Sport

Violence in soccer or football is otherwise referred to as soccer hooliganism. It is unruly and destructive actions mostly buy football fans. This is violence between fans of rival football teams. Violence in football can take place either before or after a match, but it is usually common after a match. In some cases the fights take place away from the stadium for fear of getting arrested (Sciolino, para 3). During the times when they erupt in the stadium, during or immediately after the match in the stadium or the surroundings, they are usually spontaneous. These kinds of violence range from simple exchange of words to severe riots. During such violence, a lot of people have lost their lives while others are left with severe injuries that end up maiming them. Destruction of property is another serious impact of football hooliganism. In some cases, police officers have intervened, leaving some dead and others injured. There are situations where the rivalry goes on even in the pitch. Sometimes players get very aggressive and run into the pitch as the game goes on. In other cases supporters hurl abuses to the players rendering it impossible for them to deliver. The problem is worse when the supporters starts attacking others and tries to get to the players. There are cases where supporters go after the players immediately the game ends (Nicholls, p. 25). There are situations where the rivalry goes on even in the pitch. Sometimes players get very aggressive and run into the pitch as the game goes on. In other cases supporters hurl abuses to the players rendering it impossible for them to deliver. The problem is worse when the supporters starts attacking others and tries to get to the players. There are cases where supporters go after the players immediately the game ends (Mosely, p 18).    

A football firm is an organised organisation to fight with fans of other football clubs. Some firms, mostly in Europe have been associated with racial hatred. Others have been associated with anti-racism. Violence in football has been shown in movie like I.D, Cass, Green Street Hooligans, and The Football Factory among others (Hill, para 6). Some critics of these films have argued that the depiction by the media fuels the situation. This paper investigates football hooliganism in Europe and seeks to find out how these can be reduced and how better to watch football without violence (Nicholls, p 52).

History of violence in football
The very initial instance of football violence is not known. This is because a lot of football matches have taken place around the world for very many years. Nevertheless, football has been marked with chaos since its inception. Cases of football violence can be traced back to the middle ages in Europe. In the year 1314, Edward II placed a ban on football. This was because of the conviction that violence in football could culminate to social unrest. In the medieval period, soccer games involved conflicts between rival towns or villages. These conflicts were used as methods for settling old scores (Sciolino, para 6).

The actions that could be associated with football hooliganism emanated from England in the beginning of the 1960s. In the modern game, the initial accounted case of violence in soccer took place in 1880s in the United Kingdom (Nawrat and Hutchings, p 72). This was the period where fans would terrorise neighbourhoods attacking referees and opposing fans. In the year 1885, following a defeat of Aston Villa by Preston North End in friendly game, there was violence between the funs of the two teams. In the year 1886, the supporters of Queens Park were attacked by those of Preston. This marked the beginning of football violence away from the stadium (Mosely, p 19).    

There is a history of rivalry between Millwall and West Ham United. During the time when Millwall was founded, it was believed to be the most powerful team in the region. The team was referred to as the Lions of the South after a while, another team, Thames Ironwork FC was established. The two teams continued to compete amid healthy rivalry. When the Thames Ironwork FC grew it moved out to play outside home and was later named West Ham United (Belton, p 2). While the fame of Millwall was falling, its rival was rising in popularity. When the depression set in, workers failed to get paid and there was a strike. The two teams stayed for a long time without meeting and the tension between them cooled. The two clubs met for a number of health games. This did not last long because in the 1960s, there was new tension between the East and the South (Nawrat and Hutchings, p 82). There was increased violence in football, and when the two teams met, it was time for the two enemy gangs, the Krays and Richardsons, to settle scores. The next time the two teams met, the chaos became more, this time with loss of lives from both sides. There were some aspects that were common between the two teams. They both had strong supporters that were very passionate about their teams. Both possessed the old London values. The supporters could be seriously hurt and still come back for more. There is thus a history of hatred between these two teams that went beyond the game. In its part, Chelsea and Millwall began meeting in the 1980s (Belton, p 24).

Incidents of violence in history
There have been very many recorded incidents of violence in football both inside and outside the stadium. In 1984, a fan of Tottenham was shot dead and about 200 supporters apprehended after chaos erupted before the EUFA Cup final (Nawrat and Hutchings, p 94).  This took place in Brussels in a match between Tottenham and Anderlencht. The following year at the same place, there was a disaster in the Heysel stadium. This was a major issue because it led to the loss of 39 lives before the European Cup finals between Liverpool and Juventus. The 1989 example is even worse that that of 1985 because in this case, 95 people lost their lives with more than 200 getting injured. This was during the English FA Cup between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. These series of clashes and conflicts continued all through the 90s up to date. However, it is apparent though that the rate of death decreased from the 80s moving on forward. All the recorded conflicts in the 1990s up to date, only one or two people died (Hill para 9). In 1995, a 17-year-old fun was killed after a match between Fenerbance and Galasaray. In 2006, a police officer shot dead a supporter and injured another in a UEFA Cup game. In the year 2007, there was a match suspended after is killed during clashes between supporters of Catania and Palermo (Nicholls, p 29).

