandad listened to the football. Just like it should be.
View 4 ImagesThe Scottish bar in Melbourne even sells pints of Tennent’s(Image: Invergordon Bar / Facebook)
“Pull up a stool, pour a pint, close your eyes, and feel every moment. There’s something about listening to the game that makes your heart work harder. We reckon you know exactly what we mean. We’ll be open for all three Scotland group stage games and if the lads do what we know they can, we’ll be opening for every round after that too.”
Fans were left in disbelief over Dean and Erin’s stance as they called for the bar to make an exception for what is a special moment in the nation’s sporting history. Some of the criticism was scathing, with the call being branded “stupid”, “silly” and “bizarre”.
John Calderwood said: “As a Scot I say this – put it on the telly. I watched Scotland on the telly in 1998, 1990, 1986, 1982, 1978. No one in Scotland will be listening on the radio. Don’t make an arse of the opportunity to fill your pub.”
Joe Wood said: “Wouldn’t be Melbourne without trying too hard to be edgy but just looking silly. Once in a generation chance to show Scotland in a major tournament and you f****d it.”
View 4 ImagesThe decision has baffled regulars(Image: Invergordon Bar / Facebook)
Ross MacInnes said: “This has got to be a joke. Like going to a restaurant just to smell the food. It makes your stomach work harder. Absolutely awful idea if it’s real.”
Elliot Flockhart added: “As a Scot in Melbourne, this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It just reinforces the idea that this bar is a nostalgia trap, a place where Aussies who have a Scot in the family three generations back can pretend to be Scottish rather than an authentic experience.
“I promise you in Scotland, the people, grandad’s and grandkids will be watching on as crystal clear a TV screen as they can find. You had the opportunity to pack out your bar with as many Scots as could fit spending their money for at least three games but never mind.”
And Liz Balfour added: “The TV is quite literally a Scottish invention though… I promise you, as a Scot from Scotland, nobody will be crowding around a radio!”
View 4 ImagesThe bar has become popular with expats since opening last year (Image: Invergordon Bar / Facebook)
Far from backing down, though, Dean and Erin have since doubled down on their stance. The pair revealed that they made a deliberate decision not to have any TVs in the bar when they opened – hoping the move would help create a better atmosphere.
They added: “Putting a TV up for the World Cup would’ve meant putting a TV up. Permanently. And that’s not who we are. We get that some people are disappointed, especially for a moment as rare as Scotland at a World Cup. We’ve thought about that too. But we have to back the bar we set out to build.
“For those who get it, we’ll see you on June 14. Pints ready, sound system cranked up. For everyone else, we genuinely hope you find a great spot to watch it.”
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