the power of soccer
Since the beautiful game was first conceived in England, there have continued to be issues that divide fans, while other facets of the game can unite fans as one.
Supporters of any football club will always be bound by loyalty to other fans of “their” club, even those from different walks of life they have never met. At soccer matches around the world, people talk about soccer with complete strangers, often just because they’re wearing the same jersey or a jersey that confirms their shared beliefs.
This is in contrast to the somewhat irrational hatred of fans of their chosen football club’s local rivals. Although they may be very nice people, they support the club from across town and wear a different colored soccer jersey.
Such rivalries are often quickly brushed aside when it comes to the international football scene when ostensible enemies unite to support the England national team and suddenly it’s English fans who take on the rest of the world.
It’s an uncanny power football has to quickly unite or divide individuals and groups, resulting in seemingly irrational behaviour, which can sometimes be positive and beautiful, but other times can be destructive and ugly.
Here are some anecdotal stories to back this up, a couple of them have no factual proof but have long since been enshrined in football folklore.
– On Christmas Eve 1914, during World War I, English and German soldiers are said to have lowered their weapons to play a game of football in the “no man’s land” between their trenches.
– It is believed that in some war-torn countries in Africa, fighting stops every time national team matches are covered on TV.
– The passion of the South American fans caused Honduras and El Salvador to go to war after a match between the two countries in 1969.
– In April 2000, 2 Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in Istanbul; the only reason for this was that they were supporting their team’s game against Galatasary from Turkey.
Soccer will always continue to divide opinions and provide a much-loved debate for many fans. Even fans of the same club will have many different points of view to discuss and perhaps argue. These are some of the most common debates that seem to be prevalent among supporters of most professional soccer clubs.
– Which footballer is better?
– Which club can boast of having the best history?
– To which club did the match referee give the most decisions?
– Who has the best football club owners in the Premier League?
– Who are your favorite players?
– Who would be the best XI players in history to play in your team?
– Which team soccer jersey has the best colors and design?
– What colors should the home and away jerseys of your soccer team be?
Overall, it would have to be said that the positives of Football Rivalries far outweigh the negatives and most of the disagreements only encourage healthy debate. Soccer brings together people from all walks of life, of all nationalities and from all corners of the world. You only have to look at the players and fans of the English Premier League to realize that football is a universal language.
Long live the Power of Soccer!
