Violence, whether it is racially, politically or religiously motivated, is a regular ritual at football games throughout Europe and the rest of the world. This has always been a big negative for the game and is not an easy criticism to deflect.
Australian football has produced its fair share of bad press over the years, some of it justified, some of it not. But thankfully with the emergence of a professional, independent and non-ethnic FFA and the new look A-League marketing and franchising, we have seen a dramatic decline in violence at football games in Australia.
Personally, over the years I have attended many football games in Australia (as well as other countries in my travels) and have never witnessed first-hand any degree of violence at football games to the extent reported in the press.
In fact, the worst violence I’ve ever witnessed at a sporting event was at a cricket match. But that’s another story.
The Socceroos are about to embark on the final stage of the Asian Qualification for the right to travel to South Africa to compete in the FIFA World Cup of 2010.
South Africa, which is to host the Football World Cup of 2010, has one of the world’s heaviest crime rates.
Crime and HIV/Aids are the country’s main scourges.
South Africans are experiencing unprecedented levels of violence and crime. With around 50 murders, 148 rapes and nearly 700 serious assaults committed each day (that’s right, every day), violent crime is a particular concern.
More than 100,000 people were murdered in South Africa in the last five years, nearly 270,000 raped, and 1.3 million seriously assaulted. More than a million robberies were committed and nearly 450,000 cars stolen.
South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki has repeatedly rejected assertions that the crime wave would undermine South Africa’s ability to host the Soccer World Cup. He has pledged to boost police levels to 180,000 by 2010, as well as improve pay and working conditions.
Additional security measures will also be put in place at stadiums, hotels and airports.
Last month, Sepp Blatter the head of FIFA, the world’s governing football body, said there were many “rubbish reports” about criminality in South Africa. “Go to any big country in the world today and you will find the same problems,” he said.
In South Africa, the crime and violence is already part of their way of life and it’s not World Cup football related.
People from other countries are the main targets of this crime and violence. Wouldn’t you think very carefully if you were a football player or thinking of going there to watch?
Wouldn’t you think that you might also become a target?
It’s a bit too early yet to see the ‘World Cup Soccer Hooligan Deaths’ headlines from South Africa in the world press.
More than likely, as the greatest sporting show on earth comes to town, the logical correlation will emerge and headlines about soccer hooligan violence will appear and, rightly or wrongly, the humble game of football will be to blame.
This is a perfect opportunity for football detractors all around the world to turn the violence problems in South Africa into football’s problems.
FIFA have also threatened South Africa with a contingency plan for another venue if the country looks to be too unsafe or can’t be ready in time.
This does force South Africa to put the focus very sharply on its security situation, says FIFA, keeping the fans and players safe and making the tournament a huge success in 2010.
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