One of the latest trends among the Major League Soccer media has been to label rowdy fans as soccer hooligans in MLS. For their part, Toronto FC’s growing rivalry with clubs like Columbus Crew and the USL’s Montreal Impact has bred encounters between fans recallibng scenes from European football hooligans.
Such sensationalist media outlets are loathe to listen to reason, but glorifying the kind of hooligan behavior in MLS that saw two fans arrested last week gives the wrong impression of Toronto’s dedicated supporters, who are more Ultras in Toronto than soccer hooligans. What little violence does occur is nothing new in North America, with fan rivalries common in baseball and the NHL.
Hooligans in MLS
Make no mistake, these are not the organized gangs of football hooligans seen at English football grounds in the 1980s. Toronto’s fans travel with their team en masse to support, drink and generally have a good time. The fans' mentality occasionally spills over into objects thrown onto the field and confrontations with rival fans, hardly full-blown hooliganism. Heavy-handed police responses will only serve to further polarize supporters and police, two sides that should be in full cooperation.
Soccer Hooligans in USA
Columbus’ visit to BMO Field on Saturday raised the possibility of organized football violence, with the burgeoning rivalry between the teams fanned by the 1-1 draw in Ohio earlier this season, but the feared soccer riot never materialized. By and large, MLS’ fans are the peaceful type, hardly battle-hungry hooligans, and even those caught throwing flares seem to have been carried away by the ground’s famous atmosphere.
The young fan was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and mischief under $5,000; an impressive laundry list of offences for an 18-year-old portrayed as a violent soccer hooligan.
Soccer Hooligans in Toronto
In Columbus in March, things had the potential to boil over int, but the number of security and police – not to mention common sense on the fans’ part – prevented the hooligan violence that the media might wish had taken place. The sheer presence of officers, rather than their heavy-handed use of tazers on soccer fans to keep the peace, was more than enough to keep the fans from going overboard.
On the way out, the ridiculous decision to funnel both groups of fans, both Toronto's travelling supporters and Columbus'Hudson Street Hooligans (hardly the violent supportersseen in Europe) past each other in the concourse resulted in a destroyed fence and the potential of actual violence between both fans that would have justified the media's claims of hooliganism.
Football Hooligans in America
As fans left Crew Stadium that day, a police helicopter flew by overhead while eight cruisers whizzed by en route to the stadium. One can only imagine the frantic distress call from Crew Stadium calling for help dealing with rioting soccer hooligans.
Many aspects of the league have a long way to go, and full credit to MLS for some of the steps they’ve taken in recent years, but dealing with supporters cooperatively and safely - not treating them as violent soccer hooligans - has to be near the top of the list.
With increased exposure and more fans, there are bound to be one or two bad apples who call themselves hooligans. The league has to ensure they don't ruin it for everyone else.
Scott Ferguson - Law student and journalist with interest in politics and sport. I am the Toronto correspondent for American Soccer News and a regular ...
