In Britain infamous hooligans sow panic wherever they go, helping “to destroy the image of English football at home and abroad,” as The Guardian said. And several times during one sports season, the Monday editions of Italian sports newspapers spoke of “black” Sundays​—sporting events that erupt into a fracas of death, injuries, and mayhem. Sports facilities have become, as one daily newspaper put it, “guerrilla stadiums.” But such conditions are not confined to Britain and Italy. The Netherlands, Germany, the Soviet Union, Spain, and many other countries are having to tackle the same problem.

The “War of the Fans”

Certain fans, their aggressiveness whipped up by the mass media, give vent to their baser instincts at sporting events. In soccer the Italian ultrà or the British hooligans gather together behind banners bearing titles such as “Red Army” or “Tiger Command.” The soccer fan, as one hooligan said, “wants to fight, to conquer the territory of the opposition.” In the stands of the stadiums, the conditions are very much like those in the ancient Roman arenas, where the spectators incited the gladiators to slaughter their adversaries. And the chorus of incitement of the fans is punctuated by obscenities and racist slogans.

Fans often carry dangerous weapons. Searches made by the police before the start of some matches have brought to light full-scale arsenals​—knives, flare pistols, billiard balls. Clouds of steel-tipped darts have rained down on the stands of British stadiums!

Government Intervention

The resolution of the European Parliament exhorted governments to take strong measures to stem the violence in sports. The British government, for example, has taken such steps under the direction of its prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Mrs. Thatcher has insisted on the adoption of more stringent laws, such as compulsory identity cards for access to stadiums. If their holders are found guilty of acts of violence, the cards will be withdrawn. Additionally, in Britain there are plans to build or restructure sports facilities to equip them with closed-circuit television cameras for surveillance of the fans, to erect barriers to separate opposing supporters, and to eliminate any inflammable material whatsoever. Policemen have infiltrated gangs of hooligans, the most violent fans, in order to identify their ringleaders and arrest them.

On a normal day on the British soccer calendar, about $700,000 is spent on just police protection.