Football/Soccer Hooliganism.

[The Rob]

Football/Soccer is a sport that's played around the world and for the most part, mostly in Europe though, it's considered to be the number 1 sport to both watch and participate in. It's considered to be the 'beautiful game'. However, what's not so beautiful is what is known as hooliganism. I'm sure most of you know what Football hooliganism is all about, but for those who don't it's basically about sets of supports who get involved in violence confrontations with supports of the other side.

It's been a problem for a long, long time, but tonight during a Carling Cup match between intense rivals West Ham United and Millwall, things have got to an insane level. One supporter has reportedly been stabbed in a planned fight between both sets of hooligans and apparently a second supporter has been stabbed as well. During the game itself, after West Ham has scored, around 50 hooligans invaded the pitch and it took around 5/6 minutes for the pitch to be cleared. Chairs apparently were thrown on the pitch as well.

Infact here is the full report from the BBC News website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8221451.stm

Tonight has made me realise just how much of a problem Football hooliganism can be, not just in the U.K but around the world. I love attending Football matches and I do sometimes go a bit crazy and shout alot of nasty things towards the opposite sets of fans during the game. But that's just all part of being a Football fan, things do get heated. Football hooliganism however is completely unacceptable, and in my opinion the actions of these insanely idiotic thugs has cost England any chance of hosting the World Cup in the future.

What are you thoughts both on tonight's events and on Football/Soccer hooliganism altogether?

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Here in America, we are not passionate about soccer as much as our European counterparts so sometimes we have a skewed perspective of what goes on over there. It's like in hockey when all you see are fights and you think that hockey is simply fighting. Sometimes we perceive soccer is boring and full of hooligans.

I've read and seen numerous instances of hooliganism pertaining to soccer and it saddens me. The fans are passionate about their teams and that I can understand. However, there is a point where they just cross the line and endanger themselves and those around them. They have to realize that there are fans who just want to watch a great game of soccer and not be disrupted by crazed people yelling and screaming. Innocent people die from these riots and whatnot and it is quickly getting out of hand. I don't know what kind of action needs to be taken, but it has to be serious before a massacre happens.

 

[Leeds Guy]

Its just the Millwall fans, they like fighting with anybody. They are disgraceful and their team should be thrown out of the league.

Football hooliganism comes in small doses, usually from Millwall fans but the Italians seem to have started it in recent years. I mean its very rare to see this sort of stuff happening in the game but its still a big problem. Its becoming more apparent and needs to be stopped ASAP. Tonight was pretty bad and the people who did this will be caught/identified and banned from football grounds for life. To me thats not a big enough punishment they should be imprisoned but we and they know that that wont happen. All that will happen is both teams will have to play their next game behind closed doors and both clubs will get a measly 10K fine which is pittence to a football club.

I agree with you Rob this has probably cost England the World Cup. We are already hated by Blatter and his minions enough as it is and this has made things much worse.

 

[rony31]

It's usually a small crowd of ultras who start the havoc and others tend to join in solely because that's what people like to do in large group environments. I doubt the West Ham-Millwall incident will play a major role in England's World Cup bid though, there hasn't been any major trouble in terms of hooliganism for a long time in England.

And you blame Millwall for the incident, I blame Zola. He probably didn't do anything, I'm just saying Italians tend to bring out the worst in the English when it comes to crowd trouble (see: any AS Roma vs. English opposition CL game)

 

[Crush1]

Two words: The Turks. This is probably the capital of hooliganism. These people are so passionate about their club that they will kill for it. Have you ever been to one of their matches? I have. Its fucking insane. Every time the opposition has the ball, the crowd boo's the fuck out of them the whole 90 minutes. These people are literally the twelfth man. If you insult their club or culture they are prepared to kill. Examples are A.S Roma and Leeds. Which was very unfortunate. The strangest thing is that in a muslim country these people say that their club comes first, and not their god. If you're in Turkey or if these people are coming to an away game and your with the opposition stay the fuck away.

