Footbrawl

Association football is broadly perceived as a game riddled with spectator violence. While violence does occur, it is usually exaggerated by the media. Moreover, the problem affects many sports across Australian society and we suspect that more intense, frequent and sustained violence occurs in cricket, Australian rules and rugby league crowds.

A typical media response to crowd violence in 'Australian' codes is to reduce it to 'boys being boys' or to invidualise the problem as being the fault of drunken yobs. On the other hand football crowd violence is usually depicted as systemic – the fault of football itself or the ethnic communities that play it.

We will keep tabs on this issue by recording media reports of spectator violence across football codes and other sport in Australia.

Click on a link below to see media reports of crowd violence and related issues pertaining to that sport. Association football Australian Rules Cricket Rugby League Tennis Other sports Please contact us with examples we haven't picked up, other sports that suffer from spectator violence or suggestions about the 'Footbrawl' section.

DAS LIBERO Issue no.
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Sport violence books

All Part of the Game Violence and Australian Sport, ed Dennis Hemphill

Crowd Violence at Australian Sport, ed John O'Hara