What is about soccer? Recently, this phrase is found quite often. And people associated with this sport in any way are well aware of what it means. But many of its definition is still not clear. Well, it's worth fixing it.
Definition
Near-football (or how else to abbreviate this word - OF) refers to everything that happens outside the playing field. These are fans, their fan traditions, songs, chants, banners, and, of course, the most important thing - a showdown between supporters of different clubs. Fighting, blowing up firecrackers right in the stands, setting fire to the flags of rivals - all this is about football. Moreover! This is its main component.
What was listed at the beginning is a peaceful near-football, ordinary. But everything else is anarchy, hooliganism and complete lawlessness. By the way, fans explain their movement as a separate subculture.
History
Talking about what is about football, one can not fail to note the attention and history. The sources of such phenomena are always interesting to study.
In principle, when the sport itself appeared, then about football came about. This definition, of course, came into the life of fans much later, but lawlessness among the fans was noticed in the first half of the 19th century in England. Even in those days, ardent admirers of rival clubs gathered, as they say, “wall to wall” after the game ended. But that hooliganism, which exists to this day, appeared later - in the middle of the last century, everything is the same in England.
Why did this kind of lawlessness continue to flourish? Everything is simple. The working youth had no other entertainment than football. It was considered the most affordable in terms of price. But over time, young people began to miss the usual pain in the stands. And football violence began to appear. By the mid-60s, the English stands were more than two-thirds full of lawless people. And not surprising is the fact that every second match ended in brawls and fights. They could not do anything about it, and therefore even some areas of the cities, where crazy fans for fights gathered, were declared restricted zones.
Effects
This is the story of the “Okolofutbol” movement. But this is, in short. All about okolofutbola and football hooliganism is simply impossible to tell. However, the consequences must be mentioned.
Take, for example, the Eisel tragedy. It happened in 1985 at the Eisel Stadium in Belgium. Because of such English football hooligans, then during the Juventus and Liverpool match (there was the European Cup final), the wall of one of the stands collapsed. And as a result, 39 people died (mainly Italians), many were injured. Of course, people were not returned. Therefore, UEFA decided to suspend all English clubs from participating in European cups for five years. “Liverpool” was given a year more. But there was one plus. Since the game was broadcast to the whole world, all the people who watched it saw the tragedy. And it shocked many hooligans. Most realized what football anarchy could lead to and returned to normal.
Slang
So, above it was described in some detail about what is about football. And now we can also note with special attention the slang, which is actively used by fan-made lawless people.
So, for example, the words “fittings”, “argument” and “iron” mean bottles, brass knuckles, sticks, stones, as well as other devices for fighting, which are used in it by agreement of each side. “Charge” is a chant. And “casuals” are fans dressed in ordinary clothes, without club symbols. The word “derby” means a match with a principled opponent. Commentators are also actively using the term, which has already become classic. Fantomas, dwarfs and pioneers are usually called young fans.
Performance is a show organized in the stands. And Omonovsk City - Nizhny Novgorod, so he was nicknamed interestingly. And the ugly word “Perdyaevka” refers to cities that are very far away and unattractive to travel. And finally, “Kuzmich” is a person who understands the culture of fans a little.
Modern stage
In general, as one could understand, lawlessness and anarchy - that’s what football is about. And, unfortunately, this movement has not ended. It exists everywhere, and in Russia too. A special passion is observed between the fans of CSKA and Spartak. It seems that the true fans of Moscow clubs hate each other.
By the way, about-football left a mark in popular culture. A lot of books have been written about this phenomenon. Bill Buford has released English Disease. Dougie Brimson wrote “Wherever We Go” and the book “Team”. The authorship of John King belongs to the “Football Factory” and “The English Way”. And Anthony Burgess released A Clockwork Orange.
There are many films. Some are based on the above books. And in 2013, a Russian film called “Okolofutbola” was released. Real fans took part in the crowd, and in the story they fought for those clubs that they support in life. And one of the episodes was shot right at the stadium during the Derby Spartak and CSKA.