Tackling football violence

The “beautiful game” is often marred by violence, from drunken fans fighting in the streets, to fatal disasters in stadiums. What remedies might work?

Football hooliganism and violence is a persistent global issue and casts a dark shadow over the beautiful game.

The recent Euro 2024 and Copa America tournaments offered a mixed bag.

The South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, blamed stadium authorities for the chaos that delayed the final between Argentina and Colombia for more than an hour. And while Germany’s stringent security measures successfully curtailed major incidents, the spectre of violence lingered.

With most major European leagues kicking off from this weekend, security forces will be on high alert.

This is especially so in the UK, where there is a fear the violence from  recent anti-immigration riots could bleed into Premier League matches.

Alcohol consumption, fan culture and societal pressures often combine to fuel aggression. Research has even linked football matches to spikes in domestic violence, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to address this issue.

One potential solution is fan parks, which have emerged as potential safe spaces for supporters to enjoy matches. While they can offer a controlled environment, overcrowding and poor management can lead to problems.

In Indonesia, football violence continues to tarnish the sport, with the tragic Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in 2022 still fresh in people’s minds. Issues of poor management, inadequate infrastructure, and poor crowd control have exacerbated the problem, leading to calls for comprehensive reforms.