Faux media outrage is driven by prejudice, not hooliganism

wow that takes me back..that game between eng and argentina...the riot was over the Malvinas /Falklands as the taunting went on the whole game...at the end it was on...I was 17 and stuck in the mddle not knowing what was going on...first for me...knives at a game...most of it was driven by punks that went to every match ..they did the same at the Qatar England game in the SF

I just want to know about whether inherent violonce feature in crowd behaviour or not

At Roosters 14, Do you actually watch the sport? Have you seen an EPL game recently or been to a match in the UK ever? Football hooliganism in the UK is a thing of the distant past and is a myth perpetuated by our draconian media still living in the 1980s as an example to try and rubbish the sport in this country. When fans are arrested for drunken behaviour at other sports in Australia the media report it as a crowd generally well behaved. Ask any emergency service worker or police officer and they will tell you that the worst event for crowd behaviour, by far, is the melbourne cup. The problem with our media is they are intimidated by crowds wearing colours, waving flags and chanting loudly in groups as they don't understand the culture of the sport. When one member of that crowd is arrested for violent behaviour, the whole chanting group is blamed and dragged down with that person. When a fan or player is arrested for violent behaviour in other sports the opposite occurs and it is the most obvious example of double standards I know. I suspect this lingering disdain for our sport by our conservative media is a hangover of the "white australia policy" and the xenophobia that goes with it.

Great article Cappuccino. This is the most well written piece I've seen on this topic to date. And I 100% agree with it. In fact, you should email this article to both Panahi and Wilson, and both their bosses at SEN and the Daily Telegraph respectively. I know Rita Panahi is also on twitter, as she's been going back and forth with football supporters in the last few days, you should send her a link to this. She's probably read it already. Don't these 2 understand that by them openly telling everyone how they dislike football, gives them absolutely no credibility when writing pieces on our game! Back off I say, and if you dont like the game so be it, dont write about it then!

Last time at checked it was spelt 'soccEr' not 'soccor' like you've typed 4 times in your past 5 posts. I'm not sure if you're deliberately trying to be antagonistic or you just can't spell.

I put this in the wrong spot I was asked my opinion on violence and rioting at any sporting event. If rugby had that atmosphere I would be very, very angry and disgusted with my sport. On an international level Rugby has been blessed with not having this, not having "old firms" and organised fan violence. When I was in the UK I found the atmosphere very similar to Australia and I liked that. Some people genuinely love the semi-riotous passion that occurs globally at many soccor games, there is a fair bit of glorification in movies like Green Street and the Last Foot Soldier and I can sort of understand why people like that atmosphere, but I don't want that in my game because I enjoy going with my extended family to the rugby. People will use that and say "well nobody cares about Rugby" fair enough, they are entitled to their opinion. Leave it all out on the pitch, belt each other on the field of battle and than have a beer afterwards is the way I would embrace most things in life including sport. "Did you just say every A-League game has a riot."....Um no, not sure how this has come about? A-league has to my knowledge largley kept its nose clean and done a very good job. But it's hard to argue that aspects arn't in danger of creeping into it, imported from the fabric of the game in many countries overseas.

Please list the A-League games you have been to where you were threatened with violence. Did you just say every A-League game has a riot? Wow.

#Ian Huh??? Instead of your repeated personal attacks how about you add to the discussion instead. Comparing a 90 min sports event to a 7 hour (test match day) is ridiculous at the best of times. God knows what might happen were the MV v WSW held over 7 hours with 90,000 turning up. Reality is it is totally hypothetical. Btw in recent years bay 13 at the MCG has been dominated by supporters of India (Swarmi Army) and England. The old days of an out of control bay 13 are largely gone due modification of behaviours. And good thing too. Now soccer is under the mainstream spotlight. And deservedly so.

