By Peter Bang Overby
Czechia scores. Immediately, Morten Jensen presses 'play' and music booms out of the large speakers in Arenaen in Aarhus. When the match begins again Morten Jensen fades down the music, and handball is once again at the centre of people's attention. It is Morten Jensen's job to entertain and cheer on the spectators. Morten Jensen is a court-DJ. One of many by now, because elite handball is no longer just about the game.
Morten Jensen was one of the first court-DJs in Denmark. This is why the DHF-editors have asked him to answer a few questions.

What role does music play at a handball match?
It is supposed to entertain and make it more appealing to go see a match. A handball match is no longer just about the sixty minutes of playing time. It has become part of a product in which music and entertainment are equally important.

Are there any official rules and guidelines for music at handball matches?
There are several. Fundamentally, you are only allowed to play music when the game is paused. You cannot play when someone is hurt. The music cannot be demeaning or offensive.

Are there types of music that are not appropriate for handball matches?
Yes, definitely. It must not be too quiet. It must have a distinctive beat, so the spectators are not in doubt about when to clap. Music for simpletons, you might call it. But the beat cannot be too violent. Like techno, which is too rough.

Which part of the tunes do you play?
That all depends, but if it is after a goal it has to be upbeat from the beginning because the music is only played for five to ten seconds. I have made minidisks at home from which I have selected the good parts.

Have you had any interesting experiences in connection with your work as a court-DJ?
I should say so. In Skjern, where I usually DJ, the players give me the thumbs-up if I am playing a tune we talked about the night before. But other than that it is funny when the spectators dance or sing along. It is nice when people bawl along to 'Vi har det saa dejligt'.

Morten Jensen is one of the two court-DJs who fill the Arena in Aarhus with simpletons' music during Euro 2002.