A large increase in young football hooligans, why?

10/11/2010

Why do you think there is a rise in the amount of youngsters who are involved in football hooliganism?

Consider:
Role models
Lifestyle
Culture
Background

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11473191

26 Comments

Tom White

10/10/2010 08:23:22 pm

I believe that the rise of young football hooligans is an unfair statement to make. This is beacuse there has been a small increase in the number of football 'hooligans' however, the media are penalising these people as hooligans, when many of them are targeted by others first.

As a football fan myself, i have seen large fights outside football games. One of the main reasons for this is because there are young children at these football games who witness these street brawls. I believe it is all to do with the environment.

Manoraj Sivantharajah

10/11/2010 03:01:30 am

I definitely believe that there has been an increase in football hooliganism in young people. I also agree with Tom that there is only a small percentage of young people.

I believe that there has been an increase amongst young people as when they are taken to football games with their parents or older friends they will adapt their behavior to their older friend or family member to fit in with the football crowd.

I have also seen a bit of this in one of my friends who has definitely changed their lifestyle and i have got to admit it has really changed his life.

Luke Bennion

10/13/2010 03:01:42 am

I think that the increase in football hooligans comes down to the so called 'role models' who get paid ridiculous amounts of money and act wrongly off the pitch. Players such as John Terry disgrace the name of footballers as they cheat on their wives and flash the cash too much; they live too much of a luxurious lifestyle. Sure, there are lots of players who are positive roll models, but the players that demand huge wages yet don't perform on the pitch and are disrespectful to people off the pitch, encourage people to act however they want as they think that they can do whatever they want and still get away with doing it, and grow up to be be like their 'idols'.

Louis Montebello

10/14/2010 04:56:38 am

I think there has been a rise in football hooliganism amongst the younger generations because firstly, films made in recent years have made football hooliganism appear to be glamorous,excting and also make every "soldier" look a hero. When in actual fact you get a criminal record, usually take huge beatings and evntually could die as a result of it. The films made now; The Football Factory, Green Street and The Firm make a point of this. However, glamour definetly overshadows death.

One other point is that, especially in terms of children, is that the players of today are certainly, as Luke pointed out, a really bad exmaple and a disgrace to the game. Their lack of discipline reflects all the way down to the same from seven year olds now arguing with the Ref, leading to when they also spectate and fight on matchdays. Hence these issues need to be addressed.

Alex Penfold

10/14/2010 07:18:26 am

I agree with Louis here, films have been made about violence and the way they are pertrade is as if you can get away with it.A lot of youngster use these as role models and want to aspire to them.

They choose to use these people as role models due to the society we now live in where there is a majority of single mothers with no father fiqure this therefore means that they use the film characters as role models.

Young people then use a gang mentality as in as im in a group you cant touch me and therfore you would do things that you may not do if you was on your own

However the media also pertrays that the youth is always to blame so the media may be biased towards youths and not higlighting the true facts.

Stefan Dumitrascu

10/14/2010 07:27:43 am

I dont think that the increase in football hooligans is so big that it should be a worry.
Football hooligans have always existed and there will always be. If we look at statistics from years before we can see that the numbers now have decreased.

I think the reason why they always existed and they will exist because for some of them hooliganism is like a "religion", it must be passed on from generation to generation therefore if a child looks at his dad or friend as his role model he is likely to follow the same pattern despite as Alex and Louis the increase in numbers of films and documentaries about hooliganism.

Jess Lee

10/14/2010 07:40:52 am

I believe that there has been a rise in young football hooligans because police statistics show that there are now 290 teenagers across the UK banned from football grounds.

The main reason, I believe, is the role models. There are far too many egotistical, over paid players who almost do not deserve the right to play or stand for a team. They and their lifestyles are looked up to, but for what?

Additionally, I think there's been a rise due to hooligan firms. A BBC Report states that "Proud members of the club's hooligan "firm", got involved in football violence when they were 14." This means that these firms are encouraging young people to become hooligans!

This leads me onto the next point: People see their team as a family. Two people interviewed said 'if one of us get's beaten up, we all get beaten up. It's how it goes.' Despite the damage they have done to the reputation of their club, they see themselves as the true fans.

If you were a true fan, what would you prefer: limiting your future for one night of throwing punches for your team and get banned from attended a game, or just enjoy the football, supporting your side with respect, for what it was meant to be. A GAME.

lewis white

10/14/2010 06:59:23 pm

i believe there is a rise in football hooliganism, as the younger generation in these contempory times are getting more cocky and arrogant.

