Sports fan violence may be related to nationalism or as an outlet for underlying social tensions, or sometimes it is related to family or parents in the audience who disagree on a foul or a bad play. It is often alcohol-related. Violence by supporters of sports teams dates back to Roman times, when supporters of chariot racing teams were frequently involved in major riots. Usually, underlying political and/or theological issues helped fuel riots related to sporting events in the Roman era. The Nika riots of 532 were especially deadly, with tens of thousands reportedly killed. In periods when theatre was considered a form of mass entertainment, there were phenomena of rival fans supporting rival actors or theatrical teams, occasionally leading to violent outbursts having many similarities to present-day violence of sports fans -- the Astor Place Riot in 1849 New York City being a conspicuous example. The actions of English football hooligans and firms in the 1980s caused English teams to be banned from European competition for six years after the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985. Although the level of football-related violence was significantly reduced in England after this event, in the recent Euro 2004 tournament, England were publicly warned that any violence by supporters at matches could result in their ejection from the tournament. Many known hooligans were prevented from traveling to the tournament in Portugal Football hooliganism refers to unruly, violent, and destructive behaviour by overzealous supporters of football clubs, including brawling, vandalism and intimidation Football hooliganism normally involves conflict between gangs, often known as football firms (the term derives from the British slang for a criminal gang), formed for the specific purpose of intimidating and physically attacking supporters of other teams. Certain clubs have long-standing rivalries with other clubs (usually, but not always, geographically close) and hooliganism associated with matches between them (sometimes called local derbies), is likely to be more severe Conflict may take place before, during or after matches. Participants often select locations away from stadia to avoid arrest by the police, but conflict can also erupt spontaneously inside the stadium or in the surrounding streets. In such cases, shop windows may be smashed, rubbish bins set on fire, and police cars may be overturned. In extreme cases, hooligans, police, and bystanders have been killed, and helmeted, body-armoured riot police have intervened with tear gas, police dogs, armoured vehicles and water cannons Football hooliganism involves a wide range of behaviour, including: taunting, e.g. by abusive chanting, sometimes obscene spitting unarmed fighting throwing of objects on to the pitch, either in an attempt to harm players and officials or as a gesture of insult (as when bananas are thrown towards players of black African origin, the implication being that they are monkeys) throwing of objects at opposing supporters, including stones, bricks and Molotov cocktails use of pyrotechnic devices such as flares and smoke bombs fighting with weapons including sports bats, glass bottles, rocks, knives, machetes and firearms disorderly crowd behaviour such as pushing, which may cause stadium fixtures such as fences and walls to collapse. Similar effects can occur when law-abiding crowds try to flee disorder caused by hooligans Football hooliganism has factors in common with juvenile delinquency and what has been called "ritualized male violence"."Involvement in football violence can be explained in relation to a number of factors, relating to interaction, identity, legitimacy and power. Football violence is also thought to reflect expressions of strong emotional ties to a football team, which may help to reinforce a supporter's sense of identity." "Numerous causal factors have been offered in previous literature in relation to hooliganism," including "...alcohol and irregular tickets sales, as well as the "...criminal insouciance (disinterest) of the organisers" and the "...cowardly ineptitude" of the police. The main causes are "the media, the police, the football authorities and opposing fans." Rowe (2002) states that "football violence is often explained by focusing on genetic and sociological theories."

• published: 23 Nov 2013
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