By Richard Bright
Players were not in tune with the loud music played during the Women’s World Cup while “inane blasts” during play did little for the experience, according to one ticket holder.
The recently-concluded event featured music while play was ongoing, possibly for the first time at a hockey event.
But one disgruntled spectator, writing in the Evening Standard, has taken exception to the spectator experience, saying that the endeavour and skill of the players were disrespected.
“Instead of allowing more than 10,000 spectators to enjoy top-class women’s hockey uninterrupted, we were greeted with inane blasts of “muzak” during play – encouraging us among other things to “clap your hands”,” David Stewart wrote in a letter to the paper.
“Professional sport is inundated with this sort of nonsense at the moment. Keep childish wannabe DJs away from the PA system and trust spectators to have sufficient attention spans to concentrate on the exciting play unfolding in front of them.
“Speaking to one official and a parent afterwards, they confirmed the players hate it and they cannot hear calls from their teammates, a fundamental element of hockey.”
One hockey fan, William Morris, wrote on Twitter: “Stop the music during play!! Must put players off and fans don’t need it.”
THE HOCKEY PAPER SAYS …
It has to be said, the loud music and voluble and excitable MC did become a tad draining after two weeks, but as a one-off experience it would no doubt be bearable as spectator experiences go, especially in keeping kids entertained.
When music continued in-play, meanwhile, there were occasions when the media did look around at each other with a ‘is this right?’ look. It certainly had a US Sports-style ring to proceedings, albeit without the ice hockey organ.
Other than that, the music for video reviews, including the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire theme, seemed to prove popular.
The Hockey Paper’s World Cup coverage is supported by St. Bert’s Clothing – SUMMER SALE
