Football Hooliganism In Europe

This book brings together a number of perspectives on how different European states have responded to the phenomenon of football crowd disorder and violence, or “hooliganism”. It applies a comparative legal approach, with a particular focus on civil and human rights, to analyze domestic legislation, policing and judicial responses to the problem of “football hooliganism” in Europe. Academics and legal professionals from eight different European countries introduce and analyze the different approaches and draw together common themes and problems from their various jurisdictions. They offer insights into the interactions between (domestic) politicians, law enforcers and sports authorities. The book is important reading for scholars and practitioners in the fields of law, sports law, sociology and criminology, and for all those concerned with questions of law enforcement and human rights. While it perfectly fits the curriculum for postgraduate studies in the fields mentioned, it is also highly recommended as secondary reading for undergraduate students. Dr. Anastassia Tsoukala is tenured Associate Professor at the University of Paris XI, France. Dr. Geoff Pearson is Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law at the University of Manchester’s Law School, Manchester, United Kingdom. Dr. Peter Coenen was Assistant Professor of Law at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Providing the first EU-wide study of the way football hooliganism has been defined by academics, law makers and enforcers, and the media since the 1960s, this book examines the regulation and policing of the phenomenon, which has been influenced by security-related developments within post-bipolar Europe

Football Hooliganism, so long regarded as the 'English Disease', is rife throughout the European game. Yet, while the English scene has been well documented, no one has ever exposed the extent to which the hooligan problem has come to infect the game on the Continent. Until now.

This book traces international developments in the hooligan phenomenon since the Heysel tragedy of 1985. The authors make special reference to the troubled European championships in West Germany in 1988 and look critically at political responses to the problem. The authors used ‘participant observation’ in their research on British fans at the World Cup in Spain, and at matches in Rotterdam and Copenhagen, and capture the authentic voice of football hooliganism in their interviews. In this analysis of patterns of football violence the authors suggest some short-term proposals for restricting seriously violent and disorderly behaviour at continental matches and put forward a long-term strategy to deal with the root causes of hooligan behaviour.

Football hooliganism periodically generates widespread political and public anxiety. In spite of the efforts made and resources invested over the past decades, football hooliganism is still perceived by politicians, policymakers and media as a disturbing social problem. This highly readable book provides the first systematic and empirically grounded comparison of football hooliganism in different national and local contexts. Focused around the six Western European football clubs on which the author did his research, the book shows how different clubs experience and understand football hooliganism in different ways. The development and effects of anti-hooligan policies are also assessed. The emphasis throughout is on the importance of context, social interaction and collective identity for understanding football hooliganism. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in football culture, hooliganism and collective violence.

Focusing on a number of contemporary research themes and placing them within the context of palpable changes that have occurred within football in recent years, this timely collection brings together essays about football, crime and fan behaviour from leading experts in the fields of criminology, law, sociology, psychology and cultural studies.

This book is the first comprehensive attempt to identify the deeper causes that have shaped contemporary behaviour patterns and motivations among football fans in Poland. Fan culture in Poland has long been based on a distinctively grassroots, spontaneous movements that ruled out any cooperation with local authorities and sports organizations. The activity of supporter groups has regularly failed to meet the principles set by official bodies, intentionally breaching the moral and legal standards of the day. Based on data derived from ethnographic fieldwork, content analysis of fan journals, magazines, social media and online forums, as well as a wide range of qualitative interviews conducted over the years, the book analyses the ways in which fandom culture in Poland has evolved: from its moderate beginnings in the shadows of a communist regime in the 1970’s, through the anomic, ‘uncivilized’ and pathological decade of the 1990’s, to the peculiar culture based on strong cohesion, capabilities of social mobilization and emerging 'resistance identity' in the 21st century. It thus provides a detailed analysis of Polish fandom’s multi-dimensional structure, and will be of interest to students and academics interested in the growing field of football research, as well as those researching the transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, or more generally in European Studies.

This book provides a highly readable introduction to the phenomenon of football hooliganism, ideal for students taking courses around this subject as well as those having a professional interest in the subject, such as the police and those responsible for stadium safety and management. For anybody else wanting to learn more about one of society's most intractable problems, this book is the place to start. Unlike other books on this subject it is not wedded to a single theoretical perspective but is concerned rather to provide a critical overview of football hooliganism, discussing the various approaches to the subject. Three fallacies provide themes which run through the book: the notion that football hooliganism is new; that it is a uniquely football problem; and that it is predominantly an English phenomenon. The book examines the history of football-related violence, the problems in defining the nature of football hooliganism, the data available on the extent of football hooliganism, provides a detailed review of the various theories about who hooligans are and why they behave as they do, and an analysis of policing and social policy in relation to tackling football hooliganism.