Why authoritarians and hooligans attack through football
England and Scotland set to battle at Twickenham today for Calcutta Cup
FOOTBALL has been played by the state for more than half a century. With the sport firmly cemented into the cultural lives of billions around the world, its power to influence doesn’t go unnoticed by authoritarians.
Sports have become a tool to be used by governments to forge the more conservative aspects of the game: discipline, competitiveness, unbending devotion, an us versus them mentality. Parts of the human psyche that are embedded in football and have been exploited by a range of ideologies.
Italy
More from this author
In JAMES WHITEHEAD'S final article on the sport's radical roots, we take a look at two of the most radically left-wing football supporters' groups around the world
From Buenos Aires, JAMES WHITEHEAD considers the reaction to Maradona's death, his historic last season before it, and the politics of one of the most popular players in history
Pastor SIMON NTUMBA talks to the Star about the continuing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Similar stories
The Bill has been strengthened thanks to the tireless work of those pushing for meaningful change, writes JAMES NALTON, but questions remain over how effective it will be in practice
The motives for playing league games abroad do not lie in giving back to the fans, but lie solely in how much money can be made from them, writes JAMES NALTON
JAMES NALTON writes about the players’ union, Fifpro, who are fighting back against the increase in workload and added demands placed on workers in major tournaments