UEFA announced that vuvuzelas will not be permitted in European stadia hosting UEFA competitions. ‘The magic of football consists of the two-way exchange of emotions between the pitch and the stands, where the public can transmit a full range of feelings to the players,’ explained the European confederation’s web site. ‘However, UEFA is of the view that the vuvuzelas would completely change the atmosphere, drowning supporter emotions and detracting from the experience of the game.’
Curbing fans’ freedom to express themselves is generally not my cup of tea, but maybe these self-interested football technocrats are helping to preserve what’s left of stadium soundscapes and our hearing.
Click here to read the UEFA statement.
Categories
2 replies on “UEFA bans vuvuzelas”
Peter, I’m a bit surprised at your brief editorial. The stadium soundscape you mention is enhanced by the vuvuzela. As I’ve expressed previously on this sight, they can be a nuisance when blown either indoors, or directly behind you; granted, if a person already has hearing issues or particularly sensitive ears, the vuvuzela does exacerbate the problem. But generally, in a stadium of 60,000 people or more, I had no issue with the constant noise making of virtually any variety; I was that engrossed in the match, even a dull one, as we both saw when Brazil played Portugal for instance. As I recall, we both agreed that the ‘man of the match’ in that particular instance were the very fans whose noise making is now going to be restricted. I think the biggest issue here is denying an expression of the passion that the game induces in fans; I think the overall message of a vuvuzela ban is that the fan is being told that the price of a ticket restricts you to only watching the match, and that’s it. And if that really is the case, then what’s the point? I would suggest that the reason we are soccer fans is the tribal, visceral relationship that is at the core of the game; at some level, human types have probably been playing some form of soccer since caveperson days. And isn’t the vuvuzela a relic of an older, tribal past as well? Seems to me we should encourage the use of vuvuzelas, to help send us back to our human origins. Additionally, by banning the horns, won’t there then be some folks who will “retaliate”, as people the world over always resent some authoritative body telling them what to do. Heck, earplugs really work well, and still allow people to express themselves. Okay, I’m off the soapbox now. But really, supporting Platini and the administrative cockups at UEFA? I shudder to think…
Gary, I don’t think UEFA suits want fans to sit tightly and quietly at matches as if at the opera or theater, but rather prefer singing, chanting, drum-beating, and all the other things Platini remembers (and probably relishes) from his glory days at Juventus in Italy in the 1980s. I wonder how Platini feels about ultras’ use of flares.
As I have said before on this site and elsewhere, I don’t see ‘the vuvuzela [as] a relic of an older, tribal past’ but rather a new invention of tradition courtesy of a shrewd Afrikaner businessman with access to cheap made-in-China plastic horns. In fact, what’s more primal than drumming? Singing? Chanting?
It was great to be in the stands at Mabhida Stadium in Durban last Sunday. The highlight for me was the singing and playful taunting between rival fans of Amazulu and Maritzburg United. Singing and chanting worked because there were relatively few vuvuzelas whose dictatorial wailing dispersed quickly in the almost empty 60,000-seat stadium. Most impressive, unlike Europe and Latin America, rival fans were not separated by militarized cops and buffer zones of empty seats, let alone isolated in dehumanizing “cages”. They were just a few meters from each other! They spoke to each other! Shook hands! Hugged!
So let’s hear more drums, more music, more praising, and less wailing goats!