Analysis of Soccer Hooligans
The Subculture of Soccer Hooligans
Abstract
Are youth cultures spontaneous forms of resistance to mainstream culture, manifestations of new styles of expression, or products of consumer culture? Do soccer hooligans help the players of the team their rooting for with their encouragement and praising or does the violence they commit cause too big of a distraction to the players and hurt their team’s chances of winning in the long run? These are two important questions that my research was focused on answering. I conducted this research by watching a few documentaries, watching YouTube videos, reading books, exploring the internet, attending soccer matches, and interviewing a few people associated with professional soccer. The interviewees that I received input from were former professional soccer players Tony Meola and Eddie Pope, current Philadelphia Union defender Chris Albright, and Major League Soccer analyst Matthew Doyle. Through my research I found that most violence now occurs outside of the stadium, violence is not as big of a problem as the media makes it out to be, and that racism by soccer hooligans towards players is much more prevalent than I had ever considered.
Key Terms: stigma, positive deviance, deviance, moral panic, race
Introduction
A hooligan can be defined as “a violent young troublemaker, typically one of a gang” (Oxford Dictionary). The group of hooligans that attend and cause mayhem at soccer matches are recognized as the subculture of soccer hooligans. Within the subculture there are two different types of soccer hooligans, those who commit spontaneous acts of violence at matches and those who organize and intentionally fight hooligans of other teams. The fights that hooligans take place in can range from one on one street fights to full out parking lot brawls. Not only do soccer hooligans commit violence, they also commit actions of vandalism, racism, and intimidation. Usually the actions of these hooligans are directed
Abstract
Are youth cultures spontaneous forms of resistance to mainstream culture, manifestations of new styles of expression, or products of consumer culture? Do soccer hooligans help the players of the team their rooting for with their encouragement and praising or does the violence they commit cause too big of a distraction to the players and hurt their team’s chances of winning in the long run? These are two important questions that my research was focused on answering. I conducted this research by watching a few documentaries, watching YouTube videos, reading books, exploring the internet, attending soccer matches, and interviewing a few people associated with professional soccer. The interviewees that I received input from were former professional soccer players Tony Meola and Eddie Pope, current Philadelphia Union defender Chris Albright, and Major League Soccer analyst Matthew Doyle. Through my research I found that most violence now occurs outside of the stadium, violence is not as big of a problem as the media makes it out to be, and that racism by soccer hooligans towards players is much more prevalent than I had ever considered.
Key Terms: stigma, positive deviance, deviance, moral panic, race
Introduction
A hooligan can be defined as “a violent young troublemaker, typically one of a gang” (Oxford Dictionary). The group of hooligans that attend and cause mayhem at soccer matches are recognized as the subculture of soccer hooligans. Within the subculture there are two different types of soccer hooligans, those who commit spontaneous acts of violence at matches and those who organize and intentionally fight hooligans of other teams. The fights that hooligans take place in can range from one on one street fights to full out parking lot brawls. Not only do soccer hooligans commit violence, they also commit actions of vandalism, racism, and intimidation. Usually the actions of these hooligans are directed