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Want to get your name up on the board at Shea Stadium? Go ahead. Make my day.

Getting your name up in lights is easier than it sounds - it's just a matter of organisation, persistence and good planning. Okay, and a little bit of luck.

Ensuring that your special message will light up the board of your favourite stadium has been helped an awfully long way by the open policy of the managers of Shea Stadium themselves. Realising how popular and powerful scoreboard messages can be for baseball fans, Shea Stadium management announced that fans can put themselves in the running to have their messages put up on the board each game with a simple message in the post.

Fans can request that their anniversary, birthday and special occasion announcements if they send their messages direct to the stadium (New York Mets Scoreboard Announcements, Shea Stadium, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368-1699). The first twenty five message requests received for each game have a high chance of making it to the board.

Of course, there is a catch. The stadium notes that any messages containing inappropriate language, commercial messages or nicknames will not make it through. And there is always the chance that your message will be bumped in favour of messages of greater importance if time becomes a factor (not that this is likely) - fans buying blocks of tickets directly through the Mets office are eligible for a welcome announced on the scoreboard (contact the Mets ticket office at 718-507-TIXX for more information).

So, you want to get your name, your loved one's name or even (gulp) your marriage proposal up on the board for the next game to hit town? Let your fingers do the walking and pour your letters into the Mets office with your requests. Gather a group of friends together and make a mass booking to ensure your own welcoming message. And if you fail, try, try, try again.

Don't let failure disappoint you. Trying to get your name on the board of your favourite game can be a frustrating thing, if you're not determined enough to change your name to 'Smith' by deed poll.

Learn more about this author, Clare Callow.
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