In the ACEG Arena at the Wellinton Hippodrome in Ostend they are ready for the Red Devils’ first game, tonight against Egypt. A tradition now, they have been showing all Belgian European Championship and World Cup matches here for twelve years.
“We have a total of 14 screens,” said Oliver Orlans of the ACEG Wellington Hippodrome. “Of course we are big ledwall from six to four. We have three large ones and six eighty inch ones.”
Too expensive
There are fewer World Cup villages than before and most initiatives are also smaller-scale, because everything has become much more expensive to organize. But for the Hippodrome in Ostend the costs are not too bad.
“We have our own hall, of course, and our own ledwall bought a few years ago. So the costs are not too bad for us. Of course we have the know-how and the experience. And also, people already know that we have a fun party. We don’t just do the competition. We also do some peripheral animation around it.”
Free breakfast
The Belgians will play against Iran again on Sunday evening, but on June 27 there will also be a match at 5 am with opponent New Zealand.
“Then we do a free breakfast for the first 500 online tickets. I think we have already sold 350, which surprised me very much. I say it, you actually have to take advantage of the disadvantages, as Johan Cruijff always said.”