FOOTBALL hooliganism reared its ugly head recently after the AFF Suzuki Cup first-leg semi-final match between Malaysia and Vietnam at Shah Alam Stadium. Several Vietnamese supporters were injured in a brawl between supporters from both sides. Hooliganism has tainted local football for a long time and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) must ensure that this evil is eradicated. Despite the assurances by FAM over the years, it has failed to keep the menace under control. It is easy to say supporters will be supporters, but that does not resolve the issue.
Some countries have taken strong measures as hooliganism is also on the rise around the world, and FAM should learn from them. There are nations that have learnt to get a grip on the problem. As these hooligans usually keep in touch and exchange information via the Internet, it is, therefore, possible to track them down and take action against them. Germany has introduced legislation allowing authorities to confiscate passports when it is suspected that hooligans are conspiring to gather and cause trouble. Police have the power to arrest these people, which was not the case before. The Italian government has also passed laws to stamp out football hooliganism. Strict security measures were introduced shortly after a policeman was killed when Catania fans went on a rampage before, during and after their derby match against Sicilian rivals Palermo. The government clampdown demanded clubs take more responsibility for security, including more closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) at stadiums, named tickets, electronic turnstiles, adequate stewarding and crowd-filtering areas outside the grounds.
Most of these hooligan mobs have no interest in football whatsoever. On the contrary, they use football merely as a vehicle to riot, causing enormous damage to the game. Fortunately, football violence in Malaysia has not reached a critical level, such as in some countries where deaths have happened. But steps need to be taken. FAM has made efforts to curb violence on and off the pitch, but what it is doing is not enough. It should initiate measures, like banning misbehaving fan clubs and enhance security. State FAs should think outside the box in terms of tightening security in stadiums. For instance, they should install CCTVs in supporters’ terraces to monitor and identify troublemakers. Plainclothes police personnel should patrol the seated areas. State FAs should work hand-in-hand with the police to screen fans at the stadium. Most importantly, body searches must be carried out on fans to ensure they don’t smuggle dangerous objects into stadiums.