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In any sport event spectators play a major part. The spectacle is only raved up as fans put on their act. It is absolute fun being present at sport manifestations when even the most reserved will forget all inhibitions and in no time is seen chanting, booing, screaming, dancing and cheering like the rest of the crowd. Millionaires mix with those on the dole, university professors swap gowns for club shirts, economists and politicians forget the world’s woes which always seem to be their favourite topic and mingle with human mortals as the stands are turned into classless jungles. These scenes are regular occurrences in indoor disciplines like basketball, volleyball, ice-hockey and five-a-side football, but equally evident in outdoor games like tennis, water-polo, athletics and football. Such spectacles keep sport going. Fans are entrancingly part of the game.
Football is tops for family entertainment. Not without noisy crowds. Discussing the spectators’ subject with Ernest Walker, who was Chairman of UEFA’s committee for safety in Stadia, he insisted that football grounds must be ‘an entertainment arena for all the family’. Unfortunately the occasional violent behaviour and hooliganism give football a really bad name! It’s a pity!
In every country the public has its own way of showing support. Maybe the styles vary, but the effect is equally spectacular, noisy and entertaining with or without drums and bands in attendance. Desmond Morris, famous for his unique way of looking at the human race (‘The Naked Ape’, ‘Manwatching’ and ‘Gestures’) referred to football fans as tribal followers in his systematic analysis of this strange and savage ‘Soccer Tribe’. He had based his far and wide experiences on the seventies. Since then the clubs introduced seats for each ticket buyer, close-circuit television, and employ a number of stewards for smoother control. However the festive carnival at football matches did not change. Possibly it is more organised.
Car cades, moonies, loonies, exhibitionists, streakers, loyalties, experts, eccentrics, wild men, nutters, and all tribal followers make the game what it is, while bugles, horns, scarves, the throwing of confetti or paper storm, as the South Americans refer to this peculiar speciality, synchronised clapping, smoke bombs and a forest of colourful flags make every match special.
Singing nation
The atmosphere that English fans create is unique. They never stop supporting their favourites even when the going is bad. After the final whistle they will still salute their heroes irrespective of the result. It is a tradition which seems unknown on the continent.
England is a singing nation. It is not just ‘Abide with me O Lord’ on Cup Final day, or ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ when Eriksson’s selection is taking the field. Inside every stadium, you are assured of a lively, two-hour repertoire of current and old hits which make the ‘Beautiful game’ just sheer magic. The Kops’ version of Oscar Hammerstein - Richard Rogers’ all time hit, ‘You’ll never walk alone’ as the Reds trod onto the soil at Anfield Road, makes tens of thousands emotional.
It is known that certain spectators get their way through the turnstiles merely for the spectacle on the stands more than anything else, and that includes the fare offered on the field of play!
In Italy the choreography takes some beating, especially during derbies and for historic rivalries. The megacolours and meaningful slogans cannot be ignored. In Spain where the players’ individual technique is second to none, the possession game is accompanied by the traditional ‘ole….o…ole’ to the continuous rhythmical beat of deafening drums. The Greeks’ inferno by the home supporters is equally electrifying.
To each his own. The mixed cocktail which is so evident during international championships like the World Cup and Euro Championships is a clear example.
Organised passionate support by noisy, face-painted, banner-waving followers accompanied by the traditional background music creates a fantastic spectacle. The game is dead without the continuous roars from the stands. The Champions League tie between AC Roma and Real Madrid played behind closed doors at the Olimpico was not real. The stadia are not shrines for meditation. Choruses made of thousands go through their repertoires which include songs of praise and hymns of hate!
Soccer is mass entertainment. It is an all-weather theatre. Gone are the rattles, but horns, scarves and gigantic club- coloured flags reign supreme. Top class basketball played in magnificent arena and majestic indoor halls offer similar scenes. The writer was lucky to be present for a Euro championship match at the impressive Peace and Friendship Stadium in Pireaus, when there must have been thousands more than the 15,000 capacity.
Ice hockey offers something different. When a foul is committed an organist blasts modern hits to cool tempers as rival fans join in an exciting chorus. Fans must be educated.
Model fans at Treviso
It was interesting to read that the Italian province of Treviso has started a school for fans. The aim is to reach 95,000 students and educate them on a correct style of supporting their favourites, whether its Treviso football, Benetton Basket or Sisley Volley. The axiom is to show respect for the opposition at all times. Treviso enjoys a reputation of being the best sporting province in Italy. The President of the Province, Luca Zaia and his colleagues deserve credit for such an initiative, determination and approach. They have set an example. It was interesting to learn that Treviso Rugby is not included in the project because Rugby fans always behave correctly. The innovative idea launched by Zaia should be copied by one and all. Only then can we talk of such slogans as ‘sport unites’ or ‘the beautiful game’, which sometimes is marred by hooligans, rivals’ clashes and racist chants. Zaia deserves credit for being the first to do something tangible. Others should do the same.
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