Stones Too Old to Watch Their Own Performance

The Rolling Stones have always given the ageing process a good name, capable of gyrating and strutting their way through a gruelling world tour more than 40 years after first bounding on to the stage.

But while they may be able to set the pace on stage, the original bad boys of rock and roll, with a combined age of 245, would be banned from the audience at their next performance because they are too old.

The National Football League, organisers of next month's Super Bowl, the American football season's grand finale, is offering 2,000 people a chance to watch the band play during the February 5 extravaganza at Detroit's Ford Field - but only if they are under 45.

Only people of 45 and younger will be allowed to take the field during the Stones' halftime show because they will be expected to dance, sing and cheer in front of a worldwide TV audience of more than 100 million. The NFL says the reason for the age limit is that the job is physically challenging. Volunteers must enter and exit the field quickly and be on their feet for long periods. They will not have seats and will wait in a tunnel under the stadium for most of the first half.

"You have to attend rehearsal and be able to stand for long stretches of time," an NFL spokesman told the Detroit Free Press. "And you have to run on to Ford Field with 2,000 other folks."

Mick and the boys, on the other hand, will presumably be taking it easy.