#CANMNT DOWN DOUBLES DEVIL WAY

Montreal’s Hosting & Lifting Canada’s Soccer Culture

Danny Smiles @ his Doubles Dive Bar #CanMNT v SA Gathering

Sunday Lunchtime in LA is now forever more enshrined in #CanMNT Folklore. For the vast majority it be our most significant moment. 

From Fall 2024 when the CANUSMEX 2026 kicked off there was more nations participating than there are member states of the United Nations. Well in excess off 200. Then by midnight Sunday, there will be but a Sweet16 remaining. 

Now add this into the blender. In April 2017 when the United Bid was presented to FIFA Canada’s Men’s National Team were ranked 109^th on planet futbol. That is some quantum leap that the greatest Astrophysicist minds on the planet will have difficulty explaining.

When I first plotted up in Canada and was no longer able to attend matches nor watch highlights nor have rather emotional debates with friends, family and foes one of the first investments I made was in a short-wave radio. 

The Premier League and the advent of live football was yet to be born. So the short wave radio, was a lifeblood and main connector to the beautiful game for me. Courtesy of the BBC World Service.  Those firseside football chats became more distant owing to the outrageous cost of London Calling. The better investment was buying the London Sunday Times of a Monday. Obscenely expensive, but outrageously enjoyable.

Soon after I discovered the unbridled joy of popping along to a few iconic Montreal landmark establishments to experience for a very first time live football via satellite dishes larger than radars at the average airport. 

$10 on the door was the entrance fee to the beautiful game from outer space at Champs Sports Bar over in in Montreal’s fabulous Plateau neighbourhood. Calling occupants of interplanetary life and all that. 

Saturday’s England’s 1^st Division matches at Champs, then Sunday’s for Serie A at NDG’s institution Momesso’s. A home away from home for all walks of life. Custodian was Mr. Momesso; father of NHL Stanley Cup winning hab Sergio.

One particular Sunday morning sat at that legendry counter watching a match we began chatting football. Mr Momesso informing me he’d originally ‘sailed over to Montreal’ some 70-odd years ago now. Alonggside a number of other Italian footballers to start a semi-pro type league in Montreal

Watching the Italy vs Ireland Italia90 QF is something which will stay with me forever. Me and two dear pals. including Montreal troubadour Skip Snair. A modern day description of Skip would be a walking, talking social media eco-system to himself. 

The polar opposite of an influencer. Skip specialised in ending things. A helper of others like no one. From the downtrodden right up to global icons.  

We were sat amongst a packed room of highly emotive, spring loaded Italians. 3 generations strong.  There was no better place in Montreal to be that particular June 1990 Saturday. Sergio was his father’s minder that day. Skip was mine. 

What has all this got to do with Canada making yet more history I hear you mummering?

Well over 35-years later, this past Sunday afternoon I had an eyes wide open moment. Up in Montreal’s funky Mile End district. Venue was Doubles Dive Bar, av Parc. 

Without exception the finest Watch Party since us at PITCHFEST rocked up at Parc Jean Drapeau to produce the official Brazil2014 Final Watch Party. Deutschland vs the Argies. In conjunction with Radio-Canada.

Making this soccer culture moment legendary was the weather that particular July 2014 Sunday… howling a gale and a downpour more associated with the Outer Hebrides with a backdrop of that ship rocking North Sea. 

We were over next to the St. Lawrence Seaway. It’s a miracle of production science that we managed to stage this. Well not really a miracle when you consider who the PITCHFEST co-founders are. Leading off with evenko under Nick Farkas, Montreal Electronic Groove – Under Mustafa Terki, Soccer Curator and Cultist – Paul Desbaillets, and me. 

Evenko’s imperious Duncan Blair - one of the magicians who helps pull off Osheaga Music and Arts Festival over on the same plot of land every summer - was production lead. Weather wise we may only have hit the low number expected, far more importantly under biblical like circumstances we managed to pull the whole damn thing off. 

Even the defeated Argentine supporters come the final whistle were wallowing in their foolish and hardy selves for having the courage to even show. Let’s just say the German’s were making full use as you’d expect them to of our Presenting Partner’s Wares and Ales. 

