In our Football Assignment, we have been given the task to research on Football Hooligans, in depth information on Hooligans and use the statistics and information obtained to prove the statement, "It's easy to become a football hooligan".Hooliganism is termed to be a social problem that relates to crowd trouble and conflicts that occur in stadiums, nearby places where matches (esp.
football matches) are going on. Certain people in the crowd fight against rivalry team crowd supporters. Being part of football violence, its basic aim is to disrupt the game, spread violence and fear amongst people, take revenge, etc. The game of football has been associated with violence since its beginnings in the 13th Century. During that period of football matches hundreds of players were involved and there were essentially pitched battles between the young men of rival villages and towns - often used as opportunities to settle old feuds (rivalry), personal arguments and land disputes.Who are the Hooligans and their Purpose?Hooligans are people who are in their late teens-twenties (though some might be older, esp.
leaders). They are generally people who either earn low wages or are unemployed. They wear exclusive sportswear or leisure wear with brand names to show off themselves to their rival hooligans. Hooligans might physically or mentally abuse each other, including to threatening to attack each other, insulting each other or fighting in groups. Hooligans aimed at doing this act to show their physical strength and their superiority in their low class community.
Additionally, they fight for pleasure, encouragement and challenge.The main aim of a hooligan is to support the football team that they fancy and fight against their rival football teams that are rival competitors. They aim at defending their town from rivals who aim at subordinating their hosts. Having a tradition of their own, the hooligans also travel with their teams to way matches and don't mind in joining a fight. Some fights are even pre-arranged at areas where the police doesn't intervene. A good heavy drink helps in making the situation more enjoyable and some additionally paint their faces with diverse make up, including antiracist symbols, etc.
The hooligans carry out the specific tasks because they believe that they experience emotional, intense feelings that they normally do not get in everyday life. It gives them joy or sadness that help in strengthening their common social identity. They believe that they are playing a more active involvement in football than merely just cheering and supporting. Being addicted to hooliganism, some people become so intense in experiencing these feelings that they end up taking great risks that leads them to doing more violent activities, becoming 'super hooligans' and getting themselves into more trouble.
The main motivations of hooligans are to take risk and feel the excitement and enjoyment generated by football disorder. The risk of fighting and the excitement of "anything might happen" is the basic principal behind hooliganism in young working class men. Additionally, hooliganism strongly represents a gender identity. Most of the hooligans are young men and believe that hooliganism represents strong masculine identities and show that men are in a unique class and are culturally superior. This motivates many young men to join to give themselves chance to exhibit their strength.Are the English the only ones to produce Hooligans?The English football era has got a long history of hooliganism and related hooligan troubles.
However, it is far from truth that they are the only ones that produce hooligans. Many hooligan cases have been found around different parts of the world such as countries in Holland, Germany, Italy, Hungary, France, South American Countries, African Countries and parts of Asia. It is known that many of them have formed their own radical group, having their own unique chants and symbols. Though, evidence suggests that the English exported many hooligans abroad to other countries, hooligan troubles have always been cited in other countries.
However, the intensity of English Hooligans will always stand out from the other areas. It is known that there are 3 features that differentiate English hooligans from other hooligans:Firstly, the English have been known to get a long history of football hooligan problems, predating till the 19th Century. The intensity of fighting has been very high, with English fans once in 1985 being banned from watching away matches after a crowd disorder lead to the death of 39 people (mostly Italians). The weapons used for fighting were extremely dangerous, aimed at referees and other rival gangs. Weapons such as bottles, knives, bars were used, with a reporter once reporting, "bottles were flying around like hailstone.
" Comparatively, hooligans in other countries are not that intensified and are largely described as "post-war phenomenon".Secondly, it has been reported that English hooligans are readily been reported to be exported to foreign countries and there has been many serious cases of English Hooligans causing disruptions in foreign places, where many away matches are taking place. Comparatively, it has been found that foreign hooligans do not create serious troubles in English home matches and that there have been relatively very few inter-country hooliganism that have not involved English Hooligans.Thirdly, many of the English Hooligans create trouble at National level, while traveling with the national team as well as in clubs. Many a times, trouble has been created at international levels by English Hooligans.
Comparatively, other countries, such as Holland, France, Italy, Spain only have hooligan related cases confided to clubs. The intensity and seriousness of Hooligans is much more in England than in any other nation around the world.Drink having any part in Hooliganism?English fans are known to be heavy drinkers and the drinks are not expensive due to relatively high income and standards of living. It is known to be 'manly' to be drinking and celebrating with friends. It is especially a feast to be drinking in trips abroad to foreign places.
On many occasions, situations have gotten out of hands due to excessive drinking and the English hooligans are unaware of their deeds due to the intense pleasure and excitement they achieve from drinking. Below is a table carrying information on arrests and offences in making (international and league matches), showing the wide range of offences that have occurred, for which arrests have been made.
