I write this a very proud and doting West Bromwhich Albion fan, a team who recently have been promoted to the Premiership. Despite my allegiance to this team never have I personally felt any need to lash out at any rival team, even those adorable Wolverhampton fans.
As a fan of the beautiful game the idea of football holliganism fascinates me on both a sporting and socialogical level. What says social solidarity more than twenty thousand people all wearing the same shirt, singing the same song and sometimes attacking another twenty thousand people all wearing another shirt.
Hoping to discover more insight into the world of football hooliganism I found a very informative and compact site http://www.liv.ac.uk/footballindustry/hooligan.html. It claims boldy on the site
"It is impossible to claim that all "football hooligans" are of a certain age or class or possess a particular "psychological make-up".
Forever connoting the idea of hooliganism with young, boozed up males of around 19-25 I now accept that I was eager to stereotype. I mean as most films teach us, its the firms leaders who are more mature and approach the idea of a footballing firm almost at a business level determination of organisation. The term "psychological make-up" is vital in defining a football hooligan, a person who may legitimately be a family man monday through friday (dependant upon fixtures may I add) with a profressional job who turns predator on the weekend. What is it that can be said about a man that football represents to them less of a sport and more of a chance to vent some anger. Is it ritualistic, sadomasochistic?
The sport and culture of football is a wonderful thing. It can bring friends and families together, can be a honest and interesting pastime, however hooliganism taints the sport and most frustratingly those who follow the sport. In general football fans are branded ignorant at best and xenophobic at worst. My plea is enjoy the sport for sports sake, the reason you enjoyed it in the first place.
1 comment:
It's interesting that as a Wolves fan I don't particuarly have any megative feelings towards Paul or WBA. The typical football hooligan is to be honest something I have encountered only on a few occasions, ironically when I used to work in the away end at Moleniux. In most cases I feel that football violence is just done by the vast MINORITY. I think the beautiful game is highlighted far too often, when it's only a small percentage of fans that casue the problem
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