14 Jul 2003(Mon)

I was shocked and concerned by events at Tokyo's National Stadium last Saturday.　

The occasion was the league match between Shimizu S-Pulse and Yokohama F Marinos, which the latter won 1-0.

Technically it was an S-Pulse home game, and sponsor JAL worked hard to attract a very good crowd of over 30,000. This was a fine effort by JAL, and the stadium resembled a Holland game with most of the fans wearing orange.

What I did not like, though, was the gimmicks on offer.

For example, when a substitution was made, music blared out from the sound system and the change was introduced like some heavyweight boxing championship.

Honestly, I thought this was awful. Surely just a simple, low-key announcement for the benefit of the fans was all that was needed.

The S-Pulse supporters are known for their attractive melodies and for their variety of songs, but I think the club over-stepped the bounds of taste and decorum on another issue, too.

This was when S-Pulse won a corner kick. The big screen would flash up the giant words "Goal, Goal," presumably in an attempt to whip up atmosphere.

Surely this was unnecessary, and a distraction for players when they should be concentrating on the game.

Everyone knows it's a corner kick, and this automatically prompts hopes and expectations among the fans whose team is attacking.

I can understand why some clubs are keen to adopt this American-style razzamatazz sports presentation, but football does not need this.

I would appeal to the J.League to keep a tight check on this, as it does the game in general no favours at all.

While we are on the subject, I will never forget my first visit to Kyoto Purple Sanga back in 1996.

I nearly fell off my seat when the announcer, in a thick American drawl, offered the following words of wisdom: "Kiiiick, aaawwwwfff."

This is American for the English words: "Kick off."

The announcement happened at the start of the game and the start of the second half, just in case fans new to the game did not realise the match had actually started, and the players had been only warming up on their previous appearance on the pitch.

So come on, J.League.

Crack down on the nonsense.

It is degrading to true football fans...and there are many, many thousands of those now in Japan.

ends