# Lounge > Sports, Health & Fitness >  What's with footy fans?

## ExtraSlow

What's the deal with riots at football matches? Seems to be pretty standard, so much so that they need to keep fans of each team separate?
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58892367
Seems so crazy to this sheltered canandian. 
@tonytiger55
 and anyone else who understands European sports culture, what's the deal?

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## Disoblige

Another thread title that made me think of something else.

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## firebane



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## tonytiger55

> What's the deal with riots at football matches? Seems to be pretty standard, so much so that they need to keep fans of each team separate?
> https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58892367
> Seems so crazy to this sheltered canandian.
> 
> @tonytiger55
>  and anyone else who understands European sports culture, what's the deal?



Watch this movie. It will explain it...

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## Buster

> What's the deal with riots at football matches? Seems to be pretty standard, so much so that they need to keep fans of each team separate?
> https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58892367
> Seems so crazy to this sheltered canandian.
> 
> @tonytiger55
>  and anyone else who understands European sports culture, what's the deal?



The sport is boring as shit. Makes people frustrated.

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## davidI

I always thought Footy was Australian Football League.

To actually answer the question though, I think Football has always been encouraged as a distraction from the shitty politics here.

There are so many regulations/limitations to personal freedom I also think people have a lot of pent up aggression and angst. 

In a lot of regions, the football conflicts have replaced actual fighting conflicts due to the differing regions of the supporters. 

I'm sure there's a more historical explanation for all of the hooliganism in the UK for which I'm not aware though.

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## riander5

They tend to kill each other when not separated

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## ExtraSlow

> They tend to kill each other when not separated



But do they overrun the ICU capacity? 

In summary from above, Europeans and Brits are incredibly racist I guess. Like worse than North Americans? I did not know that.

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## civic_stylez

Celtic vs Rangers documentaries... hatred at its finest.

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## tonytiger55

Football(soccer) is not just a game. Its a part of your life. Growing up, one can go to the park or any patch of grass. It does not matter who you are, people will join and play. Take your sweater off and it can be used as a goal post marker. You don't need anything else. Even if its just two people playing. A brick wall to kick against will do. 
Football matches are played at 3pm on a Saturday. The atmosphere at the matches are electric. You dont just get people singing 'Go flames go'. There are actual songs sung. If a incident happens with a player during the week. By the weekend the opposition may have a hilarious song to wind up the team. Even going to the pub to watch the game, it great tradition. Even to poke fun and have banter. 

Last week England played in eastern Europe and the local fans were disrespectful. Now a eastern European team came to Wembley, London. Do you think any of the English firms are not going to fight back?
Peoples roots in the UK(Europe) go a lot deeper. A sense of purpose, belonging and tribalism. Being a former world power and fighting in two world wars will leave its mark in society. If you do not defend your land, society or way of life. It will be taken from you. You have to compete. Someone pushes you, you push back. This gets channelled into different areas of society and in this case its Football..

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## Tik-Tok

Also, alcohol.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Also, alcohol.



Don't be so quick to forget that it's also a solution.

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## killramos

Simple game. Small brain. Hulk smash.

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## ExtraSlow

Singing songs and stuff sounds cute, but why the violence? people get drunk at north American sports and don't riot.

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## killramos

> Singing songs and stuff sounds cute, but why the violence? people get drunk at north American sports and don't riot.

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## bjstare

If there's any place (population) on the earth that has a higher level of arrogant patriotism and inflated sense of self worth than the USA, it's definitely the UK.




> Singing songs and stuff sounds cute, but why the violence? people get drunk at north American sports and don't riot.



Probably has something to do with the fact that diving and drawing penalties is a major factor in winning the game.

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## ercchry

> Singing songs and stuff sounds cute, but why the violence? people get drunk at north American sports and don't riot.



**outside of Vancouver  :ROFL!:

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## littledan

Where can I watch the european qualifiers? Its showing up as TLN??? is that right? or uefa.tv?? I have DAZN, TSN, Sportsnet...

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## flipstah

lmao I just missed the rumble at the Wembley station

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## tonytiger55

> Singing songs and stuff sounds cute, but why the violence? people get drunk at north American sports and don't riot.