Also there family members may also be involved with hooliganism, so for example; their dads might be involved in pre match fights and after match fights, and the son thinks that his dad is an inspiration as he is beating people up, so he will try and follow in his footsteps, even though the dad could easily get hurt at anypoint.

This also proves that the parents dont care that much about the dangers that their child could be getting into, and they dont care about the childs welfare.

Also there would be an element of peer pressure, as if their mates are already involved in football hooliganism, then they wont want to look out of place, or seen as a 'wimp'.

TJ Morrison

10/14/2010 07:22:58 pm

In my opinion the increase in football hooliganism is largely due to the increase in what winning in sport has become, teams in the lower leagues are either desperate to win or playing badly so want to show that they have the “hardest” fans in the league or even the country. On the other end of the scale teams who win and are successful in their countries or Europe especially Europe want away teams to come to their ground and for them to be scared an example of this is at Fenerbache, in Turkey, the atmosphere is immense and the fans try to scare the opposition fans thus distracting the players.
Young people are affected by football hooliganism the most as they are at a period in their life when a lot is new to them, and football hooliganism seems very glamorous to them. Role models, for example, Dads, uncles or adults in general are looked at with high esteem by young people regardless of what they do. If you were affected at a young age by hooligans at football you will most likely become a hooligan yourself.
In football at the moment there seems to be a competitive culture to hooliganism. It makes you look “hard” if you support a club with a lot of hooligans and go to every game etc which creates stereotypes. The culture in football allows people to get drunk and rowdy whilst in the stands creating a tense atmosphere building to fights. It is culture to get drunk surrounding a television screen watching football near the stadium or whilst in the stadium itself. There are two separate cultures of people who watch football either those who want to go and fight and use football as an excuse to do so or those who want to support football because they enjoy watching it.
Where you come from can also affect if you are a hooligan or not, for example, if your local team is full of hooligans you are far more likely to want to get involved with hooliganism, so that you look better to everyone in your local area. Films like Green Street, Football Factory and others are negative to hooliganism as what these films do is make hooliganism look glamorous and or fun. Most young people are affected by this as they want to be like what they see in the cinema or on DVD.

Johnny Cook

10/14/2010 07:25:12 pm

I believe that there are many reasons affecting the current rise in football hooliganism, these include role models such as their parents who were possibly youngsters themselves in the 70's and 80's when it was at it worst, they might be harmlessly hearing stories about their dads or uncles and want to be like them. Also such influences as films, films such as football factory and green street which in the most part show off the good points of hooliganism such as social benefits and being a 'lad' well liked and respected and the adrenline rush and banter these youngsters all want to be like that with everyone talking to them and liking them this is why they take part in hooliganism and why it is on the rise.

Matt Hassett

10/14/2010 07:42:00 pm

I believe there are many reasons why football hooliganism has increased.
The first reason is due to role models, when young people attend the game they witness peers and other fans fighting and being anti social. This will cause them to change their ways and become more like their peers.
Another reason is pre game activities, more young people are going to pubs before the games with older peers and when under the influence of drink, they act more anti social.
Also when young people are in a group they feel that they are less responsible for their actions and this is becoming a growing problem with young people especially in football.
I think hooliganism is on the rise and needs to be cut down as soon as possible.

Myles McAneny

10/14/2010 07:47:42 pm

I feel that the main reason behind there being a rise in the amount of youngsters getting involved in football hooliganism is down to recent films that have come out such as Football Factory and Green Street. I think these films in particular highlight mainly just the pro's of being a part of hooliganism that could seriously appeal to young lads that follow football. Such as the social benifits for example being part of a strong group mates out on a saturday down the pub and going to watch there beloved team play i also the think that the element of confidence can come into making them feel that they can do anything and feel invincible as they've got their 'boys' to back them up with any troubles they may face. I also feel this combined with the adrenaline rush they get from doing things they should'nt be can make them want to be part of it even more altough many of them will be naive to the dangerous positions they are putting themselves into which could fatally hamper any future opputunities they could possibly be offered in future life.

Jack Harding

10/14/2010 11:13:08 pm

I think that there is an increase in young football hooligans now because of mainly their families or maybe Dad's in particular getting carried away during matches and swearing making the other person think that it is the right thing to do.

