Football spectator violence in the Maltese islands : an overview of the management perspectives

Abstract

The incidence of violence related to football has been with us just as long as the game itself. We have seen two types of violence, that which occurs on the field of play, and that which occurs on the stands. Hooliganism, considered as an “English disease”, blossomed from the United Kingdom and spread worldwide (Carnibella et al, 1996). The concept of ‘us against them’ creates boundaries between rival teams and within the same team itself. Although, the concept of hooliganism has been studied in different disciplines, not all academics have investigated its criminological aspect. There are different behaviours that form part of the phenomenon of hooliganism: physical assaults, vandalism, verbal abuse, racism, swearing, the throwing of missiles, attacks on the police and also on match officials. This study focused on the problem of spectator violent behaviour while also trying to understand the motives behind it and the preventive measures taken by the authorities. The methodology tools involved interviews with a number of professionals related to the management of football matches. Furthermore, spatial analysis was used as a supportive tool. The main aims of this dissertation were to identify criminological aspects related to football spectator violence, to access the need for public security and safety in our stadiums, to study how such events can be better managed and to explore potential ways of how delinquent behaviour could be reduced.