I dont have a complete answer for it. A combination of factors. I would say culture is one of them. What is the atmosphere like in a North American Game vs Arsenal vs Spurs..? 
Sports in north American is deemed as entertainment. Football in the UK is not. Its culture, its more than entertainment. 

There is a difference between 'Go flames go' and a whole song insulting someone. The songs are not always cute. They can be hostile(& friggin hilarious at times). Its like winding a coil. Its going to snap at some point. Singing 'Go Flames Go' is not going to wind up or start a fight with anyone.  :ROFL!: 
Games in north America seem to be family events. In the UK its mostly men going. In the lower leagues it becomes very tribal. 




Also people in the USA people have guns. If you riot or fight with the man next to you. How do you know he does not have a gun? People are not going to riot around women and children. But put a bunch of working class men and alcohol together...you might see fireworks on occasion. 

In Canada everyone is agreeable. Its something I have noticed and others who have lived abroad have. 
We are all immigrants(unless one is first nation). So a sense of roots, patriotism and belonging is not as deep compared to Europeans. Canadians fought in the world wars. But Canada was not invaded. In the second world war. Polish piliots that escaped were enlisted into the RAF. When the Battle of Britain began the British pilots were up for the fight. But they noticed the Polish Piliots were REALLY up for it. Their homeland was gone. Why would't they be? This gets embedded into the culture, identity. This gets passed on into folklore and children. Big wars don't happen anymore. The modern outlet is football.

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## killramos

So what you are saying is an armed society is a polite society?

Its weird. I dont remember immigrating anywhere.

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## ExtraSlow

I understand every word you wrote, and I don't "get it" which probably proves your point. I'm probably the most dispassionate person around, and I'm not even convinced I have any culture, so can't relate on either of those. 

Although I do enjoy wordplay and beer, so maybe I could make it work.

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## Buster

Soccer is only popular because poor people can play it everywhere around the world.

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## flipstah

What about basketball?

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## killramos

> What about basketball?



You need a hoop and a court

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## Buster

> You need a hoop and a court



And an air compressor

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## tonytiger55

> So what you are saying is… an armed society is a polite society?
> 
> It’s weird. I don’t remember immigrating anywhere.



No. I am saying there is a combination of factors. People reading my post should consider that and no arbitrary pick at one being the whole reason. 
Let me correct. One is either a immigrant, child or grandson of a immigrant here. This is one factor of many that contribute. You wont have the same roots or identity as someone living in Yorkshire or other parts of the UK that have generations that lived there before them. I don't need to explain that.

Edit:




> I understand every word you wrote, and I don't "get it" which probably proves your point. I'm probably the most dispassionate person around, and I'm not even convinced I have any culture, so can't relate on either of those. 
> 
> Although I do enjoy wordplay and beer, so maybe I could make it work.



Culture by definition is how people live, beliefs, ideals, habits. You do have culture. Everyone has. Some parts of it are similar to others around the world. You enjoy beer and banter. Thats probably the best form of culture and its similar to mine. 


There are somethings we wont understand unless experienced. It does not make us stupid or uncultured. I know this first hand when I went travelling. I would recommend going to a football match in the UK if you get a chance. It is something. 
Eating a chicken vindaloo in Calgary and running to the toilet is a lot different than eating Lamb Rogan Josh in India and getting Delhi belly&r going on a 12 hour car ride after). Somethings just have to be experienced to understand real struggle and joy.

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## bjstare

> Let me correct. One is either a immigrant, child or grandson of a immigrant here. This is one factor of many that contribute. You wont have the same roots or identity as someone living in Yorkshire or other parts of the UK that have generations that lived there before them. I don't need to explain that.



This is a great post to confirm my tongue-in-cheek comments above.


Anyways, my great grandfather was born here, so I guess I'm the great-great-grandson of an immigrant. How many generations born in the country before we qualify as "having roots and identity"? What's the average in the UK? Apparently that country is the authority and bar to which we must measure.

- - - Updated - - -




> And an air compressor



Poor people all over the world must be pumping their bicycle tires up with something...

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## ExtraSlow

I'm just a poor child of immigrants. Although they severed their ties with the old country pretty well.

