Is Today's Football Violence in the Public Interest?

Football in its varying forms is, without doubt, the most popular sport in the world. Whilst rugby or American football is almost exclusively played in western and Commonwealth countries, football (soccer) is by far the biggest global sport.

Since the mid-19th century, football has served to teach and stimulate physical violence in Europe and North America alike. Many anthropologists have suggested that violent sports have been promoted by the authorities for the purpose of training young males in the skills and characters that are necessary in warfare. Contact sports are not only considered to generate strength, courage and competitiveness, but above all they 'make fit people for defense, public as well as personal, in times of need'.

The Duke of Wellington is believed to have said that 'the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton'. To this, more recent historians have added that Britain's war successes, which followed, were equally determined by its sport tradition. Many historians believe that the Anglo-American world has developed efficiency and courage in battle from its experience of competitive sports, the emphasis being on physical courage, instant decision and action. According to this pragmatic view of contact sports, Britain and America's supremacy as military world powers stems in large part from their various football traditions. Wherever political or military circumstances require quick and instinctive action, firm endurance of pain and hardship or coolness in the face of danger, they can rely on their experience on the football pitch. Accordingly, football has been generally approved of as serving the public interest.

More importantly, however, is the fact that football is an inexpensive sport, which provides excellent physical exercise for many millions of people. Consequently, despite its inherent violence, football, in particular soccer, contributes greatly to public health and well-being. The participation in football also increases social involvement. Football contains social mechanisms for bringing people together and establishes cohesive and integrated social relationships.

Last but not least, football is a global industry, which generates public wealth and creates tens of thousands of jobs. Compared to the wealth and public health generated by the football industry, the direct treatment costs resulting from football injuries are relatively low. In view of these merits, the negative side-effects of football are generally minimized. The public interest in retaining today's structure of football is consequently overwhelming. In contrast, public pressure on sporting bodies to reform the game's regulations in order to reduce violent and injurious conduct in football is still lacking.