Introduction
The assertion that soccer is among the most popular sports in the world has stood unquestionable throughout time. Its influence is wide spanning, with almost all nations in the world having at least one team, either in the league and non-league levels. Yet, it is inevitable for the sport to propagate its known cultural facets – violent or not. Among the most activities associated with the sport is hooliganism, where fans tend to become highly violent in the event their teams have either lost or won.
This study will seek to compare and contrast soccer hooliganism in the cases of North America and Great Britain. Through a supplication of key selections from the available literature, this study aims to prove that North America – a nation that imported the sport, is less prone to such cases compared to Great Britain – the place where the sport originated.
The Problem of Hooliganism
Passion towards soccer is perhaps among the most compelling reasons behind hooliganism. Hooliganism reflects the passion of the audience in supporting their teams, notwithstanding its violent consequences. Fans would take supporting their teams to the extreme through noisy and offensive chants during games, which could mostly likely form riots and brawls. In Great Britain, there are groups of hooligans supporting different soccer clubs, owing to the heritage of the area as the birthplace of the sport. In that sense, hooliganism grew as a negative practice within soccer in the area, paving way for rowdy scenes of insulting exchanges and physical conflicts between fans of opposing teams. In response to that problem, soccer officials in Great Britain have employed several measures that would discipline hooligans and halt their practices. From the use of protection from the policy in the stadium to water cannons made for crowd dispersion, British soccer officials have become more adept at managing security affairs against hooliganism. Rules restricting the entry of people in the stadium such as age limits for gaining independent entrance and ID card issuances have also taken place in view of the problem of hooliganism in the area (Roadburg 275; Dunning 141).
In contrast, the lack of experience North America has with soccer as compared to Great Britain has made the former less exposed to the formation of hooligan groups. Daunting commotions during soccer matches have led to mitigating measures primarily coming from authorities responsible for security maintenance in the area. Such has provided for the impression towards greater security during games being a top priority of soccer officials managing the area. In that way, soccer in the area has turned out to be a relatively peaceful sport compared to its birthplace, whose historical circumstances have led to the prominence of hooligan activities in games (Roadburg 275).
In terms of relative exposure to hooliganism, Great Britain has better quality of experience compared to North America. Being the birthplace of soccer, it is only correct to assume that in Great Britain, various triggers throughout the history of the sport could have formed relevant results pointing to the existence of hooliganism in contemporary times. Contrariwise, the lack of exposure North America has in the historical development of soccer has led it to have relatively peaceful sights during matches. The modest popularity of soccer in the area accounts for the multitude of sports played by different people – basketball, American football, baseball, and the like. Unlike in Great Britain, where the love for football transpires into dedicated proportions, North America has yet to fall in love with the sport it has imported. Such explains the passion embedded within rampant hooligan behavior in Great Britain (Roadburg 275; Dunning 141).
Possible Growth of Hooliganism in North America
Provided the facts presented on the relative lack of exposure North America has on soccer hooliganism, it is thus rightful to present speculations on the possibility that such may grow in the area. The sport has become a vital part of community lives within Great Britain, making its growing iconic status the subject of various conflicts between supporters of various sides. Thus, history has paved way for the formation of hooligan behavior, although there is uncertainty as to whether such could also happen in other settings where people play soccer (Dunning 141).
The lack of spectator violence in North America, in contrast to that of Great Britain, should account as an important observation for the causes of forecasting a possible rise of hooliganism cases. The primacy of rules against violence in games has perhaps affected the attitude of people in the area, thus embedding unto them the unacceptability of passionate attacks reminiscent to that of Great Britain. Such deviations have effectively blocked the patterns that could have introduced hooliganism, hence affecting the historical growth of soccer in the area as one that is relatively more peaceful. The relatively recent entry of soccer in the area that timed with priorities for better safety in games may have merged to form a case challenging the conventional standing of the one prevalent in Great Britain (Roberts and Benjamin 163).
Thus, it is noticeably complicated for the degree of hooliganism in North America to rise in the same manner as that of Great Britain. Structural elements present in North America have proved effective against tendencies for fans to instigate hooliganism in the same light as Great Britain, yet it remains puzzling whether those structures could last throughout time (Roberts and Benjamin 163).
Possible Elimination of Hooliganism in Great Britain
Great Britain certainly has nothing to deny when it comes to proving the existence of soccer hooliganism within its borders. Its standing as the historical home of the sport has helped embed a sense of pride to soccer fans, whose passions have a quick tendency to rise and result to hooligan acts. Yet, the question for said area would concern on the ultimate removal of hooliganism from its system. Should it learn from the experiences of North America in keeping soccer games peaceful? Certainly, it is difficult to do so without the use of viable policy measures that could crack down on hooligan activity. In keeping hooliganism away from affecting games within the area, it is essential for stronger structural mechanisms to take into effect (Dunning 141).
Conclusion
Based on comparative findings provided by the literature, soccer hooliganism is more prevalent in Great Britain compared to North America. Such accounts for the irrevocable status of Great Britain as the birthplace of soccer and the structures North America possesses to protect against the proliferation of hooligan acts. Difficulties in getting away from the status quo for both areas have also emerged as well. Hooliganism, as an embedded practice in Great Britain, may need a plethora of policy tools for it to come to a full stop. At the same time, the maintenance of such structures in North America should ensue in order to steer away from threats involving hooliganism. Yet, a noticeable gap in this study concerns the susceptibility of anti-hooliganism programs in Great Britain – a place where such activity has roots from the fan culture of the sport, albeit being harmful.
Works Cited
Dunning, Eric. "Towards a Sociological Understanding of Football Hooliganism as a World Phenomenon.” European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 8.2 (2000): 141-162. Print.
Roadburg, Alan. "Factors Precipitating Fan Violence: A Comparison of Professional Soccer in Britain and North America." British Journal of Sociology 31.2 (1980): 265-276. Print.
Roberts, Julian, & Benjamin, Cynthia. "Spectator Violence in Sports: A North American Representative." European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 8.2 (2000): 163-181. Print.
