Hooliganism: A Dangerous Invasion

Fan behaviour is threatening to destroy the many strides that have been taken to stamp out hooliganism in British football culture.

For many years we were the chewing gum on the bottom of European football’s proverbial shoe, culminating in the shocking scenes of the Heysel stadium disaster in 1985.

The European Cup Final involving Liverpool and Juventus was marred by a section of Liverpool fans breaching a barrier to charge at Italian fans.

Their retreat put pressure on the weak stadium structure and the stand collapsed, leading to the deaths of 39 people.

This tragic event was the summit of many years of hooliganism that had given British fans the worst reputation in Europe, and an indefinite ban was placed on English football clubs taking part in European competition.

The ban was lifted in the 1990-91 with Liverpool banned for a further year, and since “the darkest hour in the history of the UEFA competitions”, the FA have helped take the country’s image on leaps and bounds.

The view of English fans improved so much that the FA of Switzerland, co-host of the 2008 European Football Championships, announced they were saddened that England had not qualified for the tournament, as they would miss the unique flavour English fans bring to such an event.

The policing methods of fans are respected so highly that English officers are asked to liaise with police in Italy and Spain to teach them how to effectively control a crowd without creating problems.

They have also introduced new methods of controlling fans such as the introduction of all-seated stadiums, campaigns against racism (Kick It Out Campaign), and the interaction with FIFA and UEFA on the Fair Play initiatives.

But all this hard work is slowly being entwined with the idiotic actions of a handful of fans all across the nation.

Sunderland fans invaded the pitch to taunt Newcastle players and allegedly attempt to attack the away supporters in the recent Tyne-Wear derby.

This was followed by Tottenham fans invading the Emirates pitch to celebrate the magnificent comeback against North London rivals Arsenal.

In derby matches that hold intense rivalry you can expect it—although you shouldn't accept it.

The same thing happened as Everton beat West Ham in the Premier League, which is not exactly a historic fixture.

This is not confined to just the Premier League or even England, after a police officer was investigated for taking part in a pitch invasion at St. Andrew’s Stadium as Birmingham City were relegated from the Premier League in 2007.

Sides north of the border are far from exempt as Celtic currently faces a reprimand after a fan invaded the pitch in their Champions League fixture against Manchester United.

Tottenham also made the wrong kind of news as they await a verdict from the FA and UEFA after fan behaviour in Premier League and UEFA Cup games was called into question.

Setting foot on the pitch is a criminal offence and these people should be prosecuted for breaking the law.

You buy a ticket to sit in the stands and air your views, not to get on the pitch and interrupt everyone else’s experience.

With the number of cameras in Premier League grounds it would be easy to find these people, name and shame them and discourage others from behaving in the same way.

We are in danger of returning to the dark days of 80’s fan culture and if the fans, clubs and the FA do not act soon, the country could find itself in a football recession as well as a financial one.