Why can't football fans just behave?

[Bez72]

I enjoy watching football and often go to games to support my local team, and watch England games if I'm not busy, but never once do I find the need to get roaring drunk, throw beer around and beat anyone up.
With the surge in alcohol fuelled domestic violence around the world cup / euros etc it's got me wondering why do people seem to lose control when watching these games?
I've been a motorcycle racing fan for many years and have never seen / heard of any of this behaviour at races. The fans are equally passionate but don't have to drink to enjoy the sport, don't have big fights against people who support opposing riders (and there's some BIG rivalries amongst them!) and as far as I'm aware they don't feel the need to get violent.
What is it about football that makes this behaviour part of the package?

Mainly because these men are going to be violent regardless of who wins and loses , the aggression is always just simmering away, so the booze and adrenaline exacerbates them to fight and beat up their partners, of course there is many many fans who can just enjoy the football and not be violent because they are not violent to start with.

I get that, but why is football the only sport which enables this behaviour?

I don't think i understand what you mean,

Because football has its roots in ‘working class’ I think this somehow gives men the green light to behave this way.

All other sports require a bit of cash to start, or are associated with more middle or upper class, hence less mindless violence. Sad but true……

I think there are a few sports which involve fans drinking quite a lot of alcohol OP - rugby and cricket spring to mind. But I agree the level of violence , and drunkeness, associated with football seems to be pretty unique.

What i find the most perplexing is that some fans even cause riots , and fights and cause mayhem and destruction when they WIN. Why celebrating a victory causes such aggressive anti social behaviour is a mystery to me. Why can't they be happy in victory rather than aggressive?

It is just thuggery isn't it ?

There's loads of sports which people enjoy, they'll have a couple of drinks, meet with friends, support their favourite person / team, argue over who's best, etc but it's only football which escalates into such ridiculous behaviour

There are huge issues around domestic violence in New Zealand when the All Blacks lose a rugby match.

Sorry, I don't accept this argument.

Bike racers are mostly working class, lots of them even have to hold down jobs during the week so they can afford to race at weekends!

My point exactly, why can't they just behave?!

Yep it's working class men sorry to say. Of course not all of them etc. etc. but it's part of the culture for a small minority who manage to ruin things for everyone else.

It also might be a sheer numbers thing? Possibly just a lot more football fans than say rugby or cricket, so there is more chance of there being some dickheads? Not sure.

I think it's mainly a numbers thing. So many people follow football, you only need 1% of them to be thugs for that to be a very large number of thugs.

It’s because football is the most popular sport in the UK. In Canada, Russia and Eastern Europe you get a similar thing with hockey. In India and Pakistan you get the same with cricket. South America has an issue with MMA fans. We just hear about the footballs fans more as it’s the most popular sport in Western Europe.

These people aren’t sports fans, they’re just people looking for a fight and enjoying being part of a herd mentality.

I think its a combination of things. Firstly, football is the most popular team sport in the UK so more people watch it/support it. Its generally more available to the mainstream than rugby is for example.

Secondly, there is a tribal phenomenon that happens with teams that you dont see with individual players (tennis players, for example). In a team setting people tend to feel more bravado and egg each other on. Much like gang culture. If these men were on their own they wouldnt be so aggressive but put them with other drunken men and they feel emboldened.

Thirdly, alcohol (which goes along with football) makes people more aggressive and angry. Not all people, but in general it does. Noone can deny that.

Fourthly, its men isnt it - again, not all men are aggressive but testosterone does increase aggression and studies have shown this

Fifthly, men who are prone to being louts and aggressive will be attracted to the sport in the first place because they are seeking legitimate ways to act like thugs and football gives them a reason, opportunity and gang of others to do so

There are books written about football fans behaviour. It’s basically a mob mentality fuelled by patriotism and alcohol.

I totally agree - this culture really puts me off football. It does seem to be a particularly football thing. Rugby doesn't get the violence (but does get the intimidating groups and chanting).

I would add that the NBA finals in New York last week had the same sort of behaviour and the city was trashed. So sad, because basketball is a fun sport.

These people aren’t sports fans, they’re just people looking for a fight and enjoying being part of a herd mentality

I agree with this, I remember football casuals of the 90s they were just youngish men looking for a fight and violence, i wonder if it is tribal or a mob thing. I grew up in a "football " house my stepdad was aggressive and sometimes violent after a game as I said it was regardless of winning/losing,

This is the answer, isn't it? It's not the sport itself that's the problem, it's the fact it's the most popular one in the country.

It's creeping into the kids' game too. Not the alcohol but the aggressiveness of parents and coaches watching what might be an U10 game. I've seen and heard of physical fights breaking out. People whose kids do more than one sport report it's completely different watching kids' rugby/cricket etc.

I agree it's because it's overwhelmingly the most popular spectator sport in the country, it is tribal because teams are rooted in small geographic areas and it is accessible to all via TV and pub showings even for those who don't go to matches. Therefore it is very attractive to louts and thugs. The vast majority of football fans are well behaved but because it is such a mass sport, even a small % of thug fans translates to a lot of people. Improved control inside football grounds hasn't stopped it happening in the wider community.

OK, I get what you're saying about the tribal mentality, and that it's become the 'accepted' norm to go to the pub and get trashed to 'enjoy' it so people who are prone to this kind of behaviour are drawn to the sport.

Why the link with domestic violence though? Is it just the alcohol or has it somehow become acceptable that football fans beat their partners? I can't imagine living like that - the fear of your partner's team losing because you know they'll take it out on you? Horrendous...

I'd like to understand the link with DV too.

Not excusing it AT ALL, but it's not hard to see why someone who has got all revved up in the pub with their mates and/or rival fans stays in the same aggressive state when they get home and takes it out on their partner. The underlying tendency will be there, but it takes the adrenaline rush of the match to tip it over into action it seems, or gives an excuse (to their mind) for the behaviour. I agree that it is horrendous but how to stop it is another matter. It doesn't seem to make any difference that you have decent men like Gareth Southgate speaking out about male behaviour and better standards in off-field behaviour by players compared to previous generations, it is a wider issue than just football itself.

I don't think any decent person thinks it is seen as "acceptable" behaviour these men will try and justify it though as red mist or she was nagging, she just needs kept in hand and these men run together so they just egg each other on. Pat on the back for being manly and putting her in her place.