NCJ Number
78447
Journal
British Journal of Sociology Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1980) Pages: 265-276
Date Published
1980
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the problem of crowd violence at soccer games in Britain and compares the historical development and present conditions of the game in Britain and North America to determine whether crowd violence will accompany the game in North America.
Abstract
Conclusions are based on knowledge gained from previous field work in Britain on this topic and from discussions with coaches and players in North America. Crowd violence is more likely to accompany soccer games in Britain than in North America because the game is more firmly rooted in British culture; the stadia are older and more crowded, giving the British a greater sense of being part of a crowd; and more spectators in Britain are from the working classes and tend to remain loyal to one team. Also, British soccer fans tend to feel more personally involved in the game because it is more likely that they would have played the game for a number of years. Moreover, alcohol consumption is heavy at British soccer games and light at North American games. Finally, British youths seem to have a greater tendency to use professional soccer as a vehicle through which they can express themselves. A table and notes are included.