Despite the fact that a lot of interesting and good things are connected with football, the term "Okolofootball", unfortunately, has an extremely negative and unpleasant connotation. To understand the essence of the phenomenon, it is necessary to plunge into the history of its origin and the events that are intertwined with it.
The very concept of "Okolofootball" closely associates itself with this sport. It includes everything that happens around football - bright performances of fans, chants, banners, quite specific slang, various actions both outside the stadium and on it.
How it all began
The history of football officially begins in the 19th century. It was then that the set of rules, the composition of the teams and the roles of the players were finally formed, the markings were drawn on the field. The game, invented by the British, became very popular in foggy Albion, and by the middle of the 19th century, football had become almost the main entertainment for the English public, regardless of age or origin.
The British government hoped to get some kind of valve that would "let off steam" from the discontented and tortured youth. But alas, football alone was not enough, and very soon sports fans came up with a new entertainment. After the final whistle, fights between the fans of the opposing teams began to break out more and more often. This "fun" very quickly took root in working circles and became almost regular.
"Okolofootbol" as it is
The hooligan movement associated with football began to take on its modern outlines in the middle of the 20th century, all in the same England. The fans began to form groups with a clear idea and strict discipline inside, creating their own coat of arms and a set of rules. Despite the colors of the "favorite" club, present in the attributes of the groups, their main goal was violence. "Okolofootbolshchiki", or as they are also called "offenders", began to organize off-site meetings with opposing groups.
By the end of the 60s of the last century, the stadiums of England finally passed into the power of "officers": clashes, fights and pogroms could begin during a match, the stands were divided into sectors, each of which was occupied by "its own" team of fans. True football fans were forced to stop attending football matches and the only outlet for them was television broadcasts.
They added fuel to the fire and the media: instead of a football match, one could often see the "officers" fighting, and articles and scandalous photos about their "exploits" appeared in the newspapers. Journalists believed that this was fertile ground for sensations, forgetting about the sport itself.
The situation around football demanded the immediate intervention of the authorities, and it followed. Many legal norms and laws have been revised towards tightening. For the leaders of the groups and the most brutal hooligans, a hunt was announced. Many of the "officers" received real prison terms, while the majority were banned from attending football matches for life. After the punitive measures, the level of violence in and around the stadiums dropped sharply, football fans could again attend the matches of their favorite teams, and fights in the stadiums stopped. But the story of Okolofutbol did not end there.
Tragedy in Brussels and its aftermath
Due to harsh punishments in their native England, reorganized hooligan groups (later called "firms") began to be selected for the away matches of English teams in the framework of European tournaments. The pioneers on the mainland were the "office workers", representing the colors of the famous football club "Liverpool". Their trips abroad inevitably ended in pogroms and violence. For their "exploits" in 1985, all representatives of English football had to pay.
The next European Champions Cup (1985) was supposed to end with the final meeting between Juventus and Liverpool at the Heysel stadium. But, unfortunately, instead of an emotional game, one of the most terrible near-football tragedies happened, which claimed the lives of 39 fans, and hundreds more were injured of varying severity. The illiterate approach of the organizers of the final match led to the fact that aggressive Liverpool fans found themselves close to the representatives of Juventus. The Italians were outnumbered and, in order to escape, tried to overcome the stadium's support wall. Due to the heavy load, the wall collapsed, burying people under it. This drama is described in detail in the corresponding Wikipedia article - "Tragedy on the Eisele."
After the incident, the football associations decided to remove from European tournaments all representatives of England for five years, and Liverpool - for six. Despite this, the British hooligans set the beast free - they conveyed to the whole of Europe that it was possible to “get sick” differently.
"Near-football" movements in Europe
Aggressive actions of British hooligans on the road provoked the emergence of "firms" and "offices" throughout Europe. By the early 1990s, virtually every country had a large organization of football hooligans. Groups with strict discipline, consisting of physically strong and healthy guys, could not be ignored by various political forces. Today, almost all existing organizations have a clear ideology, and often force actions with political overtones are organized by their forces.
The most comfortable environment for such "firms" is regions with an unstable situation. The most violent and aggressive groups have taken root well in Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Germany and Italy. The Russian movement of "office workers" is alive and well. Since the end of 2013, football players and even Ukrainian football players have actively entered the game. From their "feat" in the Odessa House of Trade Unions in May 2014, many people still run cold in their veins.
Ultras as part of Okolofootball
Describing the crimes of various near-football groups, the media do not hesitate to hang the label "Ultras" on them, without even understanding who they are. But in essence, this term has nothing to do with pogroms and carnage.
It is believed that this movement emerged after the Second World War in Italy. This is not entirely true, in Italy this movement has become popular and almost spontaneous, but it originates in Croatia. The very first club in Europe to have its own ultras group was Hajduk Split.
The main task of such football players is endless devotion to their favorite club and active support. They became the pioneers in organizing performances at football stadiums. The use of bright paraphernalia, musical instruments and pyrotechnics are all hallmarks of ultras at the stadium.
The most prominent representatives of this category today are the fans of the German club Borussia Dortmund. Their pre-match performances and team support until the last second of the game are breathtaking, but violence in these near-theatrical performances is virtually impossible.
Criminal subculture
Talking about Okolofutbol, Ultras and hooligans, one cannot ignore the destructive trend that has been rapidly gaining momentum in Russia and other CIS countries in recent years. It is becoming fashionable among young people to wear branded clothes and, as it is called, “ask for them” from other guys. A group of teenagers who have fallen under the influence of this "fashion", as a rule, attack lonely and defenseless peers and severely beat them. The bullying is filmed and posted online.
The frankly criminal movement is especially popular among teenagers 13-15 years old. Each new participant seeks to make his first "score" as soon as possible, shoot it on camera and brag in special, closed groups on social networks. A significant role in the formation of this shocking "fashion" was played by the very media that relished the cruel antics of criminals, calling them "near-football players" and "ultras".
Of course, the police react to such cases and punish the perpetrators, but the fight against this phenomenon in general is not being conducted. Returning to football around football, we can safely say that these scumbags who call themselves "offenders" have nothing to do with either "firms" or sports. Teenage violence, which is gaining momentum and emerging in monstrous forms, is the result of inadequate education and a backward, almost archaic education system.
So what's the result?
"Okolofootball" takes a variety of forms - both infinitely ugly and quite pleasant. Ultimately, it all depends on the people who wear the colors of their favorite team and decide to support it with their own personal methods. Despite the outbreak of violence and pogroms associated with hooligan groups, we can safely say that the bright side of the movement around football is showing itself more and more often.
In European tournaments, more and more often you can see "performances of solidarity", actions in support of needy groups of the population, and so on. The most striking event in Russia was staged by the fans of the Rostov football club before the match with the English grandee Manchester United in 2017.
Shortly before the meeting, the British government and the media actively intimidated Manchester United fans with aggressive and angry Russians, and therefore many football fans stayed at home. Those who took the risk and came to Rostov were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness and hospitality of the "aggressive Russians". All the English guests were given hot tea, and later they were given warm blankets so that in the cold Russian conditions it would be a little warmer for them to watch the game of their favorite team.
And you can also remember all the vivid, memorable details of "Okolofootball" during the 2018 World Cup - the original costumes of the fans, wonderful promotions, many touching stories. This is a multifaceted concept, a whole global culture, and what it will be depends only on us, the fans of our favorite team.