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## killramos

> No. I am saying there is a combination of factors. People reading my post should consider that and no arbitrary pick at one being the whole reason. 
> Let me correct. One is either a immigrant, child or grandson of a immigrant here. This is one factor of many that contribute. You wont have the same roots or identity as someone living in Yorkshire or other parts of the UK that have generations that lived there before them. I don't need to explain that.



Did you just assume my gender?

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## Tik-Tok

> I'm just a poor child of immigrants. Although they severed their ties with the old country pretty well.



Did they invade Poland?

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## ExtraSlow

> Did they invade Poland?



I'm not up on my history, but I don't think so.

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## tonytiger55

> Anyways, my great grandfather was born here, so I guess I'm the great-great-grandson of an immigrant. How many generations born in the country before we qualify as "having roots and identity"? What's the average in the UK? Apparently that country is the authority and bar to which we must measure.



That is actually a really good question. 

How long does it take for a community to build and form an identity? Also do the other communities that have lived there accept you? 
That measure is usually the country the person has left not necessarily the UK. 
I could see my parents having slightly different habits to those from India. They were not always accepted by local people. As a second generation born in the UK. I was not always accepted, some did. I am not accepted in India by the locals. Now the third generation possibly has a lot more. Thats a interesting obersavtion from me. 
But do the other communities accept them? If there was a war would one go and fight? Muhammad Ali's response to this was interesting when he did not fight in Vietnam. 'No Vietcong has ever called me a nigger'. Being accepted by the society one is in plays a factor in that. 

Also a second point that I touched on. War and extreme civi disorder. Do you think that has a impact on your identity? If person A has three generations in a country. Vs Person B who has three generations in a country. But has fought for it and has children. Is that claim to the land stronger? Does that deepen the roots within the generations?

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## JRSC00LUDE

They all just mad they didn't have anything better to watch/play growing up.

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## killramos

Doesn’t everyone in the UK mostly all hate each other’s guts?

How many more generations until a sense of community forms and they no longer become immigrants?

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## mr2mike

> I'm just a poor child of immigrants. Although they severed their ties with the old country pretty well.



Until you decide to do a European tour and find your past.
They love that shit. Some NA going over for some history searching.

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## riander5

> What about basketball?



What he said rings true for basketball too.. look at what these NBA players are signing for these days.

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## ExtraSlow

> Until you decide to do a European tour and find your past.
> They love that shit. Some NA going over for some history searching.



My bro went and got pics of the house my dad grew up in. actually have some relatives over there still that I could talk to if I wanted.

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## ercchry

> Until you decide to do a European tour and find your past.
> They love that shit. Some NA going over for some history searching.

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## Buster

Donald Glover was right ... Chevy Chase humor didn't really hold up.

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## mr2mike

DonG lover

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Donald Glover was right ... Chevy Chase humor didn't really hold up.



I have nothing fundamentally against Chase but that was the most painful few min of YouTube I have watched in maybe a month. Why on earth would someone curate that scene??!

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## max_boost

> Another thread title that made me think of something else.



Wankers?

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## suntan

Fucking love bootys.

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## ExtraSlow

Euro football still sounds awful. 
https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/kick...tadium/sn-amp/

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## killramos

Everyone I know who advocates for it, like to tell me its an experience.

That tells me all I need to know.

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## davidI

It is an experience.

I had a great time watching the match between Partizan and Red Star a couple years back despite a slight fear for my life. When I left the stadium was on fire, there was a police/military helicopter circling overhead, and fully geared riot police / military lining the streets to keep the fans apart.

Both sides waved flags of killed/dead supporters.

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## ExtraSlow

That sounds awful.

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## bjstare

> That sounds awful.



Funny, as I got to the end of that post, my inner monologue was “that sounds fucking awful”, coinciding almost perfectly to reading your post.

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## davidI

> That sounds awful.






> Funny, as I got to the end of that post, my inner monologue was “that sounds fucking awful”, coinciding almost perfectly to reading your post.



To each their own I guess. I was smiling ear to ear the entire match, though I'm not a fan of football in general.

It certainly makes a big dog named Harvey running around on ice as entertainment seem a bit ridiculous tbh.

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## Buster

Why bother playing the boring game. Just skip straight to the riots.

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## ExtraSlow

Probably different, but not sure where else to put this.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...football-match

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## ExtraSlow

Stay classy soccer.

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/soc...eeper-attacked

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