Assessment 1: Feature Article

Football Firms

The violent subculture of hooliganism

Within just one month in 2013 two violent incidents took place in Athens, both close to the municipality I live in, Byron. The shooting of a member of Olympiakos football firm by a member of Panathinaikos football firm in the area of Pagrati, on the 13th of October, and the huge street fight between the firms of Ionikos and Doksa Virona in Katehaki Avenue, on Sunday noon 3rd of November. These two violent incidents created a storm of local complaints.

The safety of citizens was threatened in both situations. The first one took place in a night club and the street fight occurred in one of the busiest highways of Athens.

The fight in Katehaki Street

Although it may sound strange, this is not breaking news for those of us who live in Byron. Trouble with football firms is life-as-usual because our local firm,Blue Army, is considered among the strongest of Athens. Their great rivalry with the football firm of the neighboring suburb of Kesariani frequently leads to violent situations. Blue Army's presence at home and away matches is always both extensive and aggresive. This has led to the development of rivalries with other areas too.

The fight in Katehaki Avenue was a terrifying experience for all passing drivers on that particular Sunday noon. A woman’s car was completely burnt by a molotov bomb, and both the woman and her six year old daughter barely escaped the car in time.

I talked to the Mayor of the Municipality of Byron, Mr. Nikos Hardalias who explained his concerns about the ongoing hooliganism and his involvement with this problem:



Violent incidents related to football firms in Greece continue to happen in many areas. The task of combating the criminal subculture of hooliganism has no easy solution. Violence has deep roots in the football firms and the problems must be effectively faced in order to stop it.

Both hooliganism incidents that occurred close to the Municipality of Byron

The evolution of violence

Football firms are groups represented by the most passionate fans of football clubs. They were initially structured around values of brotherhood and dedication to the clubs. From the 1960s onwards England faced the "hooliganism disease". Football firms expanded their enthusiasm into demonstrations of support which rapidly became violent. The subculture of hooliganism gradually spread out to other European countries and became familiar in Greek society during the early '80s.

Modern football firms are quite similar to organised gangs. Their core agenda is to maintain their respect and street reputation through conflicts against each other. Criminologists and researchers mark the appearance of this violent conflict as the start of a new era, where the firms evolved into criminal organisations or marginal gangs.

The conflicts between the hated rivals are no longer an exclusive matter of sports violence, since they don’t always take place in football stadiums. The modern "gang style" members of the firms arrange fights in places unconnected with football activity. The most hardcore members act methodically and contact each other, taking advantage of new technologies such as messaging and social media. Following in the footsteps of the rest of Europe, firm violence in Greece has developed into something much more dangerous and relentless.

The typical arsenal of the firms includes flare pistols, knives, sprays and even guns for some really hardcore members. The modern methods of conflict put citizens and their properties in danger. Over the last five years the "firm wars" have become increasingly ruthless with many incidents like attacks on firm’s offices, fight rendezvous, and the destruction of cars or stores in rival areas. Modern hooliganism can be described as a new subculture of violent individuals, who no longer focus on their football club’s prosperity but on the rivalries of firms.

Mr. Konstantinos Kyriakopoulos, a well known Athenean crime reporter presents the recent history and activity of football firms:
  

Firm's fraternization

The fraternization of football firms is a modern standard practice between members of firms from different countries. They insist that the operation of these new brotherhoods refers strictly to the public relations framework of the firms and it is not connected with any violent incidents.

The real case is that during away football matches the fraternized firms offer protection to each other. Each firm appears with banners, flags and other identifying equipment of their allies to secure their safety as long as they are in their city. This “alliance strategy” often results in violent incidents with other local firms. 

In Greece for example, Panathinaikos was the first firm that made its relation to Real Madrid’s firm official in 1995. Since then, both firms have provided protection to each other during away football matches with Spanish or Greek teams. Other Greek teams have adopted this strategy as well in order to secure their protection at away matches.

"Hoolifans"

Hooliganism is now out of control in many cities of Greece. Many attempts have been made to restrict this dangerous phenomenon.The emergence of "hoolifans" is one of the reasons of its continued existence. 

It is widely assumed that all supporters of clubs disapprove of hooliganism activities. On the contrary, a great amount of those people are fans of their team’s firms and their members. They are supportive of their presence in both home and away matches and they excuse their violent methods since they distract and protect them from the opposing firms. Furthermore, many supporters care about their club's reputation. They may not be able to contribute to it but they are glad that the firm of their club builds an empire of respect around them.

As long as hooliganism is considered beneficial by the fans of the clubs the control of hooligans will become even more complicated. The fans are usually present at incidents that concern the firms, developing a nightmare for police who have to distinguish the hooligans from the supporters.

The impact of "hoolifans" on police intervention against hooliganism is of great importance. If the need for protection and reputation is somehow removed then the attitude of supporters towards the firms may change. Their existence will not be needed anymore. As long as "hoolifans" and hooligans stand united, the task of the police forces and the state is not only blurry but impossible.



An interview from a member of my local football firm, Blue Army, offers greater insight in how firms operate and why their members are strongly devoted to them. My interviewee requested to remain anonymous:

Further Information:

Rookwood, J. & Pearson, G., 2010. The hoolifan: Positive fan attitudes to football “hooliganism.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 47(2), pp.149–164. Available at: http://irs.sagepub.com/cgi/doi/10.1177/1012690210388455 [Accessed November 23, 2013].

Γιάννης Φώσκολος, Κατερίνα Ρόβα, 2007. Ο χουλιγκανισμός εξελίχθηκε σε σύγκρουση συμμοριών. , p.1. Available at: http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22768&subid=2&pubid=101316.

Anonymous, 2013. Ο Χουλιγκανισμός στην Ελλάδα. , p.1. Available at: http://youngpeople.gr/?p=1390.

Σωτήρης Σκουλούδης, 2013. Επεισόδια λίγο πριν τον αγώνα Δόξας Βύρωνα και Ιωνικού. , p.1. Available at: http://www.zougla.gr/greece/article/episodia-ligo-prin-ton-agona-doksas-virona-ke-ionikou.

Anonymous, 2013. Σοβαρά τραυματίας 23χρονος από πυροβολισμούς στο Παγκράτι. , p.1. Available at: http://www.tovima.gr/society/article/?aid=534681.