Source: FOOTYMAD
You Know Where You Can Stick Your Vuvuzela
Margo MacDonald can do without the background buzz when watching football. Independent Lothians MSP and Easter Road season ticket holder, Margo MacDonald has had enough of the soundtrack to this year's World Cup. She has written to SPL chief executive, Neil Doncaster, to ban vuvuzelas from SPL grounds before they make their presence heard in Scotland. The plastic horns are a mainstay of showing your support in South Africa but the sound of thousands of fans backing their side has been likened to the drone of a thousand bees while you are trying to concentrate on the football. There have been complaints from TV viewers who are having difficulty in hearing the commentary during games due to the incidental music of the vuvuzela. Ms MacDonald, the convener of Holyrood's cross-party group on sport, claims the vuvuzelas were "ruining" the World Cup.Ms MacDonald said: "As a season ticket holder for an SPL club and a football fan, there is no intention on my part to limit the enjoyment of other fans. But as is obvious from the mounting level of complaint, I think there is justification for the SPL to consider the matter before it becomes a problem here. As well as being really annoying, there is also a possible health and safety aspect, given the noise they make. There's been lots of incidents in the World Cup where players have been signalling that they can't hear what their teammates are saying, so they appear to be having a detrimental affect on the football as well."Some supermarkets in England are already stocking up with the vuvuzela and it will not be long before they head north before the new season kicks off. It would not be the first time that fans activity first seen during a high profile tournament transfers to the domestic scene. Some worked and some did not. The Mexican Wave did brighten up the occasional dull game but the ticker tape welcomes for teams coming onto the pitch from the Argentina festival of football did not look so spectacular on a wet Wednesday in the middle of a dour Scottish game in the middle of winter.It does not look as if Margo will be able to look to FIFA for support in her campaign as president Sepp Blatter suggested he was in favour of allowing the instruments to remain a part of the World Cup. Responding to a debate about their use inside stadia, Blatter posted a message on his Twitter page: "To answer all your messages re the vuvuzelas. I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound. I don't see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country. Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country?" Would we stand for a ban on pies and bovrils? Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba.net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
