By T. Avineshwaran
I have a message for Haringga, too. Whether it is through my writing or my presence in the stadium, I will do whatever it takes to raise awareness on hooliganism. There are many other Haringgas out there who deserve to enjoy the game and not be frightened by violence!
Thumping our chest, singing chants and galvanising our beloved team... Fans go great lengths to make sure players from their team are on their toes.
Football is a beautiful game watched by billions all over the world. Every country and every club have their own ardent following.
From Liverpool to Thimpu, fans would do whatever it takes for the game they love.
We love our sports, and if it does not go well, we tend to be very critical about it. It is natural for a human being to judge things and there is nothing wrong with it.
Rivalries make the game special, and derby matches are a sight to behold for any football fans. It can be rapturous, passionate and driven. However, it can go really overboard at times.
Banters and hate songs can always be heard in matches. Some take it, but there are some who would resort to violence.
Recently, an Indonesia fan was beaten to death by rival fans.
The 23-year-old Persija Jakarta fan named Haringga Sirla, was killed after a group of Bandung supporters beat him outside the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium.
The video of the incident was graphic, and I was speechless. How can fans of the beautiful game turn so ugly? What made them do so? What went in their heads? Did the team ask them to do so? So many questions were circling around my head, but I could not seem to find an answer.
Fans from Persib Bandung hit the Persija Jakarta fan with iron boards and planks, and as of September 24, Indonesian police said they have arrested a dozen of people for investigations.
The derby between Persib and Persija is not the only deadly derby in the world football.
Partizan Belgrade vs Red Star Belgrade is one of the most intimidating derbies as riots occur almost every time, resulting in fans getting injured in every derby match.
Even in a peaceful country like Scotland, the Glasgow derby between Rangers and Celtic can turn real rowdy. In 2001, a Celtic fan stabbed a Rangers fan to death after his club’s 6-2 against Rangers in Glasgow. In 1995, a Celtic fan was stabbed to death by a group of Rangers fans just because he wore a Celtic jersey.
I had my very own experience of rowdy fans in Malaysia. It was an unforgettable incident and indeed a day to forget for Malaysian football.
Together with my friend, we went to Shah Alam Stadium to watch Malaysia play against Middle East giants Saudi Arabia in the 2018 World Cup Qualifying Group A match in 2015.
Ultras Malaya has added colour to our football but on that night, it proved to be a black night, and they certainly showed the ugly side of the beautiful game.
In the 87th minute, flares were thrown into the pitch, and I thought it would stop there.
But no, fireworks were launched to the pitch and stands. Players were running for their lives.
Two fireworks hit our stands, and it was frightening, to say the least. Never in my life have I experienced such a thing.
The guys that I used laud were behaving like hooligans. They have been loud and boisterous but now, very rowdy!
If that was not enough, Saudi fans were attacked by some masked my believed to be the Ultras. I could not understand what was happening.
I lamented, “We always stand and cheer for you, and this is what you do to us? Even if the team is not playing well, we will always stand up for you because we always thought that you were the real '12th man'.”
Violence is a no-no and to resort to such a tactic is 'below the belt'.
Just like Haringga, many fans have been killed only because they supported the team they love. Do we need to go such lengths to prove our allegiance? We need to remind ourselves that we are not going to be worshipped by the clubs for being die-hard fans.
Yes, we love our countries and clubs, but that does not mean we have to kill someone. There are other ways to fuel your passion but killing, beating or vilifying someone is not going to earn you a medal of honour from your country or club.
Hooliganism is a plague in some nations, and even with stringent laws and rules, fans just cannot seem to catch hold of their emotions.
In some cases, it does necessarily translate to sporting rivalry but political fanaticism and extreme social behaviour by people who almost certainly could not care less about the game itself.
Sometimes, even players are not spared from hooliganism. In 2014, Albert Dominique Ebosse Bodjongo Dika was struck on the head by a projectile thrown by a disgruntled fan while his team, JS Kabylie and opposition side USM Algier were leaving the field after their 2-1 defeat against Alger. That incident proved fatal for the young Cameroonian.
Hooliganism is something that I despise in football. You can be passionate but not violent. Some fans can be imbeciles when it comes to controlling their temper and emotions!
In 2014, I chatted with the former leader of Ultras Malaya, and he justified that violence happens because in his own words, “There is too much love for the team and colours. If we have to fight somebody, we will - and be proud of it!"
When asked if violence was wrong in any circumstance, he said “This is how we honour the colours. People may object to it - and it is perfectly right for them to do so - but we will stand by our colours.”
They have their own rational, but there are limits to everything. To the extent of killing someone or in some cases, many people - It is not right at all. PERIOD!
Match-fixing, power tussles within football associations and hooliganism are elements that are tarnishing the reputation of the game.
Football these days is like a rose surrounded by so many thorns. We want to feel the beauty of its petals, but somehow the thorns will ruin it. FIFA have taken steps to counter hooliganism, but it just does not seem to work in some countries.
Are the associations in each of these countries doing their part to curb it? In Malaysia, if anything unruly happens, the state FAs will be fined or worst case scenario, play in an empty stadium.
Has it worked? It seems to be working, but some people just don't look to learn their lesson. Lighting up flares to me is not that dangerous but throwing objects from the stands - That's a no-no. It always happens in Malaysia!
Awareness should be created, and it is great to see professional players using social media as a platform to create that awareness.
All they want to do is to play the beautiful game instead of fearing for their lives. We cannot stop hooliganism in one day. Associations are doing their part to curb it but we, as fans should also play our role in raising that awareness.
I hope fans will now understand how grave hooliganism is. Banter can be funny at times but going overboard will aggravate things!
Authorities may come up with rules and laws, but people cannot just point at them for all the violence. Maybe it is time for us, fans, to be mature and realise that it is just a game, a game that is raking in millions for corporates and associations. It is no more about passion or dedication, but it is all entertainment.
Win or lose, players will get on with their lives and pocket millions of pounds or dollars. Let’s just enjoy the game, push our teams and remind ourselves that life is precious.
I have a message for Haringga, too. Whether it is through my writing or my presence in the stadium, I will do whatever it takes to raise awareness on hooliganism. There are many other Haringgas out there who deserve to enjoy the game and not be frightened by violence!