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Football fans have a ball

Liza George takes a look at the football fever that has hit the city

Photo: dummy.

Sport a t-shirt carrying a picture of your favourite player, guzzle down a drink or two and munch on snacks while watching the action live on screen.

The next day, as you make your way to office, often with a splitting headache, as your boss shouts, "You are late!," burp, comes the reply, " Sir, I was watching the match."

Join the bleary-eyed die-hard fans who watch the FIFA World Cup football matches late into the night and spend the day discussing the game's result.

Football props

Cashing in on the football fever, hotels in the city have set up their plasma screens for fans. No annoying soaps, no breaking news, no music videos, just unadulterated football on the hotels' big screens.

Huge screen and equally huge cut-outs of the players like Ronaldo and Beckham, colourful flags, staff dressed in the colours of the participating teams... greet fans as most hotels go all out to capture the flavour of the season.

See the prim and proper, "How may I help you?" staff go totally informal at Muthoot Plaza and The Leela. Dressed in football gear, the staff members at Muthoot Plaza also have a whistle that is blown when a goal is scored. As Taj Green Cove sets its beverage counter to resemble a goal post, South Park has created a quaint ambience of `watching the game in a pub.'

Wine and dine

Apart from huge screen televisions, what pulls the crowds in is probably the food and drinks. Finger food, being the popular choice, tops the menu. Leela offers its customers special cocktails with innovative names, such as `Soccer cocktail,' `Spanish Goal,' `Pele's Magic' and `Bend it like Beckham.'

It is not just the hotels that are cashing in on the craze. Some of the garment shops in the city are selling t-shirts and jerseys like those worn by the football teams. Naaz Garments for instance has t-shirts in the colours of the various teams and images of the popular stars; Beckham and Ronaldo being the favourite.

Parthas will start sale of branded t-shirts, jerseys, track pants, shorts and accessories like caps, wristbands and socks, by the second week of July. Coming in white, black and blue, brands like Adidas, Reebok and Nike are offering these shades with designs pertaining to football.

Premium bands, says Lakshman Sreenivas, Managing Partner, Parthas, Thiruvananthapuram, are targeting kids and teenagers too. "Children, through media, are football savy. They know the who's who in football, and the brands have cashed in on this. Kids and teens wear have designs related to football too," he says.

For those who like the cost effective way of hanging out with die-hard-fans while enjoying the game in the open, the State Sports Council relays the World Cup Soccer matches live on the big screen at Central Stadium. A huge screen set up at Vanchiyoor Junction by Football Lovers' Association, Vanchiyoor, screens the game live for the fans free of charge.

According to the organisers, the kick-off match of the season saw followers wearing the garbs of their favourite team. Fans have also set up screens in other parts of the city such as Kolathur and Karamana.

So, are you game for the `cup of life?'

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