 

[rony31]

Two words: The Turks. This is probably the capital of hooliganism. These people are so passionate about their club that they will kill for it. Have you ever been to one of their matches? I have. Its fucking insane. Every time the opposition has the ball, the crowd boo's the fuck out of them the whole 90 minutes. These people are literally the twelfth man. If you insult their club or culture they are prepared to kill. Examples are A.S Roma and Leeds. Which was very unfortunate. The strangest thing is that in a muslim country these people say that their club comes first, and not their god. If you're in Turkey or if these people are coming to an away game and your with the opposition stay the fuck away.

I remember watching The Real Football Factories where Danny Dyer went to a Fenerbahce-Galatasaray match, and I was sitting there fearing for his life. I lived in Turkey for 10 months when I was younger, and I can tell you first hand those people are fucking crazy man.

Don't mean to go off-topic, but to show you how passionate Turkish fans are:

Yes, that's Darius Vassell. After being released by Manchester City, he signed for newly promoted Turkish side Ankaragucu and was greeted by 3,000 fans. For Darius fucking Vassell.

 

[Tastycles]

Its just the Millwall fans, they like fighting with anybody. They are disgraceful and their team should be thrown out of the league.

I actually think Millwall get a hard time for this undeservedly. They've cleared up their act, and by all accounts this was the West Ham fans. Its fucking ridiculous cockneys trying to act hard, like some sort of stereotype. By the sounds of it, the trouble started in the street by people without tickets. If this is true, there isn't much to be done except closing Upton Park tube to non ticket holders.

This will cost England the World Cup, unless the FA come down hard on West Ham and/or Millwall. Make them play 5 games behind closed doors, kick them out of the cup and fine them a million quid. Anything else, and Platini will be even more likely to make sure that the European votes go Spartugal for the World Cup.

 

[Lee]

From the reports of people on Sky Sports they say that there was not one Millwall fan who invaded the pitch, it was all West Ham fans. They also pointed out if you look at the footage it's not people being violent but just being fucking idiots. It's a shame this has happened but the media are going way OTT.

 

[Leeds Guy]

Fair enough I retract my statement about the Millwall fans. To be fair though it is usually them.Case In point below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUXpqgf4jUA

I agree with the Turkish as well, they take holliganism to a whole new level, I remember the Galatasary vs Leeds game that was so so bad two of our fans were stabbed and killed by them not a pretty place to be. so why does hooliganism seem to be centered round London?

 

[Tastycles]

From the reports of people on Sky Sports they say that there was not one Millwall fan who invaded the pitch, it was all West Ham fans. They also pointed out if you look at the footage it's not people being violent but just being fucking idiots. It's a shame this has happened but the media are going way OTT.

You're probably right, but a bloke did get stabbed to be fair.

why does hooliganism seem to be centered round London?

Because Cockneys are ********s. The film media glamourises the east end into being some sort of gangster ghetto where everyone is in a firm. The reality of the hooligan period was that it was a bunch of disillusioned people being racist and frustrated. History has warped that into being about tribalism in London grounds. Green Street? Fucking bullshit, hooliganism in London was young dockers out of work venting their anger.

People talk about scousers being theives and yorkshiremen being car robbers, but the only place in the country that glamourises criminals is the East End. As a result, idiots think they have to live up to it, even though there isn't the same social issues that caused aren't there any more. The sad thing is that the people who did it will probably be on Danny Dyer's hardest men in a year, being portrayed as heroes.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I was amused by it, nobody has seriously rated the fans of West Ham & Millwall for years. Southern *****es, ruining it for all the hooligans who organize proper brawl without weapons.

If people want to do it, let them. There's enough wasteland around for their to be designated plots for idiots to rumble. My suggestion is adding rules and putting it on TV. Total Wipeout is great and all, but it's got nothing on real violence.