Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/224217
55 Sport maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2013 WORLD CUP England v Italy kick-off time brought forward ENGLAND were due to play Italy at 9pm local time in Manaus on June 14, but FIFA brought kick-off forward three hours due to pressure from broadcasters. ITV and Rai were concerned about viewing figures as the timing of the kick-off would have been 2am in the UK and 3am in Italy. After the draw, Roy Hodgson said he was "happy" with the kick-off being at 9pm. The England boss added: "Our views will be taken into account." But FIFA has gone against his wishes. The England manager was said to be "relaxed" about FIFA's move. "Roy is aware, we are very relaxed about it and will continue to make the necessary preparations," said Adrian Bevington, managing director of Club England. FIFA said a 6pm kick-off shares "similar conditions" to a 9pm one, and they are more or less right. "There shouldn't be a great deal of difference between 9pm and 6pm," said Ben Windsor of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association. "Sunset will always be close to 6pm, so they'll be playing under floodlit conditions either way. "The only difference would be if it's a day where heavy showers build up during the afternoon. These will be more likely to have died out by 9pm compared to 6pm. "Temperatures will be slightly cooler - around three to five degrees - at 9pm, but not by much as it tends to stay fairly hot and sticky throughout the night in tropical regions." The kick-off times for England's other two games against Uruguay and Costa Rica have not changed. England fans have been told to be on their guard during their trip to Manaus, which is located right in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. "It's possible to meet alligators at night," a pamphlet from Manaus' tourist board says. Poisonous snakes, spiders and exotic birds are also common in the jungle, where humidity levels soar beyond 80 per cent and temperatures usually hit around 29 degrees centigrade. The Football Supporters' Federation said there had been a "mixed" reaction among England fans to the news that the team would be playing in Manaus. Some fans, it said, had been put off by the idea of trekking to the jungle, but others were relishing the prospect of experiencing true Amazonian culture despite the heat. Manaus' sports minister Fabricio Lima insists the humidity will not be a problem, however. "For the supporters and for the English team the only warmth they will feel is from the people of Manaus and that is all that counts," he said with a smile. Croatia take on Cameroon in Manaus and Switzerland also face Honduras in the city's specially-built 44,000seater stadium called the Arena da Amazonia. Manaus has little football heritage, but organisers wanted to take the tournament to all four corners of the country. British businesses flocked there in Roy Hodgson the 19th century to make money from a booming rubber trade. Mosquitos will be the biggest problem for England fans when they travel to Manaus. Visitors run the risk of contracting malaria if they do not take the right medication before they travel. The Department of Health advises travellers to Manaus to take one of a wide range of drugs the week before they travel. Those include Chloroquine, Proguanil and Doxycycline as some of malaria tablets available. Side effects in some of the drugs include upset stomachs, headaches, diarrhoea and mouth ulcers. Visitors have to continue taking the drugs for up to four weeks after they leave the Amazon. Fans must also make sure they have good quality mosquito nets, the Department of Health said on their website. Another problem for England fans is that there are no direct flights to Manaus. The best route is to go via Portugal. The cheapest flights currently stand at around £750. The most expensive ones can cost over £5,000. In total, seven matches have had their kick-off times revised. Weather & Crosswords WEATHER: Partly cloudy VISIBILITY: Good 17/120 18/130 WIND: East Southeast force 4 PARTLY CLOUDY PARTLY CLOUDY UV: 2 UV: 2 SEA: Moderate SWELL: Low Northwest becoming Northeast SEA TEMP.: 20 °C TODAY GOZO FERRIES DAILY OPERATION TIMES USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Emergency,Police,Fire, Ambulance ...................... 112 Appogg 24hrs Supportline .179 Sedqa 24hrs Helpline.........151 Social policy info centre .... 159 Malta Red Cross ...... 21922645 St John Ambulance .. 21945740 Maltacom enquiries .........1182 Go Mobile enquiries......... 1187 Vodafone enquiries .........1189 Government info service ....153 Telephone faults ................133 Gozo ferry schedule ..................21915111 MEPA..................... 22900000 MIA flight enquiries ................ 21697800 MIA Weather forecast ................. 50043333 Enemalta faults report.....................80072224 Water Services Corporation Freephone .............. 80072222 www.gozochannel.com Chess TOMORROW PHARMACIES OPEN TODAY MALTA & GOZO: 9 A.M. – NOON COLLIS Williams Pharmacy, 15, Triq ir-Repubblika, Valletta VIVIEN Pharmacy, Triq Patri Magri, Marsa BROWN'S Pharmacy, 278, Triq il-Vitorja, Qormi FLEUR-DE-LYS Pharmacy, 32, Triq Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara DEBY'S Pharmacy, 1, Misraħ il-Barrieri, Msida J.V.'S Pharmacy, Wied is-Swieqi, Swieqi NORMAN'S Pharmacy, 133, High Street, Sliema BALZAN Pharmacy, 70, Triq San Frangisk, Balzan VICTORY Pharmacy, 16, Triq il-Vitorja, Naxxar QAWRA Pharmacy, Earl's Court/1, Triq l-Imħar, Qawra DE Paola Pharmacy, 36, Pjazza Antoine De Paule, Paola KALKARA Pharmacy, No. 8, Misraħ l-Arċisqof Gonzi, Kalkara FELICE Dispensary, 95, Triq is-Santwarju, Żabbar BLOSSOMS Pharmacy, Triq il-Gurgier, Birżebbuġa KRISTIANNE Pharmacy, Triq iċ-Ċavi, Mqabba DE Rohan Pharmacy, 24, Triq Sant'Antnin, Żebbuġ NIGRET Pharmacy, Triq iz-Zahar, Rabat CASTLE Pharmacy, 2, Misrah l-Indipendenza, Victoria LAURETANA Pharmacy, 36, Triq l-Imgarr, Għajnsielem Solution to last week's problem Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Sunday Across 1. Semiconductor device 6. Like paper 7. Memorandum 10. Malice 11. Racecourse 12. Convent dweller 13. Person of exceptional holiness 14. Stage play Solution to last week's crossword Down 7 1. Ribbons 6 7 5 6 2. Frog 4 3. Snakes 3 5 4. Male cat 2 4 1 3 5. One who writes poetry A B C D E F G H 8. Holy Communion 2 1 A B C D E F G H Mate in four or more moves 18. Owning 19. Pertaining to a regiment Sudoku 8 8 16. Grant temporary use of Qgxe5+ Qca5+ Qb4+ Qbxb5+ Qeb8# Ka7 Kb7 Qb5 Ka7 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. 9. Made by hand 13. Exchange for money 15. Celestial being 17. Excavate