By Prince Peace Essuman

Aggressive play in sports can result in injury but it is not considered as violence because it is within the rules of the game. However, football violence occurs on several levels and it includes players, coaches, spectators and happens well outside the regulations of the game.

Football hooliganism refers to what is widely considered unruly or obstructive behavior by overzealous fans. Actions such as brawling, vandalism and intimidation are enacted by association football club fans participating in football. A football firm (also known as hooligan firm sometimes with other nicknames like the torturing committee of Accra Hearts of Oak) is a gang formed for specific purpose of antagonizing and physically attacking supporters of other clubs. The behavior is often based on rivalry between different teams and conflicts may take place before and after matches.

Hooliganism is a world-wide problem.

But some countries have drastically reduced their actions in and outside the stadium.

The first instance of hooliganism in football is unknown, but the phenomenon can be traced back to the fourteenth century in England. In 1314, King Edward II, banned football because he believed the disorder surrounding matches might lead to social unrest or even treason.

According to a University of Liverpool academic paper, conflict at an 1846 match in Derby, England required a reading of a riot act and two groups of dragons to effectively respond to the disorderly crowd.

The first recorded instance of football hooliganism in the modern day allegedly occurred during the 1880’s in England, a period when gangs and supporter will intimidate neighbourhoods in addition to attacking referees, opposing supporters and players.

In 1885, after Preston North End beat Aston Villa 5-0 nil in a friendly match. Both teams were pelted with stones, attacked with sticks, punched, kicked and spattered. The following year, Preston fans fought Queens Park Rangers fans in a railway station and it is on record as the first alleged instance of hooliganism outside of a match. At the Estadio Nacional Lima, Peru in 1964, when a referee cancelled a goal in the last minute of a Peru vrs Argentina qualifying match, an angered fan entered the field of play chasing the referee. The police aggressively beat him up and this angered fans in the stands, which caused chaos, stampedes and crushes. It eventually led to the death of over 300 people. It is the worst recorded stadium disaster in history. In modern football, at a Port Said

Stadium in Egypt last year, following the final whistle of the referee in a league match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly, hundreds of Al-Masry fans entered the pitch, attacked the Al- Ahly players and later the supporters. In the subsequent chase and fight, an estimated 79 Al-Alhly fans got injured. After the incident, doubts were raised about the passive or even facilitating role of the Port Said Police and this led to a ban on the Egyptian football. Even when Al-Ahly qualified for the CAF Champions League, the team played their home matches in an empty stadium.

Football disorder has been prevalent in Ghana since the sport was professionalized in the late 19th century. The phenomenon continues to occur in modern society and has produced consequences of varying degrees of severity. The worst is the stadium disaster which occurred on 9th May, 2001 at the Accra Sports Stadium when Accra Hearts of Oak hosted Kumasi Asante Kotoko in a Ghana Premier League game. On that dreadful day, Hearts scored a late winner to make the scores 2-1 after Kotoko had taken the lead. The police fired tear gas into the rioting Asante Kotoko fans and the resulted stampede and confusion led to the death of 127 people. This remains the worst stadium disaster in African history.

Strange but recent occurences indicate that no lessons have been learnt from the 9th May disaster and fans are not deterred by the numerous disasters across the world. Twelve years after the stadium disaster, hooligans continue to disturb the beauty of the game. In Ghana, most of the violence at the stadia have been blamed on refereeing decisions or rivalry between two clubs. If we are not careful, football will divide us, instead of its primary goal to unite and excite us. Cape Coast based Ebusuia Dwarfs FC were handed a twelve match home ban after fans of the club assaulted a centre referee and supporter of Aduana Stars during a league match last season at the Robert Mensah Stadium in Cape-Coast. This season, Real Tamale United (RTU) were also banned from using the Tamale Stadium after separate cases of violence were exhibited by the management and supporters of the club against Aduana Stars and Medeama FC.

On the 5th of May this year, fans of both Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko were throwing missiles unto the field of play, when the two sides clashed at the Accra Sports Stadium during a league match. Objects were thrown at the linesmen or assistant referees anytime the fans felt agitated. Thank God there was no winner and any disaster.

Three days later, fans of Asante Kotoko, after drawing goalless with Medeama in Kumasi, pelted the referees with objects, beat up Medeama supporters and vandalized their bus. Again on Sunday May, 12 this year, fans, players and technical team of Asante Kotoko, plus referees were beaten by fans of Brekum Arsenals at the golden city park in Berekum after the host club had lost three nil in a Glo Ghana Premier League game.

On that same day, fans of Dormaa-based Aduana Stars chased and beat up the centre referee at their home grounds during a league game against Liberty Professionals. This is what is happening in our top flight football which has the best of attention so the least said about the lower divisions, the better. This continuous hooliganism will deter many lovers of the game from patronizing matches and indeed we must stop it before it destroys the game. All stake holders must come on board.

Fans and supporters of football must understand and know the rules of the game to enable them stop contesting decisions of referees violently. If a decision doesn’t go the way of your club, violence shouldn’t be the answer. But rather let’s allow the administrators and managers of our clubs to challenge them at the appropriate quarters. There are rules governing the game. Fans must understand it’s always a win, lose or draw situation for matches. We must be cautious of that fact. Referees must also up their performances since they have been blamed for many of the troubles in the stadia. Officials must always be on top of the rules of the game and effect them appropriately since they highly influence the outcome of matches. Referees appointment committees must also be efficient in demoting and punishing officials if found culpable of any wrong officiating.

Football administrators and organizers must also ensure tight security at the various stadia to curb the violence. I always see few security officers at matches that are patronized by thousands of fans. It will be prudent if more stewards are employed to help the police and military to reduce the trouble. Administrators should also be quick by drastically suspending perpetrators of violence and also impose heavy fines on them to deter others. Trouble makers must be suspended by the sporting and police authorities from football grounds for up to ten years if they are found guilty.

I must commend the disciplinary committee of the Ghana Football Association for suspending three clubs from playing at their home venues indefinitely just few days after their respective misconducts. Asante Kotoko, Berekum Arsenals and Aduana Stars have all been banned from playing at their home grounds indefinitely to deter others from the act. Football is the passion of the nation and violence can’t take the shine away from the most beautiful sport of ours.

Administrators can also hand out guidelines and communicate with spectators what are considered violent and ramifications of a violent act. Continuous hooliganism will dent the image of our game and for our country that was the first to win an Olympic football medal in African history, the Black Stars winning four Africa Cup of Nations titles, twice world champions at the under 17 levels and the first and only African nation to win the FIFA world under 20 title, let us all say NO to hooliganism and continue to shine in the game.

We are all one people, under one Ghana with one destiny and it’s only a joy to see brothers and sisters supporting different teams at the stadia. People in authority must emphasize that football is fun to play and that the outcome of a game isn’t the most important aspect. Thank you.

Long Live Ghana Football!

Long Live African Football!!

And Long Live World Football at Large!!!