Fans at the Asian Cup will be forced to support their nation in a more somber fashion when the tournament kicks off on Friday after Football Federation Australia outlawed the use of the horns, hooters and beach balls.
Crackdowns will see police and security target fun-enhancing tools as the Socceroos host Asia’s best over the coming weeks, threatening to evict fans who smuggle banned items into stadiums in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
There is one positive to come from the restrictions- also banned will be the incredibly annoying vuvuzelas, used by thousands at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which produce the sound of an irritating swarm of bees.
“We’ve been careful to encourage fans to have a good time without ruining the enjoyment of others,’’ FFA boss David Gallop told the News Ltd.
“We’re expecting a lot of smiling faces inside the ground but clearly we don’t want to see poor behaviour damaging the experience for others.’’
Fortunately, inflatable Kangaroos have not been included in the ban. The reason? A “better fan atmosphere”, according to Asian Cup spokesman Chetan Kulkarni.
“However, if any such toy causes security issue or blocks the view of cameras or other spectators, security will ask it to be relocated or deflated,’’ he said.
The full list of banned items include: Beach balls, banners and/or flags bigger than 250cm at their widest or longest section; metal flagpoles and flagpoles longer than 1.5m; megaphones, hooters or gas-powered horns, including vuvuzelas; missiles, including cans, bottles and breakable containers; flares and fireworks; confetti or shredded paper; laser pointers; skateboards, in-line skates and bikes; political flags, emblems and insignia; weapons.
Photo: Luis Acosta/Getty Images.
