Not coming to a ground near you: Premier League clubs' no to vuvuzelas • Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham among clubs to join ban • Several other clubs expected to follow suit before season

South Africa's obsession with the vuvuzela is not likely to be repeated in this country. Photograph: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty Images

The discordant sound of the vuvuzela, which seemed to be loathed far more than it was loved at the World Cup finals, looks unlikely to become an issue in the Premier League after five top-flight clubs followed Tottenham Hotspur's lead and announced that the plastic trumpet would be banned from their stadiums next season.

Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham United, Sunderland and Birmingham City added their names to a list that seems destined to continue to grow between now and the start of the season, as clubs move to allay many supporters' fears that the monotonous drone that provided the soundtrack for the World Cup will reverberate at Premier League grounds up and down the country.

Although the World Cup organisers in South Africa mounted a robust defence of vuvuzelas during the tournament, broadcasters were inundated with complaints while players moaned that the din made it impossible to be heard on the pitch.

When the prospect of vuvuzelas being exported to England was raised during the finals, the Premier League said there was no rule that "specifically prohibits musical instruments from being brought into grounds" and suggested it would be down to individual clubs to reach a decision. Several have come to a quick conclusion.

The guardian

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