Another factor could be drinking alcohol after matches because you enjoyed the match or are depressed at losing this causes more rowdiness within people which leads to maybe fights with other supporters. Another point about alcohol is for example after the FA cup final some players that I saw were drinking alcohol and this does not show the average young person what is right, seeing their role models drinking.

A persons lifestyle could be a factor as if they do not have a good one they could be more likely to be in fights and not see the right way to avoid a confrontation.

A person's culture and background could also affect their hooliganism because if their parents or family does not appreciate them, then they are not going to respect anyone else which could also be why they are more likely to get into a fight.

Charlie keeley

10/14/2010 11:16:18 pm

I think youngsters get involved hooliganism bescause their role modals may be violent, such as Roy Keane, how ever their role modals may not be players but their parents and if their parents are involved then they will want to get involved.

Their lifestyle might pay a part as if a youngster is living a bad lifestyle they may feel angry and that other people can fight and casue trouble then they may wish to do the same to release stress.

With culture and background. If they are bought up in a violent family and society then they will grow up thinking violence is right and will get involoved in it because alot of others are.

daniel fanthome

10/14/2010 11:28:59 pm

i believe that football hooliganism is on a raise because role models putting violence or gamesmanship into their play causing young peopole that love the sport to become influenced by their actions and having a m ore violent nature towards the sport.

i also believe that the media has a big influence as they publish big storys about these sportsman that are violent causing children to read and see only violence when it over looks goods play.

i also believe that how a child is brought up and what the childs morals are is a big thing. if the child was brought up to accept violence in game then their be more likly to put it into there game.

Stefan Winder

10/14/2010 11:33:30 pm

I think that the main reason for more and more youngsters becoming involved in hooliganism is because when they attend football games and they see their role models, such as parents or favourite player, get into fights; then they will begin to think that this behaviour is acceptable and start copying this behaviour. This is mainly due to observational theory of learning.
In addition if the youngster has grown up in a violent culture then they will be much more likely to become a violent individual as that is what is acceptable in their culture and therefore that is what is expected of you.

Matthew Woolley

10/19/2010 05:56:30 pm

i also agree with louis firstly, that recent films that have been made, such as 'the firm' and 'football factory' have contributed to this, as kids want to be what they see in the cinema.

i also believe that the parents have a role to play as role models. if a young person see theres elders acting inappropriately, then the chil may follow suit. and as they get older, they might start to become heavily involved with hooliganism as it is a big part of there culture, and is now part of there weekend! however it is also about responisbilty! if a hooligan is in with a group. he wouldnt think that its his fault if anything goes wrong ashe is part of a group.

Adam Goodsell

10/20/2010 07:15:11 pm

I believe that the focus on the Premier League is too high, this includes the match security. As the focus of the Premier League increases, the focus in lower leagues start to drop and security levels decrease. This gives people the chance to exploit the security/resources and turn to violence.

I do however, believe it is unfair to tag 'young people' with the increase of violence and hooligans in sport today. One of the main reasons young people get involved in violence is due to the fact that they see their parents or even players on the pitch, fight before/during/after the game.

Finally, I believe that professionalism has brought high stakes into sport and this leads onto the crowd. For example, some derby games often lead to violence due to the rivalry and costs at stake, whether you lose or win the game.

Luke Dixon

10/23/2010 10:07:24 pm

I think there has been a rise in football hooliganism, but to say a large rise in young teenagers is a bit of an exaggeration. It's not all teenagers, and the ones who do get involved in fights is the ones who have grown up around it, i.e. their family going to football and fighting before or after the game.

This again comes from what Louis said about the films based on football hooligansim being made to look good.

It also comes from the rise in wages and the players of the game. They go around spending money on flashy cars and hookers, therefore cheating on wifes or girlfriends. Take Ashley Cole as an exmaple, hugely gifted player, arguebly the best player in his position. People look up to him, so what does he do, cheat on his wifre with numerous women. This is making the younger ones think it is ok to do because a 'celebrity' is doing it.

Also, argueing with the referees constantly throughout a game and all the diving and horrible tackles are all affecting the way people play at the grass roots. More seven year olds are arguing with the ref over something small because they see the pro's doing it, this means the get more agressive and when they get older and play or watch games, it will mean they get involoved in more fights and become hooligans.

