Football fans have obtained a certain reputation for violence. Hooligans, they are called. But just because you are a football fan, doesn’t mean you can’t stay a gentleman. Learn how you can avoid getting caught up in fan violence.
Most fans are just passionate about their favourite sport. Still, anyone can suddenly find themselves in the middle of an angry crowd of fans. So, how can you avoid getting involved yourself?
Why football fans are violent
It is no secret that football fans sometimes take their love of the sport a little too far. Unfortunately, English football fans have developed a reputation as the most violent football fans. Perhaps this is because football is so important to the English people. The sport did, after all, originate in England. Since the first leagues in the 19th century, violence seems to have been a part of the sport, perhaps as a consequence of team rivalry and drinking culture. In the 1960s, however, the spontaneous violence that had always been a part of football fan culture was semi-organized between rival firms.
How to support your team in an alternative way
Football is a sport that instils strong and passionate emotions in people. In the eyes of most fans, football is not just a sport. It matters to them. It’s personal. It is, therefore, no surprise that the emotions of a game can sometimes result in violence. However, this can be avoided. You can love football and stay a gentleman.
Of course, most fans just want to watch the football match in peace, but there are a few people who get riled up to the point where they can’t control themselves. If you are one of those people you can avoid trouble by adopting a few changes in your behaviour. For instance, you can avoid drinking and avoid other people you know are prone to violence. Some people find they can direct their energy elsewhere by betting on sports. It may not sound like it would make a difference, but it can help you focus on the game instead of the fandom.
Why betting can improve your behaviour
For some fans, attending a game is not about the game anymore, but about shouting and chanting at the fans of the opposing team, provoking a fight. Get tips and tricks to online betting and turn your attention back to the game where it belongs. Betting can help you turn your focus back on the game, but also onto yourself as an individual. The group mentality of football fans can sometimes lead to more than just love and devotion to a team, it can lead to fights.
Betting will allow you to break free from the group and remind you that you are an individual within a group. Sometimes you might even have to bet on a team you don’t support. This will help you look at football as a sport, where you sometimes win and sometimes lose. Read as much as you can about the sport to bet more responsibly and to become a better football fan.
