Football in its modern form appeared in England in the XIII century, and already at the beginning of the XIV the Lord Mayor of London forbade chasing the ball in the city, as he believed that riots that regularly occur after games could be dangerous. Sociologists of the 20th century believed that football hooligans are exclusively people from disadvantaged families, representatives of the social grassroots and other marginals. However, more thorough research has shown that this is not the case.
Advertisement
In one gate: how and why respectable football fans become hooligans
The herd instinct
According to a 2006 VTsIOM survey, matches in Russia are attended mainly by people with above-average incomes. And a study conducted in 2011 by specialists from St. Petersburg State University did not reveal a significant difference in the level of aggression between those who are not interested in football at all and “ordinary” fans (this indicator is still higher for fans). However, even the calmest spectators of football matches are capable of yelling offensive chants for hours, and sometimes threatening to kill fans of the “enemy” team.
