Full Description
Football hooliganism periodically generates widespread political and public anxiety. In spite of the efforts made and resources invested over the past decades, football hooliganism is still perceived by politicians, policymakers and media as a disturbing social problem.
This highly readable book provides the first systematic and empirically grounded comparison of football hooliganism in different national and local contexts. Focused around the six Western European football clubs on which the author did his research, the book shows how different clubs experience and understand football hooliganism in different ways. The development and effects of anti-hooligan policies are also assessed. The emphasis throughout is on the importance of context, social interaction and collective identity for understanding football hooliganism. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in football culture, hooliganism and collective violence.
Contents
Contents - 8 Acknowledgements - 12 Introduction - 16 Ch.1: Football Hooliganism: Concepts, Theories and Contexts - 24 Ch.2: Research Outline and Methodology - 69 Ch.3: Setting the Stage: On the Emergence and Development of Football Hooliganism in England, the Netherlands and Spain - 91 Ch.4: 'Them Were the Days': The Past and Present of Football Hooliganism at West Ham United - 137 Ch.5: Football Culture in SW6: Fulham FC, het 'Friendly' Club - 175 Ch.6: 'Rotterdam Hooligans!': The Origins and Evolution of Football Hooliganism at Feyenoord - 201 Ch.7: 'Decency and Tradition': Continuity and Change in Spectator Behaviour at Sparta Rotterdam - 233 Ch.8:'Orgulloso de ser perico': Politics, Violence and the Ultras of RCD Espanyol - 263 Ch.9: Cultural Heritage at Stake? The Emergence and Development of Football Hooliganism at FC Barcelona - 293 Ch.10: Club Cultures and Subcultures: Why Context Matters - 328 Ch.11: Transformations in Football Hooliganism: Formal and Informal Policies and Their Effects - 362 Ch.12: Constructing Hooligan Identities - 382 Notes - 424 Bibliography - 437 Dutch Summary - 485 Index - 494
