Hooligans. In Soccer? Inconceivable!

The first week of the World Cup matches in Germany has been relatively calm, until yesterday. Over 300 "hooligans" were arrested before the Germany vs. Poland match, see here.

This behavior is puzzling to me, really. I know that in much of the world, there is violence surrounding soccer matches. In the recent National Geographic magazine, there is an interesting article by Nick Hornby on English soccer hooligans. Why this sort of drunken machismo has developed over the "beautiful game" is a mystery to me. But it is deplorable.

Another recent article on soccer was posted at The New Republic, written by Franklin Foer, entitled, "Why Facists Can't Score at the World Cup".

I understand that sports sometimes operates at a symbolic level. When the USA hockey team beat the former USSR hockey team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games, it was more than simply a hockey game. Two economic/political systems were clashing, winer take all on the ice. But there were no riots, no mayhem at Lake Placid.

I remember reading of the Celtic-Rangers soccer matches, where the fans of each side were to sit on opposite sides of the stadium, separated by several empty sections of seats, and dozens, if not hundreds, of riot police. Something not just about soccer, but the long running feud between Protestant and Catholic faiths.

In 2002, the Rangers played Celtic in the Scottish Cup. Here is a description of what followed.

A total of 28 police officers and 50 civilians were hurt in a clash here between nationalists and unionists following a soccer match in Glasgow, according to a police toll issued Sunday.

The clash occurred Saturday when Glasgow Rangers, mostly supported by Protestants, and Catholic-backed Glasgow Celtic, faced each other in the Scottish Cup final, which Rangers won. Police and troops moved in to separate the rival factions and a spokeswoman said a number of plastic baton rounds were fired.

Petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown and one police officer was struck on the head by a breeze block thrown from the roof of a shop. One policeman was being treated Sunday for a fractured skull while others suffered various fractures and cuts, police said.

Another interesting read from 2001 about the Rangers-Celtic rilvary is here.

It's all very puzzling. Unlike the gentlemanly way Giants and Dodger fans treat each other. Or how the Giants and Dodger players treat each other.