Why is it that so many English football fans seem to be incapable of behaving themselves? They have repeatedly left down their clubs and country with their disgraceful conduct and outrageous violence. And it never seems to be their fault.
England is a country that prides itself on its patriotism, stiff upper lip attitude, good manners, cricket and a love of queuing. But when it comes to following their national football team the wheels seem to come off the bus.
You don’t hear too much negativity surrounding the supporters of English rugby, cricket or tennis but when it comes to football, hooliganism seems to be a recurring story.
It is a very difficult subject for Irish people to get their heads around because violence in sport is simply an unknown concept. Our supporters in all sports have a reputation for having fun with the opposition, friendly banter and a few drinks.
Hurling, Gaelic football and rugby are aggressive, competitive sports that can get the adrenaline flowing in supporters and emotions can very often run high. Yet it is very common for supporters to be mixed without incident. You will often find an opposing fan sitting in the midst of the ‘enemy’ but apart from some friendly slagging and abuse the lone supporter will come to no harm.
I can remember as a young lad in 1972 my father brought me to see Leeds United play Cardiff City in in Cardiff. It was my first ever live English football game. We were walking from the railway station to the football ground when we were approached by an older man.
He suggested to my father that I should hide my Leeds United scarf under my coat in case we met any trouble. I did as I was told but I was only fourteen years old and I was disappointed not to be able to show support for my team.
As we got closer to the stadium I remember seeing all the shop windows boarded up to avoid being smashed. Soon after, there was a sound of chanting and shouting from what sounded like a large group. When we rounded a corner I saw hundreds of Leeds fans at one end of the street facing up to hundreds of Cardiff fans at the other end.
The atmosphere turned sour very quickly and spoiled what was supposed an exciting day out to watch some football. The older man directed us away from that scene as both groups charged at each other. It was a very frightening experience.
I have in recent times been lucky enough to travel to Anfield, on several occasions with my own son, to watch Liverpool play. I had thought that all violence at football grounds had been consigned to the history books because my experiences at Liverpool have always been positive. Anfield is a great stadium and is well marshalled with efficient and good humoured stewards.
Recent events with the England fans in France however would suggest that all is far from being rosy in the garden.
Looking at photographs of these hooligans it is plain to see that many of these guys are old enough to be parents and grandparents. Middle aged men standing in the street, with their bare chests, throwing chairs and bottles look completely ridiculous. Surely they must see how stupid they look.
It reminds me a little of watching a talent contest when someone comes on stage to sing and he hasn’t got a note in his head. He is delighted with himself while everyone else watching is cringing and hiding their faces behind their hands. Everybody is wishing that he would just go away. And you wonder how he possibly has the nerve to stand there and mortify himself.
Surely there must be someone in the family who knows that this guy can’t sing. There must be someone who can pull him to one side and give him a dose of home truth, for his own sake. A bit of honesty might be a bit painful but would have to be preferable to total humiliation on a grand scale at a later stage.
It’s the same thing with these adult hooligans. If you know one of these bare-chested, chair-throwing grandads please have a little word in his shell like. You might hurt his feelings a little but you could be subtle and just tell him that he looks like a complete dope.
You could also advise him that chairs are for sitting on, bottles are for drinking from and taking off your shirt at that age is something you do in the privacy of your own home before taking a shower. You could also remind him that football is a sport that is enjoyed by many and it is not a war. Let him know as well that he is a hopeless role model and a pitiful specimen of a man.
Maybe football needs to take a look at itself as well and accept that it has a part to play in improving behaviour off the pitch by improving behaviour on it. It could start by dealing with the way officials are regularly abused by players. Rugby is a much more disciplined sport and players are taught at a very young age to respect the officials. The referees’ word is final and is never questioned and it all works very well.
That could be a good place for the Football Association to start. Shouting offensive comments at the officials sends out the wrong message to young fans. That mentality won’t change overnight. It’s too late for the bare chested grandads to mend their ways but we should start working on the next generation sooner rather than later.