The vuvuzela horn is the iconic sound of the South Africa 2010 World Cup, but a British hearing loss charity is warning football fans to protect their hearing from the loud plastic trumpets. The Royal National Institute For Deaf People says there is a risk of temporary tinnitus or permanent hearing damage posed by being surrounded by the plastic horns, which are popular with South African supporters. If you are unlucky enough to have a vuvuzela immediately behind you in the stadium, you're likely to endure more than one hundred and twenty five decibels of sound. 
The vuvuzela is louder than, for instance, a chain saw or lawn mower at one hundred and ten decibels and an ambulance siren at one hundred and twenty. The hearing damage is likely to be made worse by noisy parties after the match - win or lose. The RNID's senior audiology specialist, Angela King, says in a statement, 'fans are running the risk of tinnitus - ringing, whistling, humming or buzzing in their head or ears - or permanently damaging their hearing if they don't tackle the cumulative effects of exposure to loud volumes from vuvuzelas and music during the World Cup. Noise over eighty five decibels can cause damage over time. Vuvuzelas produce levels with more than five times that damage potential so we're urging supporters to ensure they don't score an own goal for their hearing and wear reusable earplugs in stadia and when partying in pubs, clubs and festivals.' One fan who spoke to the RNID is twenty seven-year-old Trevor Moody from London. He’s taken earplugs to protect his hearing during England's games. 'I've already lost some hearing through an infection in one of my ears and really value my hearing as a result,' he says. 'Those vuvuzela trumpets sound like they won't be doing my hearing any favors, so I'll be wearing earplugs to protect myself and safely enjoy the party atmosphere in the stadia and, hopefully, all the celebrations in pubs and clubs as England progress!'
As alluded to yesterday, ITV has announced the sacking of its World Cup pundit, the former Wimbledon striker Robbie Earle, after discovering that he had passed scores of tickets to a third party in breach of FIFA rules, which were then said to be used by a Dutch beer company for an ambush marketing effort. ITV, which has already suffered a welter of negative publicity after all those HD viewers missed England's opening goal against the USA, said Earle's contract had been terminated 'with immediate effect. Following claims by FIFA that official 2010 World Cup tickets may have been used for ambush marketing, ITV has reviewed its entire ticket allocation for the tournament,' said ITV in a statement.
'Immediate investigations indicated that a block of ITV tickets would appear to have been used for unauthorised purposes during the Holland v Denmark match,' it added. 'Further enquiries have revealed that a substantial number of tickets allocated to Robbie Earle for family and friends have been passed to a third party in breach of FIFA rules.' It is understood that between thirty five and forty tickets allocated to Earle ended up in the hands of the marketing company said to have orchestrated the ambush marketing effort on behalf of the beer brand Bavaria via a third party. Thirty-six - extremely fit - young women in orange mini dresses (without, it should be noted, any obvious branding or corporate logos on their attire) were ejected from Soccer City during monday's match when FIFA officials decreed they were part of an organised ambush marketing scheme. They were questioned for several hours until after the match had finished. Perosnally, I wouldn't have thrown them out the ground, I'd've just asked then to remove the offending clothing - slowly. And, if possible, provocatively. Bavaria strenuously denied that the women had any links to its campaign. Bavaria board member Peer Swinkels told Reuters news agency that FIFA's reaction was 'ridiculous. FIFA does not have the monopoly on orange and people have the freedom to wear what they want,' he said. It is not believed that Earle will be replaced by a new pundit but that his absence in the mean time will be covered by the existing team. One just has to ask, though - thirty five to forty tickets for the 'family and friends' of one of ITV's team? Do they all get that number, for every match? Do the BBC get the same? What about other broadcasters from other countries? Is it any wonder the stadiums are only half-full?
And, finally, Tesco said it expected to sell three hundred thousand television sets and at least eight hundred thousand St George flags,
five hundred thousand official England footballs and fifty thousand pairs of 'WAG knickers' whilst England remain in the World Cup.