Adam Brewer

10/31/2010 05:02:41 am

I believe that the main reason for football hooliganism in youths is because of their aspirations to be like their role models, who may not always act in an appropriate way. For example, while watching a football game if a player is acting inappropriately, and swearing at the referee, or another player, his fans may feel the need to act similarly to show they support him. Furthermore, if a parent is very aggressive at a football match, this may encourage their children to do the same, as they look up to them, and want to impress them.

As well as this, the media can also provoke fans, in a rivalry match for example, in an attempt to make them desperate to win. This then introduces anxiousness, and a need to achieve attitude that could make people more aggressive.

Furthermore, films that promote the culture of football gangs or firms may increase the amount of violence within youths as it shows the 'good' side of violence, and people may just follow what they see, rather than thinking about their actions.

Josh Miller

11/1/2010 06:15:36 pm

I believe that the main reason why football hooliganism is in youths is due to the affect and the behaviour of role models. The way they act or display their performance on and off the pitch show what the general public can also get away with doing, For example a little league time might start to swear at the referee or another player, he might of adopted this behaviour due to a game he/she's recently seen, for example Wayne Rooney swearing at the referee or his own team mates.

As well as role models, i believe another major part is the social norms in society, your meant to be a 100% loyal supporter to your club, thus you 'should' do what ever it takes to stick up for your club and support them through thick and thin. Which again can result into violence and many other serious issues. This is linked in with rivalry, big games will be expected too have many fights due to what society shapes it. People are meant to hate each other just for that brief game.

Laura

11/3/2010 06:18:50 am

I feel that the main reason for an increased amount of youths taking part in football hooliganism is the fact that their role models now ‘get away with’ so much. They are in the papers for negative reasons, but being rewarded for this negative and inappropriate behaviour by being placed in the newspaper, for example John Terry and his sex scandal had the front page of the newspapers most likely to be read by the younger population on more than one occasion. It is bad publicity but publicity none-the-less, publicity that the youths following these role models read and think is appropriate due to the fact they are being rewarded. I also think that the behaviour of some players on the pitch is inappropriate, for example Wayne Rooney throwing his boot in a temper as he couldn’t play a full match after coming back from an injury, youths see this behaviour and the lack of punishment so will mimic this it in their own games and lifestyle in general.

The culture of football is to be a true supporter 24/7 and always stick up for your team, I feel that this is taken a bit too far by some youths who are not mature enough to realise the difference between a joke and when people are really slating the team. I also think that films and television programmes have had a slight impact on football hooliganism as some programmes and films show football hooliganism but do not show the consequences or that it is not acceptable in society.

Due to the nature of sport in the UK in the past, the typical football match goer is male. Due to this fact young members of the population see the behaviour at a match of some of the older members of society and copy them as they may feel like that’s the way they must behave, for example swearing. I also think that as alcohol is served at football games that it adds to the likelihood of inexperienced drinkers, i.e. youths, becoming easily frustrated and angry at any little trigger.

I think that if the emphasis on hooliganism was taken away out of the media a little, that it may reduce the amount of hooliganism. As the youths at games are automatically paired to hooliganism (without even needing to do anything) some may just be a part of it as they know they are already judged and do not feel they can change this view.

Jamie

11/4/2010 09:11:41 am

I believe that the main reason for an increase in young football hooligans are rolemodels. Young people are influenced easily and sport performers are the ones they are able to look up to and idolise. When the performer acts negatively, especially on the pitch, it sets the example of how young people think they should act and behave. Therefore if a young person is mimicing a role model e.g swearing and using violence, they won't know any better and think that this is an acceptable way to behave. This kind of behaviour could also easily be copied from their family or friends.

If there is strong rivalries between teams then violence and aggression can develop and become part of the game and hatred for each other almost like a tradition. Also if the nature of the game becomes violent it will also encourage the spectators to become violent

Scott Middleton

11/7/2010 03:52:40 am

I believe that there are several reasons that could have influence in the current increase in football hooliganism. This could include films, the films such as Green Street and Football Factory show examples of hooliganism throughout the film, it shows aspects of being a respected, popular individual and the banter the fans have between each other and the adrenaline rush that the majority of youngsters want to be like and experience as they want to feel they have earnt respect with people socialising with them and admiring them. I also believe that role models also has an impact on football hooliganism as maybe their parents once had some football hooliganism involvement were it was much more unacceptable and a lot more dangerous. The involvement of there parents within hooliganism could guide them just to be like them and there role models.

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A large increase in young football hooligans, why?

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