Possible causes of violence
Unlike in the past, present-day violence in football is as a result of many factors. The media coverage in the modern football is more than it used to be 40 years ago. Media representatives are always present during every match. Since the 60s, media has been sent to the stadium to capture the actions of the spectators as much as the match itself. As a result, there has been extensive media coverage of hooliganism in soccer. It has been argued that the sensationalisation, coupled with the predictive manner through which the media looks at the match even before it starts, has a role to play in motivating violence. In the United Kingdom at least, one academic school of thought considers media amplification as the key source of violence in football.

The British media has also been under criticism for its chauvinistic manner in which it approaches international games. This manner of approach was observed in the Euro 96 championships. This is the time when one of the matches, England vs. Germany, as recommencement of the world war II. Despite the fact that there are no such tabloids that go to the extreme in other parts of Europe, studies have revealed that the media has a role to play in the current violence in football. In all the other nations in Europe that have been identified with media violence, hooligans takes pleasure in the kind of publicity they receive and often long for it, with opposition groups competing for columns and being mentioned in important headlines. Films, like the ones mentioned in the introduction also contribute to fuelling the violence (Hill, para 2).  

It is argued that racism has a greater role to play in football hooliganism. This is no longer as common as it was 30 to 40 years ago. This is despite the fact that the extent of this factor in violence in football cannot be quantified. The speculation and arguments of racism having a role to play in violence in football has not been proven by experimental data. However, this is a major issue that has been blamed for outbreaks of violence mostly at international games (Collins and Vamplew, p 26). This is a controversial issue with some academicians arguing that the role of racism in the problem is minimal and others claiming that it is the major cause of football hooliganism especially at international matches. In Britain utterances on racism still takes place during matches that are likely to fuel violence. This problem took effect in the 1970s and 1980s and was so serious. During this time in Europe, the blacks were welcomed with obvious chants of racism. In the current period there is a decrease in most of Europe probably due to anti-racism campaigns. In some countries lime Germany and Australia, the issue is still apparent. In a study, it was discovered that 20 percent of supporters in Germany may be sympathetic to the neo-Nazi movement. Nevertheless, in some cases, Nazi symbols and catchphrases are used during matches just as a provocative factor, without any underlying political reasons (Mosely, p 21).    

In the current past, alcohol and substance abuse has contributed to violence in football than was the case in the 60s. However, this factor has not been a focus in a lot of research due to the fact that it is assumed to be a minor factor. Some studies have however claimed that alcohol and drugs can lead to violence in football (Collins and Vamplew, p 82).

It has been argued that violence in football is a reflection of the society. It is mirrors the violence and separations that are evident in the society. In nations where there are sectarian separations, this is usually the root cause of conflicts between supporters. In Italy this is contributed by regional divisions. In Spain, the reverberations of the civil war are the root causes of the rivalry between the Real Madrid and Athletico Bilbao (Mosely, p 28).    

Suggested solutions
It is important that violence in football is dealt with as it threatens the stability and development of the game. It threatens the comfort of the entire actors in football. Football without a live audience is a nightmare to the players. It is also a nightmare for football fans to be forced to watch their favourite teams playing, through the screen. It is important to note that this is the absolute solution to the problem if all the other measures fail to work (Mosely, p 38).      

Prohibiting selling alcohol in the stadium will go a long way to curbing violence in football. Violence has been fuelled by the influence of alcohol, and reducing its availability will help in ensuring that fewer people will attend a match while drunk. The move might be opposed from many quotas. Some people question the legality of selling alcohol in the stadium during a match (Collins and Vamplew, p 72). Owing to the fact that sellers do get a lot of money through selling alcohol in such functions, they are likely to strongly oppose the idea. The community has a responsibility as much as the government. There is the need therefore for the sellers to realise that it is for the good of all that the prohibition is effected. They should therefore embrace the move realising that in case of chaos, they are much at a loss as all the others, or even more in case their property is taken away. This is a measure that might not completely eliminate drinking as a cause because people can drink elsewhere and then come in drunk, but it will be beneficial in reducing the problem (BBC, para 2).

Increasing surveillance and use of sophisticated policing is another solution that has been considered in many countries where violence in soccer takes place. Separation of supporters is a measure that can be considered in preventing the problem. This is where the supporters of different teams are made to sit separately. This will help because the likelihood of irritating and provoking will be reduced. This will also be helped because police surveillance and monitoring will be made easier (Collins and Vamplew, p 56).

Establishment of supporter coaching schemes is also another measure that can be considered in decaling with the issue. This is where social workers are given a group of supporters to train them on how to support their teams responsibly. It is important for club officials to be in contact with their supporters. It is also important that once in a while supporters forums are held where honest conversations can be carried out between the officials and the supporters. This may not completely handle the problem but it will help great deal in reducing it (Loughran, para 7).

Conclusion
This paper investigates football hooliganism in Europe and seeks to find out how these can be reduced and how better to watch football without violence. This is a major issue that has affected the continent for a long time as far as football is concerned. It has a long history with its worse extent being reported in the 1980s. The deaths and injuries during that time from football hooliganism were overwhelming. They have been going down in the years up to date, but the problem is far from being resolved. There are various measures suggested in dealing with this issue and if the community and the government put their efforts to dealing with it, it will be reduced, if not completely eradicated. Football is a sport that is loved by all and it is a well established game that cannot be killed by hooliganism. The absolute solution to the problem is banning live spectatorship. In this case, the players are forced to play in a stadium without supporters or motivation.