Football Hooliganism in England - Diagnoses and Prognoses (From Israel Studies in Criminology, P 157-176, 1979, S Giora Shoham and Anthony Grahame, ed. - See NCJ-74408)

• NCJ Number: 74412
• Author(s): G Cromer
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Turtledove Publishing
• Language: English
• Country: Israel
• Note: This article is a version of a paper presented at the International Symposium on Adolescence, Jerusalem (Israel), July 1976

Annotation

This paper presents four categories of explanations of the increase in violence among spectators at soccer matches in England, and discusses proposed solutions.

Abstract

Proponents of the theory that the kind of people attracted to soccer matches cause the trouble point out that soccer games are now the major battlefield for the young, and that others join in the violence once the young and rowdy fans have precipitated. They suggest that more vigorous law enforcement at the matches, through increasing the number of uniformed and plain clothes policemen, would reduce crowds' violent tendencies. The match itself is blamed for precipitating violence by another group of theorists. The violence on the field may beget violence in the stands, or the passion of team rivalries and loyalties may cause fans to defend their team's honor by fighting among themselves. Proposed solutions include segregating fans in the stands by reserving designated sections for the home team and visiting team and by providing more seating in the terraces so that spectators do not have to stand during matches. Further study of violence by spectators travelling to and from matches is being undertaken. Another theory holds that the transformation of the game and its players from working class origins to a new and wealthy elite has increased the psychological distance between the game and its supporters and that violence in the stands is a form of resistance to commercialization of the sport. Those who blame the changing class structure of the game claim that violence could be minimized through strengthening ties between clubs and fan support groups or even through allowing the fan clubs to control the football clubs. Permissiveness and alienation in the society as a whole is blamed for the violence by the fourth group of theorists. This group proposes putting violence in its proper perspective and reforming society to alleviate the pressures being worked out in the stands at soccer matches. Footnotes which include references are included.