Just the other day in Mexico, a referee was beaten to death by six teenagers and and adult following a youth game. Anyone would agree that a story like this is tragic but it has become all too common in the world of football, especially in South America. Football hooligans are best known for getting drunk and fighting with each other, but in recent times they have gotten even worse. The murder, steal and destroy property, all because it’s fun to them.
I feel that a lot of the problem has to do with discipline. In a match, players can belittle and abuse the referee as much as they want as long as they do not make threats or touch them. This is a problem because the players can go to the extent of getting heated and that transcends onto the fans watching, causing violence and riots.
Many people are sympathetic towards the hooligans because in their eyes they are still fans who are just really passionate about football. To me, passionate people don’t cover their faces, shout slurs and beat people up, criminals do that. All of these things are not what makes football great, it’s the game itself. American sports have this similar culture but do not have nearly as many problems. Many Americans get drunk and baligerant at sporting events but they are not viewed as fans, they are viewed as drunk losers who are then dealt with accordingly by security.
I think that there needs to be serious reform football fans or else going to games will not be safe anymore. Football hooligans take a toll on the sport, their clubs and the countries themselves. At the end of the day it is just a game it is not life and death and should not be treated that way.
