My first reason is the most important and the most serious. It is the fact that every year several deaths and injuries are caused by football related violence. Two years ago, two Leeds fans died after being stabbed to death before a match in Istanbul. Just imagine lying there, bleeding to death, knowing that you’re going to die at the hand of some drunken idiot. This is just one example of the thousands of fatalities that have occurred due to rioting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the game, but I fail to understand why these people do these things. I mean, some of the people that commit these acts aren’t even supporters of the game but are just out to make trouble. Wouldn’t it be great if a man could take his kids to a football match without the fear of them being killed or injured? If the clubs involved in these incidents could just bring in more security such as guards and cameras then I’m sure the violence could be “tamed”. It’s not only fighting that causes injury as well. Players and referees alike are often pelted with missiles such as in Italy, when Inter Milan had Molotov Cocktails thrown at them by their own supporters! Referees often have things thrown at them just for making an incorrect decision. If one of the objects thrown, hit the target in the face they could be blinded or have serious wounds. If the grounds authorities did better checks on those who enter then I’m sure less missiles would reach the stands never mind being thrown.
My second reason is this: not only are these thugs affecting themselves and the people around them, but they are also affecting the teams. During the Euro 2004 qualifiers, England were threatened by FIFA who said that if the English “fans” caused any more trouble then the team would be disqualified from the tournament. I fail to see how this is fair on the team yet the only alternative is to ban all fans. This spoils it for the true supporters and could cause the team to under perform. If the authorities could identify the trouble causers and ban them from the matches then this would be a simple and effective way to eliminate crowd trouble. As well as all this, let’s not forget the amount of damage these people cause to the stadiums and surrounding areas. Millions of pounds worth of damage is caused every year and the ones that end up paying for it aren’t even responsible. With more cameras installed, police could pick out the culprits and charge them necessarily. Sometimes the damage is not even at the stadium, but at the pubs before and after the match. Several landlords complain of drunken rioters wrecking their bars but not enough action is taken by the police to stop this from happening. If more police were assigned to these areas then I’m sure that the rioters wouldn’t dare do it in front of them.
Considering all these facts, we must not forget the racists amongst the crowds. Racism plays a big part in the violence as it often triggers it off and can also heighten the intensity of it. I know that racism can never be got rid of in the crowds, but I think that the organisations in charge of the matches should take serious actions against players that make racist remarks. Take the England Vs Turkey match for example. An English player (Darius Vassel) ran into the tunnel at half time and struck out at a Turkish player who had uttered something racist whilst on the pitch. Although I do not condone his actions, I do think that the English player was right in not tolerating the verbal abuse.
Overall I think that if these factors are thoroughly considered and action is taken then the game will become more enjoyable and will grow even more in popularity. Just take the Rugby World Cup as an example. The English fans behaved impeccably and there were no reports of any trouble whatsoever. “The English Disease”, as football violence is known, can never be destroyed but it can be quarantined. I just hope that the authorities and the criminals involved, listen to what is being said and help give English football a good reputation. Thank you for your time.
