June 14, 2006	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1427

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BERLIN, June 13: FIFA and the local organising committee are allowing fans to bring musical instruments into World Cup stadiums and their music is contributing to some superb entertainment in the build-up to kickoff.

However the party atmosphere is being killed off when the stadium loudspeakers and video screens begin playing pre-recorded advertisements, announcements and ‘infotainment’ clips – which even FIFA admits is spoiling the atmosphere.

Asked whether FIFA were aware the video show was dampening fans’ enjoyment, Wolfgang Niersbach, vice-president of the local German organising committee, told reporters he agreed that it was.

But he added: “There has been a pre-match programme worked out to the second for the final 12 minutes before the match starts.

“It contains announcements, information about the teams, the countries playing in the match and so on. But it does change the atmosphere in the stadium.”

Markus Siegler, FIFA's Director of Communications, said the ‘infotainment’ programme was a service to the fans and it was probably too late to change the arrangements in the minutes before the start of games.—Reuters