FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS

FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS

It is football time again. Currently, the qualifying rounds are being played to

decide which countries will send teams to Japan and Korea for the 2002 World Cup.

Soccer is becoming more and more popular on a worldwide scale and these qualifying

legs are causing much excitement.

The game is popular at club level as well. Many fans go every week to support their

team, whether the fixture is a home or away one, hoping to get a result. They all

hope for an attacking game, with a lot of goals being scored. Obviously, they do not

want to see a boring, defensive match where the players are aimlessly passing the

ball to each other.

Sadly, not all the action always takes place on the pitch. All too frequently, there

is action in the stands, too. Football supporters, most of whom declare their

loyalty by sporting their team's colours, in the form of scarves or shirts, are not

known for their quiet behaviour. They are often very noisy, shouting noisy

encouragement to their team and singing rowdy, partisan songs.

There is much rivalry between supporters. Mostly, this is good-natured, but trouble

can easily flare up. Fans get angry if they feel that a referee has made a wrong

decision, perhaps giving one of their team a red or yellow card unfairly, or perhaps

failing to notice a foul committed by a member of the other team when tackling.

When trouble breaks out in a football crowd, it can be difficult to control. Stadium

officials often seat the opposing fans in separate parts of the ground as a

precaution against fighting. However, preventing trouble is more difficult outside

the ground. In the worst cases, riot police have to be called in.

Unfortunately, there are some fans who enjoy this violent aspect of football. These

football hooligans really enjoy a running battle with the police, and incite other

people to throw stones and bottles at them. They regard football not as a sport, but

as an excuse for troublemaking. Inevitably, their behaviour spoils the reputation of

the game.


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