DO WE really need to ‘Hate’ the opposition team and their fans?
Last night I had a conversation with two of the blokes from my football team about Italian Ultras, the fanatical supporters in the former Eastern Bloc, violent South Americans, complained about the timid nature of the A-League, and one, a German, recounted stories of supporting his home-town club.
His team are in the German third division, yet he spoke as if the hatred between the supporters of his club and their nearest rivals was as strong as the hatred the Westboro Baptist Church holds for homosexuals.
He recounted 1,600 of his fellow fans taking the 40-mile train journey to an away game where they were met by hundreds of police officers and smoke bombs and flares that were already raining down, thrown by the opposition supporters who had decided to welcome them. His fellow supporters stole a couple of opposition flags and burned them inside the stadium, apparently some sort of revenge for the previous game between the two clubs where 'like 200' scarves had been burned.
Upon informing these guys that I think flares and fanatical support are cool, provided it doesn't degenerate into actual hatred and violence, and that I don't actually hate Australia, I was told I don't have 'the right spirit'.
What on earth is 'the right spirit'? I love Phoenix, I go to every home game that isn't on a Sunday, and I lose my voice at every one of these games because I'm standing, singing, and chanting for 90 minutes. Is this not the right spirit of a supporter unless I beat up my mate Stefan for owning a Perth Glory shirt? Apparently, it isn't.
I believe that it should all stay inside the stadium, and on the supporters forums. At the Ring of Fire we might give the travelling fans a bit of stick, but we sit and drink with them before and after the game. During a football game might be a good time to vent your frustrations at your class rivals (Genoa v Sampdoria ), your religious opponents (Celtic v Rangers), or the guys that live next door (every local derby ever), but the danger is this fanaticism spilling over into riots reminiscent of the Hindu-Muslim violence in 1920's and 30's India.
Perhaps I'm an elitist snob, maybe I'm a pacifist Christian who believes in loving yours neighbours as you love yourself...actually it could just be that I prefer sectarian violence to football hooliganism.
It's like, so totally much more important than life or death, girls.
