South Africa ponders vuvuzela ban

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Debian

New Member
Location
West Midlands
And it wouldn't be before time!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8737455.stm

It's the last three paragraphs that ring most loudly for me - I couldn't agree more:

uge fan of them himself. "I would prefer singing," he said.
"It's always been a great generator of a wonderful atmosphere in stadiums and I would try to encourage them to sing.
"In the days of the struggle (against apartheid) we were singing, all through our history it's our ability to sing that inspired and drove the emotions."
 

Rykard

Veteran
+1 turned it off the noise was almost painful
 

DappaDonDave

New Member
they are very annoying, sounds like a swarm of african bees are buzzing about the stadium! Ruins it for me...

As does ITV's "HD" coverage cutting out stevie G's goal last night...idiots!
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
In terms of spoiling the enjoyment for the rest of the world I think they could have threatened to kick South Africa out of the world cup unless they behave. Sides have been penalised or threatened for the behaviour of their fans before. Semi-joking aside I think there's a lot more than can be done than allowing them to play the things continuously for 90 minutes, I can't see why a good few minutes before the game and at the start of each half and goal wouldn't do. The only game where it seemed to be more reasonable use of them was Argentina v Nigeria where either they did die down for a bit or I started hallucinating that the things stopped playing for a bit.
 

darkstar

New Member
I agree, the South Africans sing and dance all the time, they should utalise that to create a great atmosphere for their side.
 
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Debian

Debian

New Member
Location
West Midlands
Fab Foodie said:
Ive got used to them now, they just seem part of the atmosphere...

What atmosphere? That's my point, there is none. No shouting or chanting or music, just a constant invariant background drone. No atmosphere at all.
 

mangaman

Guest
Why ban them.

The word Cup is in SA

The fans there enjoy blowing them. It makes a different world cup than ever before.

If you don't like the SA football culture don't watch it. I much prefer it to the sanitised atmosphere-free US 1994 for example.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
They wont ban them. It would cause a riot.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
mangaman said:
Why ban them.

The word Cup is in SA

The fans there enjoy blowing them. It makes a different world cup than ever before.

If you don't like the SA football culture don't watch it. I much prefer it to the sanitised atmosphere-free US 1994 for example.

Because it's antisocial and spoils it for the rest of the world when they should be welcoming and well behaved guests. This basically shows they aren't up to being hosts, unfortunately. I'd have compared it to nasty chanting or hooliganism myself. They may like doing it but I don't really see why a few thousand maliciously antisocial South Africans get to over ride a billion other viewers.
 
This is nothing new. There were complaints, in England v. Germany fixtures, about a band in the stands incessantly playing The Great Escape theme - irritiating to the German fans it seems :wacko:. I don't know whether that was banned.

And monotone trumpets (I suppose the vuvuzela is one such)? I remember a similar thing way back in the 1970s, in a European Cup final staged at Wembley. Ajax of the Netherlands were playing, and their supporters came over in droves each with some sort of plastic toy trumpet which they sounded incessantly to drown out all opposition. Ajax won the competition. No African flavour in that match! Does anyone else remember the occasion (as I said, it was quite a while ago)?

It would be indeed be nice if the vuvuzela could play a few harmonics, like a trumpet or other brass instrument. But even if that's possible, it may require considerable skill from the player. Does anyone actually possess one of these instruments? Does it have a simple cup mouthpiece like a brass instrument, or a simple fixed reed like a recorder? I'm fairly sure it doesn't have an adjustable reed like a clarinet!
 
Bit of googling...
It seems that some broadcasters are considering trying out simple notch filters (tuned to the vuvuzela's consistent fundamental B flat [233Hz], and presumably the first few harmonics) which might appease the TV viewers. Would not eliminate the sound altogether but might enable commentary and announcements to be audible. A simple technical and non-controversial approach: would do nothing for spectators in the ground, or the actual players and officials, of course...
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
661-Pete said:
This is nothing new. There were complaints, in England v. Germany fixtures, about a band in the stands incessantly playing The Great Escape theme - irritiating to the German fans it seems :tongue:. I don't know whether that was banned.

That was my football team's band and they were actually banned. The vuvulas are continuous and a million times worse. What is more they are played every minute of every single match, unlike what you're talking about. I just don't see why FIFA should put up with such a bunch of nasty and antisocial fans and should be talking about docking SA points or getting kicked out of the world cup unless they behave better.

I'd be pleased if broadcasters are attempting to get around it, even a reduction in noise of 50% would probably make it tolerable.
 
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