Football grounds get a kick from WiFi hotspots

The Football League is set to sign a deal with Toshiba to install WiFi hotspots in stadiums around England and Wales.

Reading and Nottingham Forest are the first grounds to be wireless-enabled in a project that could see all 72 clubs in the Nationwide League providing the service by the start of next year.

Cardiff City's visit to Reading on Tuesday was the first demonstration of the network, which offers spectators access to broadband-speed internet connections.

The hotspots will allow press photographers to instantly transmit pictures to their publication or web site, and football writers to file reports from anywhere in the ground without connecting their computers to cabling.

The network would also cover executive boxes, allowing guests in corporate hospitality to browse the internet while eating their prawn sandwiches if the football fails to grab their attention.

Fans with WiFi-enabled handheld computers could also keep up with the latest news during the game.

Toshiba says the agreement is a huge step towards making wireless internet access available to a mass audience.

Supporters of struggling teams will undoubtedly be keen to find out if the service will allow them to send helpful comments to their team's manager - or perhaps to a wireless-enabled referee.