Dear Editor,
I have watched local soccer (both live and on TV) since 1983 and in that time I have seen many things come and go.
Traditionally, our stadiums have had a certain amount of singing and shouting and there would also be one or two people with kudu horns in the crowd. These individuals would be skilled players who would blow into their horns at set periods during the game.
We soon saw the introduction of a few individuals who would have mine sirens (again used very sparingly) until maybe 2000 or 2001 when the cheap plastic vuvuzelas that we know today suddenly made their way to our shores.
I can now say that watching soccer live has become unbearable for me. A case in point was when watching the Confed Cup a few months ago. I had the misfortune of sitting in front of an individual blowing one (who succeeded mostly in spreading his saliva on everyone in front of him throughout) and an individual on my right who made sure that I watched the game with my hand covering my ear and made it a thoroughly unpleasant experience.
The problem with vuvuzelas is that the people who blow them are totally inconsiderate of those around them and they are intent only on making as much noise as possible. I go to stadiums to enjoy watching soccer and the truth is that vuvuzela blowers are the casual type of fan who spend more time entertaining themselves than actually watching the game.
There is nothing traditional or cultural about vuvzelas. They happen to be a passing fad which unlike those of the past is now being used by too many people at once with no coordination.
They are also meaningless. You cannot tell which team the blower of the thing is supporting for because all it makes is a non-specific noise.
It is for these reasons that I have paid top dollar for good seats at the World Cup to ensure that I will not be sitting with South African fans so that maybe I will be able to actually watch some soccer.
Proud local soccer supporter
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