Having worked as a soccer journalist for over six years now and having had the chance to travel to places like Boston, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Dallas (among many others) it has been fascinating to watch the shift in culture. Whereas soccer was much of a passing sport years earlier the level of commitment and interest in the game has boomed. For many years it felt as if yours truly was on an island here in Washington D.C. But it doesn’t feel like the boom is exactly always the best thing.
At this point most people who are reading this article have seen the videos online have seen the videos of Red Bulls and NYCFC supporters fighting (can we call it fighting? Squabbling?) before the match. Although the exact figures cannot be named and it would be difficult to judge the exact actions of everyone in the video it would be safe to assume that something instigated the moment and that alcohol likely played a role.
This is not the only instance of supporters getting into a fracas. Although the United States and Canada have never had an experience on par with that of Serbia’s Eternal Derby, the amount of violence and episodes of poor behavior seem to be on the rise. These issues are not even limited to soccer. Think about every baseball, basketball, and American football match that you have attended in the past year and chances are you can remember one person or group acting out of line or inappropriate. Perhaps it is due to social media, where supporters are more connected than before and thus frustrations’ can simmer for longer.
Having covered enough matches across the United States this is not just limited to New York. As my travels have increased in recent years yours truly has noticed a disturbing uptick in poor behavior from supporters (will be using the term loosely here to describe all fans and not just those who ardently support their club).
So why does soccer seem to bring out the worst in people? Sadly it appears due to the supporters mentality. Whereas in other sports these incidents appear to be more on an individual basis in soccer it is more of a group activity. Yes there is rioting after a major win in every sport. But in soccer it at times it appears to be a bit more pointed. As opposed to other sports where there are more fair-weather fans soccer supporters generally seems to have a stronger association with their team. That can lead to some positive aspects (such as with La Barra Brava’s efforts with the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation or with the Son’s of Ben community projects) but there are also negative ones as well.
There seems to be a certain level of entitlement that exists within some supporters, not necessarily limited to a club or a group, that this behavior is okay. Supporters read Bill Buford’s Among the Thugs and watch Green Street Hooligans and think that this behavior is cool or acceptable.
The unfortunate aspect of this is that these supporters do not understand that their actions have consequences. Football matches are not just for getting drunk, shouting curse words, and picking fights. It is not even about tifos, flags, and posters. It is about bringing kids and new supporters to the game and building their interest in the match. Sometimes it is even about the match and enjoying it and learning from it. Far be it that the game itself actually outweigh the actual spectacle in the stands!
The kids aspect is perhaps the most unfortunate. Children should be able to attend sports matches without hearing four letter words being yelled in unison from crowds. They should also be able to watch matches in person without the fear of having beer tossed at them or witnessing a fight. Yes, these are things that occur in everyday life and children need to grow up at some point. But children should be able to attend matches and not have to deal with men or women who refuse to grow up.
That being said, it is not the supporters groups responsibility to raise your children either. Nor is it their job to cater to your idea of a fun time at a soccer match. It is every parent’s responsibility to understand that entering a supporter’s section you are going to hear and see the following:
- loud percussion music
- people standing on their seats
- singing, possible profanity
- drinking
If you are a parent and you willingly take your children to sit in a supporter’s section you lose the right to criticize this sort of a behavior. Considering that most supporters sections now have signs to indicate the territory they are entering it is your responsibility to take care of your own children.
So how do we curb the bad behavior yet at the same time give each supporter the fun that they were looking for? Generally speaking it just comes down to respecting others and their space.
If you are interested in drinking a bit more than the average fan or want to enjoy yourself in a more adult atmosphere, go hang out with the supporters groups. Although not all of them have this sort of an environment they are generally more lively than the rest of the stadium. Despite what your ticket says you can go sit near them as their rules on seating are very loose. These groups are always to having new people join them so your company will likely be welcomed.
That being said, that still doesn’t give you the right to act like a jackass. Getting into fights and using abusive language towards others (i.e. racist, sexist, or homophobic responses) at a match are just stupid and a waste of time. You can have fun and make light of your opponent without making threats to their safety.
One thing that might also be helpful from a supporters group perspective would be for rival groups prior to the match to engage in a charitable cause. Lost beneath some of the anger and vitriol that is exhibited during matches is that all soccer supporters hold one common goal: to make this game better. If the heads of chapters of supporters groups can work together with their counterparts on a common cause (for example, pitches for lower income communities or a soccer shoes drive for kids) it will calm things down a bit.
Although the last activity is a bit new the rest of these ideas are already in practice in the NWSL. It is a breath of fresh air to cover Washington Spirit matches and see a supporter section with a clearly marked sign indicating to fans what to expect when they sit there. It is also nice to see beer gardens where there are supporters kicking a few back and enjoying themselves but not cursing an unreasonable amount or fighting. It is also nice to see parents and children paying attention to these situations and acknowledging that these particulars parts of the stadium are different than the piped-in music, weird entertainment of their typical American sports experience.
In the end it seems that all parties need to remember that there are others who are watching the same match and may not share the same views as you. If everyone is a little bit more mindful of their surroundings then perhaps we can all enjoy our football a little bit more.
Fan Culture
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