Anyway back to last Sunday’s Canada v South Africa gathering up at Doubles Dive Bar - Indside, Outside, Back Alley, Along the Lane, Up the Staircase too. 

Football Feelings Everywhere. 

oranges@halftime – Doubles Dive Bar Style

Day Kicked Off at 12pm noon with a 3vs3 Cage Football Tournament out back. Seemed to be teams and players of all creeds, cultures and persuasions participating. 

To accompany, 1980’s/90’s raving tunes were blasting out. No less. Opening set performed by the 80-years young Bobby Sontag. Father of Ibiza and Global Music Legend, Tiga. Bobby’s as daft as a brush, still plays. Year round. Quite the force and defier of nature is that young chap. As does Tiga play when he’s home, a bit busy work and travel wise through summer. Very decent player. Full of speed and guile.

I met Bobby through Westmount Legends FC, bet you didn’t know that was a thing? Westmount… football? Why not. 

Like the vast majority of football in and around MTL it operates in the shadows, a soccer silo if you like. One which is almost completely unknown to the mainstream public. 30 years and counting

Soccer Sunday was organised and produced by Doubles Dive Bar, front man Danny Smiles. Chef-bar-none to the people and the profiled. In collaboration with MTL’s pioneering soccer culturists, The Ringleaders d’accord.

Eyes on the Prize. Naturally

Watching the match, my first thoughts were the UN in their wildest dreams couldn’t have pulled this off. Not a chance. Yes there were a smattering of South Africans, even some dude from Zimbabwe proudly rocking his Bafana Bafana jersey. Smiling away, why not.

The experience and outcome was very much like the match itself. Once in a lifetime like.  

Do not ever let me hear such  nonsense again that there is no soccer culture here in la belle ville. I’m a walking, talking soccer culture storage and eco system. All beginning aged 5 when I first went to a football match with Mum, Dad and my two older brothers. Craven Cottage Fulham v West Ham. A team containing those three main England 1966 Heroes. Even Fulham contained a World Cup Winner.

Snot running down my nose, eyes more wide open than Tom Brady’s receiving crew I was mesmerised by all the sights and sounds around. And oh yeh the football on the pitch too. 

Captured for life I was. Not an ounce of difference or indifference when I moved to la belle ville. Knowing full way I would merge my twin passions of football and music at some point. Once I’d hurdled through let’s just say a rather sticky Immigration process.

Wait till I regale you sometime of an almighty dust up one sunny Spring May day back in 2008. Venue a downtown MTL resto-bar. Wouldn’t you just know Chelsea were involved. Of course they were. Cops and Paramedics too. 

Hooliganism, the so termed English disease, right here in downtown Montreal. On a Wednesday afternoon. You’re having a laugh. Me there too to witness. Had a role in organising. There officially in my TEAM 990 self. The radio and broadcast legend that is Mitch Melnick was hosting a live radio show on location. No less. My side role, one we hadn’t planned for, was helping break it all up. Times do change. People too. 

We’re witnessing an almighty sea change right now. In front of our very own eyes. A total of 17 fully professional football clubs have been born across Canada over my time here. All built from the ground up. There was not one when I potted up. Soccer in Canada has traveled some distance over these 35 odd years, with the spotlight rightfully falling on our national teams.

Something tells me this soccer culture thing which in large part has been bubbling and percolating underground in those shadow silo’s this past 20 odd years will be bursting through the mainstream this fall. 

First, everyone involved in events, watch parties, FIFA World Cup Canada organizers, et al.. from the volunteers, the bussers, and cleaning crews right on up needs to and deserves to take the rest of our glorious summer off. 

You just laid witness to a quantum leap, the platelets of Canada’s fabric shifting. Winds of time and all that. You think I’m exaggerating? Wanna friendly wager on this…

Well just you wait until the next time you’re in an NFL Stadium. The venues for most of this rabid World Cup Culture. And for that matter your local NHL Arena. 

Oh My. Oh Canada 

Cheers

@NoelPButler

info@orangesathalftime.net