Football hooliganism has always been endemic in the UK, certainly at least as far back as the 1950s, and it seems to be a European-wide phenomenon too. How did the US manage to dodge the bullet? I’m sure the young men over there are as testosterone-charged as those over here. And I don’t think it can be argued that the USA is a less violent society than the UK. So what’s the explanation?
Bill Bryson’s explanation; the Police would shoot you.
Can you clarify? I’ve never heard of Bryson.
We’re too spread out to have much chance to travel to opposing matches.
My theory is that Europe has eliminated almost all other forms of aggressive outlet for young men so it is funneled into football hooliganism. America is pretty much eternally at war and we have lots of gun violence so we don’t need to release it at matches.
Doesn’t explain why football hooliganism is prevalent (and indeed more so than in the UK these days) in countries where the police are armed.
Maybe it’s because, besides the police not being as trigger happy, neither are the opposing hooligans.
It’s still a big brawl. The participants are pretty safe in the knowledge that the other side isn’t carrying guns.
Don’t know if you would feel so safe in provoking people that have a far greater likelyhood of carrying guns.
In America we call such people something a little less whimsical-“assholes”.
Do you realize what it costs to get even mildly buzzed at a Major League stadium?
Plus, this is where us being Fat Americans has its advantage: while we’re getting drunk at pre-game tailgate parties, we’re also ingesting 3,500+ calories of meat and carbs to absorb it. All the blood goes to our stomachs and we’re too sloggy to kick anyone in the nuts.
Is there violence common amongst spectators at any sport prevalent in the US? I seem to recall brawls and “riots” after basketball games, is that common or just sensationally reported?
What about Rugby (Union or League) in the UK? I don’t recall a major incident at a rugby match, of either persuasion (which would eliminate any arguments of social class or popularity playing a role, I imagine).
Is violence at football common still in the UK, I was under the impression, maybe mistakenly, that it was largely a thing of the past? (With maybe a few exceptions for clubs where there are “other factors” involved).
I think it has something to do with America’s love of individualism.Think of the iconic image of the lone cowboy on the prairie. And in Hollywood westerns, the fight scene in the saloon.
Americans love to brawl–but only in bars. Not,for example, at sports matches.And there’s a good chance that somebody is carrying a gun.
In the cliche redneck bar on TV or the movies, there’s a fight around the pool table every Saturday night. And , unlike European hooligans, the fight is never between groups–it’s always between individuals. And the winner is the guy who’s toughest. Not the team, not the group—it’s the individual guy who wins.
Soccer isn’t that popular in the US. The Simpsons explained it well – the fight breaks out because people are so bored and want to go to the exits.
“This game is boring, I’m leaving.”
“Not before me, you ain’t!”
“Fellas, there are plenty of exits.”
“Oh yeah?!?” fight breaks out
Sure, baseball is more boring still, but in that case, people are basically in too much of a stupor to start fighting.
Anyway, more seriously, I doubt there are THAT many weapons – all the games I’ve gone to recently have pat-downs and bag checks before you can get in. I’m sure some slip through, though.
That’s never seemed to stop street gangs.
I would say it’s because the US doesn’t have a tradition of opposing support traveling en masse to away games. Soccer stadiums even have an entire section reserved for the traveling fans.
Sure, you always see a smattering of opposing fans, especially at Steeler and Cowboy away games, but they’re never organized or all confined to the same seats.
Here in the States, we don’t mess around with this piddling “ooh, I’m gonna beat you up” shit. When we whip out hooliganism, we don’t fuck around; we just don’t have time to go after fans of opposing teams.
What we do is we wait for our team to win a championship then we burn the friggin’ city down. *That’s *hooliganism, my friend.
This. A million times this.
The ONLY time I see massive riots in the streets where they flip over police cars and break into shops is when their own city wins the championship. It really is a phenomenon.
Oddly, the only time I recall seeing that in the last few years was after the home team *lost *the championship - and it was in Vancouver.
Plus, we Merkins don’t beat people up so much as shoot them.
Or homecoming at party schools.
You’re hip to my jive, motherfucker.