Soccer violence and hooliganism

Soccer violence and hooliganism
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Soccer violence and hooliganism
Introduction
This paper discusses the development of football violence and hooliganism in Europe and other parts of the world. It will later address the causes of hooliganism and the effect of soccer hooliganism to the football sport and the public at large. It will finalize by looking at ways of curbing this menace and highlighting the research methodology to adopt in this research.
Development of football hooliganism
Soccer violence and hooliganism can be traced way back to the19th century albeit not under the name “football hooliganism”, (Gibbons, et al, 2008). However, the causes of football violence and hooliganism have not been unilaterally agreed upon by the academicians.
According to Gibbons et al, (2008) much of hooliganism activities started gaining academic attention in 1960s especially in Britain where the sport was most popular. The emergence of youth subcultures that were different in behavior gained their entrance into football arenas in Britain creating segregation terraces in football stadiums.
The term football hooliganism became prevalent in the 1980s and attracted media and government attention in Britain and by late 1980s there were plans to initiate anti- hooliganism measures within the police forces to curb this menace. Most cases of football hooliganism and violence were perpetrated by groups of youths and were common in Middleborough in late 1980s, (Gibbons, et al, 2008). This clearly indicates how the problem had spread and filtered into public domain with emergence of hooligan gangs such as “Frontline service screw”.
Cases of violence in football has characterized many European nations for many years, for instance, in Australian soccer has been termed as the sport beleaguered by hooliganism adopted from Britain and expounded by its growth development as the most popular and admired sport in the country, (Gibbonsa et al, 2008).
Football sport has been tarnished in many European countries as being a sport for organized violence and disorder stemming from ‘hooliganism disease’. Experiences of periodic soccer conflicts and rivalry between local Greek and Macedonia, or Serb and Croatia has generated a popular misconception for football fans that ethnic tensions are related football fandom, (Warren, et al, 2009).
Hooliganism and related activities comes in many forms which include disorderly and threatening behavior, throwing of ‘missiles’ at rival fans, racial and indecent chanting, drug and drink related offences and criminal damages. Warren, (2009) states other forms of hooliganism as being in possession of weapons, acts of assault and affray, running on the pitch, breach of peace and criminal damage among others.
Adoption of sustainable and efficient crowd management strategies especially in high- risk- fixtures is essential for the safety and reputation of the soccer game. However, Garland’s (n. d) findings shows that much progress has been made to help prevent football violence and hooliganism especially at the scene of the event.
The desire to get rid of football violence and hooliganism has been the goal of the soccer governing body and this research is intended to unravel the causes and possible ways that will help eradicate the menace of hooliganism from the football arena and football sport.
The causes of football violence and hooliganism
Earlier research in Britain showed football violence and hooliganism as being a working class matter dominated by male phenomenon that are opposed to the “advancing co modification” of the football game, (Gibbonsa et al, 2008). However this was protested later by many subsequent researchers.
The study by Gibbonsa et al, (2008) reveals that alienation to clubs based on social circumstance was the driving force behind the creation of hooliganism gangs in the football sport that perpetrated the menace in football stadiums. He also states that the innate need to release aggression by the working class male adolescents was observed to be the causes of most confrontations in the soccer stadia in the 1970s.
Another psychological observation of 1980s by Gibbonsa et al, (2008) pointed to the ‘quest for excitement’ a social need, as another cause of confrontation arguing that hooliganism may result from the search for emotional arousal especially after a long period of boredorm.The need to defend their club, town and firm’s reputation has been argued as part of the reasons for gangs to engage in football violence and hooliganism by academic researches of 1990s.
The support for particular club is seen as an opportunity to belong to a social group for competition and achieve honor even by way of inflicting shame to their rival opponents. The feelings of rejection and lack of authority in early age prompted many youths into forming and joining hooliganism gangs to regain the sense of belonging as they believed that belonging to a gang gave them a sense of belonging, (Gibbonsa et al, 2008, p.37, par.4). They join these groups to fulfill their need to belong.
In some cases poor officiating has been cited as the cause for spontaneous violence in and out of the football stadium with fans invading the pitch in anger, which end up causing fracas and pandemonium, (Michael, 1991). However, there has been drastic improvement by the football governing body in relation to addressing this problem.
Ethnic rivalry and conflicts has been misconceived to go hand in hand with soccer fandom. Some incidents of football violence can be ascribed to long standing and provocative ethnic rivalry between supporters of two ethnic based soccer clubs. Violent incidences have in most cases been attributed to historic hostilities between rival clubs based on ethnic composition of their fans, (Warren et al, 2009. Historical enmities between ethnic groups have found their expression through football.
An explanation of ethnic based soccer violence was unveiled in a report presented by an independent soccer inquiry onto incidence of violence between fans of Sydney United which is largely pre-dominated by Croatian supporters and Bonnyrigg whose supporters are of Serb origin. The report pointed out ethnicity and individual pathology as being the main cause of violence, (Warren et al. 2009, p. 126, par. 2) stating long outstanding racial tensions as being the main cause of violence.
However, other studies point to pre-existing social, political and cultural tensions between the rival ethnic groups as having contributed to football violence albeit to some little extent, (Warren et al, 2009). Social identity, youth masculinity and the longing to have fun have been identified as motivators for violent activity.
Despite there being many other causes of football violence and hooliganism, ethnic conflict and innate pathologies of football fans still remain as dominant reasons explaining why the behavior of soccer fans are different and more dangerous from those of fans supporting other forms of sports like rugby.
The bad conditions and lack of facilities at football pitches may ignite violence. This will lower self esteem on the part of fans who find themselves as being abused and assaulted by football authorities. Pre match entertainment is known to help cool down temper, (Mathias, 1991).
Effects of football hooliganism
Football is the sport that enjoys majority support all over the world and there is no doubt that it’s the most popular and attractive sport. However, this game of football has been lethal particularly for its own spectators, (Warren et al, 2009). Various disasters and violence have befallen its supporters since inception.
The sport of football has experienced various types of violence that have resulted in massive distraction of properties in the surrounding environment the soccer venue. This has continued to elicit not only public fears but also moral panic. Cases of football related death are reported from many parts of the world and most them are due to football hooliganism and violence. The safety of fans is essential in any sporting event and football confrontations have resulted in loss of innocent lives (Garland, n.d).
A significant number of soccer fans have lost their life at soccer matches in many parts of the world. Initial soccer disasters happened at Glasgow rangers ibrox stadium in 1925 claiming 25 lives of soccer fans and leaving over 500 injured. Warren et al, (2009) states the cause of this disaster t...