Violence in Sport…
Mr. P. Leighton
Contemporary Sporting Issues
Socio-Cultural Studies.
Today’s Session…
Understand the issues surrounding
violence in sport.
 Look at some examples of both player and
spectator violence.
 Understand the problems and possible
solutions to violence in sport.

Aggression Vs. Assertion…
CONTROLLED AGGRESSION (Assertion) is
a fundamental part of sport.
 However, when it spills over into an
uncontrolled situation serious injury can
occur.
 Violence on the streets= Criminal Offence
 Violence in sport= sometimes endorsed or
partially penalised.

Violence in Sport: A History…

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Sport and violence have
always gone hand-in-hand
historically- examples?
 Remember our work on
surviving ethnic sports?
 Mob football is still
characterised by violence and
brutality today!

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After 1850, however, sport
became more associated with
fair play and sportsmanshipwhy?
Games were not taken to
seriously in the schools, taking
part was more important.
Physicality Vs. Gentlemanly
conduct?
Sports were played to the
letter of the law- the Victorians
thrived upon the rigidity of
rules and sport was no
different.
Violence in Sport: Today…
Times have changed!
 Amateurish attitudes
have begun to be
squeezed out of
sport.
 Stakes are highmoney is the main
aim and stadia
become like
“Cauldrons” for
performers.


Gamesmanship is now
commonplace!
Some Key Terms…

Sportsmanship: Fair play throughout sport.

Gamesmanship: Stretching the rules to
gain an unfair advantage.

Deviance: (in sport) Seriously breaking the
rules and norms (of sport)
Violence by Participants…

This can be categorised and explained in the following terms…

Cheating: A
blatant
infringement
of the rules
and codes and
a disregard of
the values of
sport.

Health:
Causes
injury and
physical
damage,
can be life
threatening

Legality:
Against the
laws of the
land and is
more
noticeable in
sport through
punishments.

Role
Modelling:
Elite sports
performers have
a responsibility
to young
people.
The possible causes of violence by
players…
Emotional
Intensity
Crowd Behaviour
Importance of
The result
Nature of the game
Causes of
Violence…
Weapons
De-Humanised view
Of the opposition
Provocation
Disappointment and
Frustration
TECHNOLOGY:
Video playback to assess
and adjudicate on
Unfair play.
GREATER NUMBERS/
MORE AUTHORITY:
Referees, umpires
And linesmen.
Possible solutions
To the problem…
EDUCATION:
NGB’s and clubs to instil
Ethos of fair play in
performers
RULE CHANGES:
Combat the ways players
And coaches try to swerve
The rules i.e.
Rugby ELV’s
MORE SERVERE
PENALTIES:
Penalty tries, sin bins,
Yellow cards, bans,
Lifetime bans etc
Violence by Spectators…
“Peace, peace is what I
seek and public calm;
endless extinction of
unhappy hates”.
Mathew Arnold, 1985
Aggressive acts and rebellious behaviour
at sporting events is not new.
 “Hooliganism exemplifies to perfection the
difficulty of disentangling what is new
from what is old in social history”

Spectator Violence: A History…
The problem was around in pre-industrial days and
throughout Victorian England.
 Hooligan, a fictitious Irish immigrant family at the
time of immigration into the UK gave us the term
“Hooligans/Hooliganism”.
 Hooliganism raised its head in the 1960’s in
connection with the violent behaviour of
predominantly white, urban, unskilled males at
football matches…

Alcohol or
Drugs
Ritual importance
Of the event
Copied
Violence on
Pitch
Pre-match
Hype
Racism and
“Religion”
Poor provision
For spectators
Causes of
Crowd Violence
Controversy
Chanting and
Abuse
The score or
result
Limited outlets
For stress
Activity by a
Minority of
Violent
criminals
Diminished
Responsibility
Case Study: Heysel 1985…
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39 Spectators (31 Juventus fans)
were crushed to death trying to
escape a charge by Liverpool
fans.
250 Others were injured.
All in front of a worldwide TV
audience.
Italian PM Bettino Craxi said the
UK was “A country submerged in
disgrace by the criminal actions
of violent and irresponsible
groups.
Liverpool were banned from
Europe for 5 years.
Case Study: Hillsborough 1989…
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This had nothing to do
with hooliganism, but a
miscalculation and
irresponsible policing and
overcrowding.
95 people died after
hundreds were
channelled into an
already overcrowded
section of the stadium.
Resultant reports led to
more seating at games
and less standing room.
Promotion of sport as
“Family Entertainment”
Responsible Media Coverage
Improve Facilities
Control of Alcohol
Solutions to the problem
Of violence by supporters…
(Football)
Liason between police
Across the country i.e.
Wigan Vs. Milwall.
Use of CCTV to subdue
Violence and hooliganism
Tougher deterrents
Severe punishments
Separation of Fans
Key Words/Terms from today?