A couple of weeks back good old Arsenal was in a quarter final match and they finally made it through on penalties. And what happened? That’s a very unwise question. Well they jumped all over the place and Arteta was study of happiness; that’s what they did. Show their unlimited happiness in their ways. But we’re not talking here about London or all the singing and chanting in the whole Emirates. We’re talking here about our own city.
I heard from credible sources that in a couple of places that quit a number of Arsenal fans took things too far and nasty things happened. I could imagine some people saying “Again!” Yes, again. Another football match somewhere in Europe disturbs the peace of innocent citizens which were minding their own business. I don’t want to go into details, because these days much if the mis/disinformation comes in the details. But then we’re not talking about dislocated jaws or bloody noses in case there were any. We are talking about whatever led to fights over something that happened in another part of the globe in another time zone. The irony of it all is that over there were just expressing their happiness in ways they preferred. We have seen no report of fans who went out to beat up others because their team won!
These disturbances, and the chaotic behavior because of what happened between European soccer teams never seems to end. Of course these days we don’t hear of horrific things like injuries and even loss of life in a few instances we were accustomed to sometime back. Still doesn’t seem the water is clear as the recent happenings have shown. The question is simple and direct; should the results of foreign soccer teams really concern so much as to lead us go out searching for fights. The funny thing is this time it was not that the other team had fans ready to fight back. The trouble I was told wasn’t between fans of opposing teams as it is the case most of the time. In fact I wonder if any of fans of the big English Premier League teams really know the existence of the team which The Gunners beat to make it through to the next stage. Usually skirmishes or even full blown bust up are instigated by individuals; individuals some of whom might have real hot and uncontrolled spontaneous temper not responding to any logical reasoning. Such souls mostly might be medical cases and could only be solved with the interference of the medical professionals.
But then even more worrying are those who look for the slightest excuse to start fights. Some of these too might be medical cases. But there are those brutes that enjoy hurting others; others who have done them no harm at all and the result of soccer matches could be the perfect launching grounds. What makes the recent case worrying is the fights, according to the reports were started by fans of winning team while there was absolutely no sign of the losing team having any fans at all!
Look, talking about football fans who just love creating mess whether their team loses or wins might not sound interesting. “Look you’re talking about bums who wouldn’t hesitate to do anything to create chaos would be waste of time. It would be like pouring water on stone where the water just rolls down to the ground.”
“Don’t you think such a conclusion is a little harsh? I mean there could be some who are open to logical reasoning as long as it is delivered in ways they could understand. Forget the technical jargon and talk to them in everyday language. I think such an approach would pull back many from the edge of the cliff.”
Isn’t that what they call ironical! You wonder if such guys have ever heard of that there’s this a concept (!) called calmness. Yes, even in football, calmness should be must be hidden somewhere in all the confusion that much of the time follows some games, especially between the heavyweights of soccer.
Say, it’s supposed to be any other day for most. You know that day which cases with such frequency it sends you if days are indeed cloned or something. Had it been possible to say, “Isn’t that the same day I ‘lived’ yesterday?” People are getting on with their lives all over the place and like always the weekend football TV shows are on.
The day’s normal progression goes into a nosedive after one major EPL game is over and there are these hotheaded youth who are out for some rumble and jumble. Here, too, it isn’t about football. It is about behaviors; it’s about how the nation’s youngsters are supposed to act and how they’re actually acting; it is about the existential-sounding question of why some among youngsters are always out for bust-up and the only thing they crave for is any reason which allows them to full their wish of punches landing on jaws.
Things seem to be happening over and again because we aren’t doing our jobs; because there are gaps in bringing up youngsters the right way as most of those involved on the soccer troubles are teenagers. Talking of bringing up children the way they should be brought up there was this scene that shook every active cell in my system. I was in this home and the three-year-old kid played with a water gun. He was aiming at all of us and you’d have thought there was an innocent child being just another kid. But the way he aimed kneeling on one knee, ducking and acting like he was hunting some enemy while all the while shouting “You! Stop I’ll kill you!” And I’m telling you this as eyewitness. You can imagine the kinds of films and games he watches. And to add insult to injury his parents smiled all the time! Only He knows how long those smiles stay!
Be it European soccer or any other sector of daily life I think cooling down the hotheaded youngsters is one way ensuring them the better future they’re entitled to.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MARCH 2024