Kazzie,
I think two things mark the main differences between a soccer and a rugby crowd.
Firstly, it seems to be that in sports where a lot of hard physical contact takes place, such as both Rugby codes and Gridiron, the fans are usually pretty well behaved and don't resort to boorishness and stupidity when the result doesn't go their teams way. Is there a way in which all the on-field contact satisfies the 'primal' urges of the viewers, who knows ?
Secondly, I really don't think it's a class thing that we see as being the main difference in how the vast majority of rugby fans behave and the seemingly large minority of soccer fans who resort either to violence or plain old obscenity to express either joy or despair at a result or incident. Nope, that's a simple matter of intelligence and upbringing.
No-one in their right mind would suggest that all soccer fans, or even a majority of them, are morons or anything close to it, and yes, as a working class guy, I also know that working class does not equate to stupidity. I've been fortunate to meet many people from all walks of life, some from very upper class backgrounds, and believe me, there are as many fools among those as among any other strata of society, if not more. However, it's a plain truth that soccer fans know too, that theirs is a sport largely with a working class following and is the only sport where this stuff happens. Coincidence ?
I love soccer, I played it forever as a child. I started playing rugby in secondary school and got equally hooked.
My partners oldest son plays both. I'd love to take him to Higbury someday (even thought he supports the manky Mancs !
) I'm not overly concerned about the likelihood of crowd trouble nowadays, but do I really want to give a 12 yr old the idea thats it's absolutely fine to verbally abuse anyone in the most unpleasant and nasty way simply because they support another team ? Do I want him to think that racial abuse is fine if it's part of a sporting event? Do I want him to think that it's OK to spit on someone, throw things at them or even assault them because they scored a goal against your team, or took a dive that got one of your players sent off or got them a penalty when no offence was committed (and I don't mean just fans here either) ? No, I dont.
If I take him to see Northampton play rugby however, I can be pretty sure we'll see virtually none of that. Yes, some colourful language, a few guys with a lot too much beer in them and a few submoronic types too of course, but no racial abuse, no fan violence, no unpleasant sexual innuendo against the wife of a player - one of the nicer comments often aimed at Beckham post his World Cup redcard was enquiring whether Posh indulged in a certain form of sexual pleasure - remember the incident when he gave fans the finger ? Uh-huh... Who wouldn't react like that ?
The behaviour of too many soccer stars is equally shameful. If they aren't simply acting like over-paid prima-donna's, they are giving the worst possible example to their fans - that violent, abusive behaviour is ok if the means justify the ends, whether on the field of play, in a nightclub confrontation or, seemingly, if some poor female isn't swayed by their fame into jumping into the nearest bed with them.
I'm no prude, I am an East London boy thru and thru, raised in Bethnal Green and Hackney. I like an occasional beer and the odd spliff, I have tattoos and piercings, I go to gigs to see the likes of KoRn, Slipknot, the Chilli Peppers, I think that Bill Hicks, a man who swore relentlessly, is one of the greatest comedians of all time - I can swear with the best of them when the moment requires it too. I've been in a few tough spots in my time and, on a very few occasions, had to fight my way out of them. The difference is I got no pleasure from it, ever. Was I scared and saddened, yes.
Sorry for the diatribe, but I've heard too many excuses made for these cretins. It's simple, it's not their social position, it's that they are just that, cretins.
I even had to wipe tears away,how sad am I!
D
!!!