+1. I've given all forms such as tests, ODIs and T20s a go, but 'whittling games' such as baseball and cricket, whereby one teams compiles a score and the other team painstakingly tries to whittle it down, isn't for all. "Today, hooliganism in developed, well-regulated nations such as England, the United States or Japan (to name a few examples) is virtually non-existent. Only in countries with significant wider social problems – often developing nations, such as those in Eastern Europe or South America – does football hooliganism occur often and on a wide scale." Excellent point, Cappuccino. Somebody (perhaps John Pilger) once commented "Rich people don't throw stones." Australia is a conservative, middle-class society whose citizens are, on the whole, content with their lot. Only idiots, the blindingly drunk and unfortunates with a testosterone imbalance bother looking for trouble. The rest watch their mortgage repayments and interest fluctuations on a daily basis and stick to the easy road. Basically, the WSW and MVFC idiots who brawled should get a grip. Utter bores at parties I've been to try to big note themselves with the trite line "People riot at soccer because it is so boring." They then routinely fail to name specific instances and state whether or not the violence actually happened during the match or before or after it. At the same time, they fail to mention the worst rioting to attend a sports match in Australia in recent memory was at the Australian Open. They also can't determine whether or not the violence was sparked by attending societal political and/or social ills, long standing racial, social or national grievances - vis. Egypt and patches of western and eastern Europe. Such bores should contemplate the case of Japan with regard to violence. The domestic scene is without incident and what you would expect from what is mostly a respectful and compliant citizenry. So too international matches in which Japan plays. And yet, the 2004 AFC Asian Cup final between China and Japan in China was wracked with violence. Your ignorant, boorish sports commentator, too lazy to consider that passions over events such as the Nanking massacre and the occupation of China by the Empire of Japan are still very strong, lazily dismisses such events as typically more "soccer violence on account of a boring match."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/western-sydney-wanderers-leave-nrl-for-dead-in-sales-and-membership/story-fni0cx12-1226771396553 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/monday-buzz-soccer-bigger-in-sydney-than-any-other-code/story-fnj45km6-1226747832191 http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/buzzwords/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/nrl_left_to_wander_how_to_win_the_war/ I didn't hear mass complaints from soccer fans that News Corp was ravenously oppressing them when the DT produced these provocative puff pieces. The DT and affiliates just try and bandwagon media trends, when football is popular its the biggest new support casting a shadow over all competitors and superior in every facet. But once any sport shows a violent element the 'thug' card is played and whatever despicable thing that they see as abhorrent must go. Must 'thugs' they do point out are arguably bad people, but the practicality of removing them isn't as simple as they portray it to be.

Thanks Rugby Stu, that is extremely interesting. I'm sure "muscular Christianity" had its advantages when colonising new lands, but now days we just call it Zumba,

As pointed out above, the Japanese dont make an adequate example- as hooliganism of just about any form there is culturally non-existant. To get hooliganism you need strong male pack behaviour, a heavy dose of mutually understood disrespect for the establishment (non-existant in NE Asian conformist systems) and confidence in sponteneity (Japanese males are culturally discouraged from this throughout their education). What you get in Japan and Korea when violence occurs are individuals snapping, going beserk and then handing themselves in through shame. There is no socially-condoned pack violence, even amongst young males. Thus the fact that the J-League lacks hooligans is not the strong example you are assuming.

Its not a strong argument using NE Asian examples- Japanese and Korean cultures couldnt muster a good hooligan at a riot, let alone for sport. The closest they get in Japan is throwing the cushions at the sumo if there is a huge upset- a traditional reaction to perceived corruption.

Soccer is boring eh? I counter that with one word - cricket.

Rita who? Seriously never heard of her. Plus she looks like an ethnic, shouldn't she love socka? Rebecca Wilson is a man in drag. Next.

Kasey , trollumnist , I love it

Ok. Poor choice of words. Perhaps not "riddled", but it certainly existed.

Titus, the concept of muscular christianity is still very much alive with many Christian folks and religious schools that play sport, you can see it with many NFL players also many mormon's have this concept Israel Folau is a good example. Many of whom use Christianity as a key motivator and driving force. I don't proscribe to any faith whatsoever but I wouldn't put it in the same category as "militant islam". It comes from the supposed Christian commitment to piety and physical health athletic competition that helps instill supposed values of discipline, self-sacrifice and suffering the sake of others etc. It can be inherently positive in nature (if people who believe in it are humble), though during colonial times it most certainly wasn't. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_Christianity (sorry for all the wikipedia)