The re-emergence of football fan violence
By Jack Kelly
On July 11, 2021, England hosted Italy in the European championship final at Wembley Stadium. An excellent match that ended in an Italian victory following a penalty shoot-out will, instead, be remembered for violence, racism and scores of ticketless fans forcing their way past barriers to gain entry to the stadium. This was a horrible conclusion to a tournament that was the first mass gathering of people post-pandemic. Gareth Southgate's England team was a symbol of equality. For the people of England, this tournament was an antidote to the toxicity of Brexit, the botched handling of the Coronavirus and the angst towards the government who had, frankly, let them down. This was meant to be a feel-good story.
The day of the final could have been a joyous occasion, but instead was marred by open drug and alcohol use, bottles being used for destructive behaviour and fans fighting with police all before the chaos during the game and the disgraceful racism aimed at English players post game. What should have been a celebration of football, unfortunately, delivered a day that was more reminiscent of the anti-social behaviour seen during the dark days of football hooliganism of the 1980’s. Was this a once off or was it indicative of the rise of disorderly behaviour returning to football?
Football hooliganism was so bad in the 1980s that Margaret Thatcher’s government set up a ‘War Cabinet’ to tackle it. It is easy to label those involved as thugs and, of course, their behaviour was irreprehensible, but like other social issues and sub-cultures, it is important to investigate its subtext. The political turmoil of the 1980s was central to the violence on the terraces. Football was an expression of working-class culture and Thatcherism was raging an all-out assault on it. She was quoted as describing football and its people as ‘A slum sport played in slum stadiums and increasingly watched by slum people.’
Looking through the lens of the city of Liverpool crystallises the background to this era. The miners striking and the city of Liverpool were a thorn in the side for Thatcher. It was the only city that fought back against her. In London, Ken Livingstone (leader of the Greater London Council) backed down as did David Blunkett in Sheffield. However, Liverpool City Council
stayed strong. The bigotry aimed at the people of Liverpool has its roots in an anti-Irish sentiment that stretches back to the 19th century but also because of it being, historically, a working-class city. Why is this important? Liverpool was a primarily working-class city with football embedded in its culture. It was the epicentre of Thatcher’s attacks on working-class culture and focusing on Liverpool during this time foreshadows the attacks extended to other major cities in the UK.
Riots were taking place all over the country in socio-economically deprived areas like Brixton, Manchester and Toxteth. The social unrest built up to a crescendo in the mid-80s and this anger within society was mirrored in football. Why was this happening?
Along with attacking working-class culture, key objectives of Thatcherism were to destroy working-class unity, destroy the unions and to attack the mass participation in sports. The suppression of the working-class politically, economically and socially was key to the hooliganism that ensued. With unemployment growing by 30,000 people a month, hordes of young men were left without a purpose and were marginalised. They found themselves attracted to the negativity of football hooligan groups. These groups offered them what the government had taken from them: an identity and camaraderie. The weekend antics provided
a deprived generation of youths with excitement and escapism from the mundanity of austerity and unemployment.
Fast-forward to the current climate, what factors are causing the resurgence in violence across stadiums in the UK? Figures released by the UK football policing unit in early 2022, following the return to full crowd capacity, show a sharp increase in fan trouble compared to before the pandemic. From July to December 2021 there were 802 football related arrests which is a 47% increase from the same six month period in the 2019/2020 season. Policing and stewarding are important to consider here. The police have increased their presence at games by 21% in this same period, but stewarding has changed drastically.
The stewarding industry has felt the effect of Brexit with many being forced to return to mainland Europe. But this is also an area that has been hit hard by the pandemic. Many stewards have left the industry for work in different areas. These vacant roles have been
largely unfilled or filled by inexperienced stewards. Many clubs have been forced to hire stewards on matchday.
The effect of multiple lockdowns on people can’t be understated either. Being kept in their homes for nearly two years has led to pent-up energy and a carnival atmosphere amongst fans at games that is a throwback to the 1980s. Fans are tapping into the ‘traditional’ idea of football fan culture and immersing themselves in the behaviour of the ‘good old days.’
Chants, flares and beer have been ubiquitous in football fan culture since its inception. But in recent times, cocaine use has become entwined in the culture too. One survey in 2021 revealed that 30% of fans had witnessed cocaine use in a football stadium, while 6% of those surveyed admitted to using the drug themselves.
A study by Dr Martha Newson at the University of Oxford said, ‘Cocaine can enhance egos, you’re more confident, think you’re great at stuff even if you’re not.’ She concluded by coupling the use of cocaine with tribalism in football. ‘When that comes together with these intense bonds and tribal identity you get with football, you feel even more powerful in a masculine environment.’
Police have an increased presence at games and sniffer dogs are being deployed to target drug users which has led to more arrests than ever but is this just the police chasing statistics? Naturally, more police at games will lead to more arrests.
Geoff Pearson is a law professor at the University of Manchester and is an expert on football crowds and policing. He said ‘Arrest statistics are notoriously unreliable in terms of using them as a basis for wider judgements. They usually tell us more about police resources, targets and priorities than criminality.’
So how exactly should fan violence be tackled? Oxford scientists found that understanding the root cause of the violence may help tackle the behaviour and help channel it into something positive. The study found that hooliganism creates a brothers in arms mentality. This indicates a kinship but also an ability to display impressive levels of commitment. The study argues that understanding the characteristics that apply to group or ‘gang’ culture can be harnessed into pro-social activity.
Based on this study, it can be argued that hooliganism, as an activity, could originate from positive motivations such as passionate commitment to the group and the desire to belong.
Of course, cocaine use has increased across society as a whole and this translates into the drug being commonplace in football fan culture. This is football reflecting societal trends once again. The use of the drug has contributed massively to the aggressive attitudes of fans, but it is not on its own as a cause for a re-emergence of violence.
Additionally, when you consider the effects of Brexit and the global pandemic on football, it is again like the escalation of violence within the football community during the 80s. Political, social and economic issues in the wider UK have a habit of displaying themselves in stadiums. Why? Because football culture is a window into the mood of a society.
Of course, a police presence is vital at football stadiums on match days and they play an important role in maintaining law and order. But the firm hand of the law often has the opposite effect. Is it time we stop labelling these people as ‘thugs’ and ‘hooligans’ and adopt a different approach to tackle the escalation of violence? How? By building relationships with fans and policing in a calm, non-forceful way like what Liverpool fans experienced in Amsterdam at the end of October.
History has shown that brutality and intimidation tactics are clearly not the answer to violent behaviour amongst fans. It's time for the authorities to curb violence and improve the fan experience using a modern, understanding approach to tackle the rebirth of disorder in football.