Of football and the curse of hooliganism

Great sportsmanship is described as ‘fairness, respect for one’s opponent and graciousness in winning or losing when participating in a sport’.

Sportsmanship is also named as one of the best ways to teach children about life skills.

However, in Kenya your children would accompany you to a game (football) at your own risk.

Clearly, the fans of the game need a lesson or two on sportsmanship and the art of losing with grace.

A couple of years ago I was in Europe and in true ‘immerse yourself in life abroad’ style I agreed to go watch a live football match. This was not without much convincing from my friends.

Of course, they thought that my reluctance was more to do with my general disinterest in the sport and not that I had been scarred by the running battles and football hooliganism back home.

On the relevant day, I was extra careful with my wardrobe, ensuring that I was in running-appropriate clothes, should some showdown that I did not want to be a part of take place.

Never mind that it was winter and I was layered up enough to resemble an Eskimo.

I was determined to run if I needed to.

As soon as we got off the train, you could tell you were in true football country.

There was palpable excitement in the air as people made their way into the stadium, tickets in hand.

A live match is a sight to behold, from the 50,000-strong packed-to capacity-stadium to being close enough to the footballers that we see on TV, close enough to hear them speak.

The heckling is real too.

Fans are truly attached to their teams and the jeering and hollering that goes on especially when their opponent teams are at close range can be deafening.

It takes nerves of steel to tune this all out and concentrate on delivering your best performance.

That day, I felt a new-found respect for professional footballers.

In all this, the security in the stadium was impressive.

There were police in all the strategic exits and all along the aisles. Fans in regalia for the opposing teams were strictly sat in their sections and those who came in late were escorted by the police.

Fast forward to the end. After the goals had been scored and winning team cheered, I was sure the heckling was going to continue.

After all, the energy was still at an all high.

This is the point at which I would regret the first and only live game I had ever been to, I figured.

As we filed out of the stadium, I was on high alert.

Police presence was still strong though it did not extend past the main gates.

Contrary to the Kenyan narrative though, there was minimal animosity between the fans. In fact, some were walking alongside each other, chatting and joking about the game.

I grew up knowing a few facts about Kenyan football.

One, that if there was a match at Nyayo Stadium, (especially involving the usual suspects) we would have to use an alternative route home, preferably one that did not contain hurl-size rocks.

Two, that more often than not violence would break out after a match and you did not want to be anywhere close to the fans.

Two decades later, and we seem to be back to where we started.

Incidents of hooliganism in Machakos are testament to the fact that we have not matured or even started to appreciate the essence of sport.

Going to the extent of destroying personal property beyond redemption is a new high, but in the larger scheme of things we live in a country where people resort to violence against their fellow men when they want to vent their frustration.

The sad part about this is that it seemed like we had turned the corner in terms of respect for football.

More people, some who would never previously have thought of going to watch a live game, were starting to become fans.

Local football was fast gaining popularity as a weekend pastime.

This was just the first step into monetising the sport, and surely no one can say that the teams cannot do with some additional money whether it’s for boosting security or increasing the talent pool and better training.

But given that hooliganism only serves to tarnish the brand image, this is a case of one step forward two steps back.

I have heard mischief alleged around the administration of the dues that are paid for security especially where the police are involved but I doubt it would be a surprise to anyone if there was some truth to it.

Whatever needs to be done by the federation, clubs and the police, needs to be done soon.

Having a mediocre-class sport is one thing, but it’s another thing altogether to have personal property being destroyed with reckless abandon and with no recourse to the perpetrators.