Negative Fan Behavior

Hooliganism

Def. “crowd and fan disorderliness” (Dunning, 2000, 142).

 

Hooliganism is a common term associated with British Football and fan behavior. The definition above is how it is defined by a scholar when pertaining to fan behavior. In general terms, hooliganism is “rowdy, violent, or destructive behavior” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Although this term is used greatly in British football, it is derived from something different and not directed towards football. There are many theories, but one common one is that hooligan was a surname for a rowdy Irish family who loved fighting in a music hall song in the 1890s. One of the first appearances of this term in London was in a police report in 1894 calling a gang by this name. With this word originating from something other than football, how did it start to be associated with this sport? 

 

“Spectator violence is generally referred to as ‘football hooliganism’, or sometimes as the ‘English disease’” (Frosdick and Newton, 2006, 403). An example of English football hooliganism was an incident in 1985 where Liverpool fans who were at their rivals Juventus caused a wall to collapse which resulted in 39 deaths. With many issues in British Football, England has “had one of the worst international reputations for hooliganism” (politics.co.uk). It is not always to the extent of deaths but there are many forms of verbal and physical violence that occurs during the matches from the fans. There is “the throwing of missiles at players, match and club officials and other fans; the vandalising of club and private property; fist fights, fights involving kicking, and fights involving weapons such as knives and even guns” (Dunning, 2000, 405). These events not only occur at or outside the stadium but other local areas where fans may go such as pubs and bus stations. Fans consider these behaviors as a form of loyalty which is a crucial part of folklore groups as these groups become their identity. The tension that builds up between fans from gesturing and chants within the general atmosphere of the game causes fans “to erupt into violence in the period after the match when controls and policing are reduced” (Spaaij, 2007, 414). This mostly occurs between rivalry games which is the result of ingroup bias.

 

Ingroup bias is “the tendency to favor one’s own group over other groups” which is very prevalent in British football fans’ negative behavior. These acts known as hooliganism result from the idea that it is us against them mentality. Although all folk groups have this component of loyalty to other members of the group and themselves, it can be done positively, but in this manner, it has resulted in harm.