Hang on ...
Fifty thousand pairs of WAG knickers?
Fifty thousand pairs of "WAG knickers"?
Have I fallen asleep and woken up in Bizarroworld?
The vuvuzela is louder than, for instance, a chain saw or lawn mower at one hundred and ten decibels and an ambulance siren at one hundred and twenty. The hearing damage is likely to be made worse by noisy parties after the match - win or lose. The RNID's senior audiology specialist, Angela King, says in a statement, 'fans are running the risk of tinnitus - ringing, whistling, humming or buzzing in their head or ears - or permanently damaging their hearing if they don't tackle the cumulative effects of exposure to loud volumes from vuvuzelas and music during the World Cup. Noise over eighty five decibels can cause damage over time. Vuvuzelas produce levels with more than five times that damage potential so we're urging supporters to ensure they don't score an own goal for their hearing and wear reusable earplugs in stadia and when partying in pubs, clubs and festivals.' One fan who spoke to the RNID is twenty seven-year-old Trevor Moody from London. He’s taken earplugs to protect his hearing during England's games. 'I've already lost some hearing through an infection in one of my ears and really value my hearing as a result,' he says. 'Those vuvuzela trumpets sound like they won't be doing my hearing any favors, so I'll be wearing earplugs to protect myself and safely enjoy the party atmosphere in the stadia and, hopefully, all the celebrations in pubs and clubs as England progress!'As alluded to yesterday, ITV has announced the sacking of its World Cup pundit, the former Wimbledon striker Robbie Earle, after discovering that he had passed scores of tickets to a third party in breach of FIFA rules, which were then said to be used by a Dutch beer company for an ambush marketing effort. ITV, which has already suffered a welter of negative publicity after all those HD viewers missed England's opening goal against the USA, said Earle's contract had been terminated 'with immediate effect. Following claims by FIFA that official 2010 World Cup tickets may have been used for ambush marketing, ITV has reviewed its entire ticket allocation for the tournament,' said ITV in a statement.
'Immediate investigations indicated that a block of ITV tickets would appear to have been used for unauthorised purposes during the Holland v Denmark match,' it added. 'Further enquiries have revealed that a substantial number of tickets allocated to Robbie Earle for family and friends have been passed to a third party in breach of FIFA rules.' It is understood that between thirty five and forty tickets allocated to Earle ended up in the hands of the marketing company said to have orchestrated the ambush marketing effort on behalf of the beer brand Bavaria via a third party. Thirty-six - extremely fit - young women in orange mini dresses (without, it should be noted, any obvious branding or corporate logos on their attire) were ejected from Soccer City during monday's match when FIFA officials decreed they were part of an organised ambush marketing scheme. They were questioned for several hours until after the match had finished. Perosnally, I wouldn't have thrown them out the ground, I'd've just asked then to remove the offending clothing - slowly. And, if possible, provocatively. Bavaria strenuously denied that the women had any links to its campaign. Bavaria board member Peer Swinkels told Reuters news agency that FIFA's reaction was 'ridiculous. FIFA does not have the monopoly on orange and people have the freedom to wear what they want,' he said. It is not believed that Earle will be replaced by a new pundit but that his absence in the mean time will be covered by the existing team. One just has to ask, though - thirty five to forty tickets for the 'family and friends' of one of ITV's team? Do they all get that number, for every match? Do the BBC get the same? What about other broadcasters from other countries? Is it any wonder the stadiums are only half-full?And, finally, Tesco said it expected to sell three hundred thousand television sets and at least eight hundred thousand St George flags,
five hundred thousand official England footballs and fifty thousand pairs of 'WAG knickers' whilst England remain in the World Cup.Hang on ...
Fifty thousand pairs of WAG knickers?
Fifty thousand pairs of "WAG knickers"?
Have I fallen asleep and woken up in Bizarroworld?
