Soccer-Related Violence: The Police Response in Australia and in the United Kingdom

The apparent growing popularity of soccer, as a spectator sport, in Australia makes this an opportune time, especially after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, to investigate its roots and comment on its future. The current A-League is the most successful incarnation of domestic soccer in Australia to date. As spectator numbers increase, clubs, stadium managers, spectators, police, and private security providers will play pivotal roles in the management of the sport. This paper draws on archival data from newspapers, official inquiries, football literature and statistical data to map the history of disorder and disasters at soccer matches in several countries. The causes of the disorder are complex and range from inadequate crowd control strategies to infrastructure failures. This paper examines both Australian and European history to map the effects of disorder at soccer matches and what tactics the police use to mitigate or reduce it. This mapping exercise concludes that all countries should adopt an approach of prevention rather than cure to overcome soccer’s bad reputation, returning it to a family oriented recreational activity while maintaining high levels of safety and security in football grounds. The chapter concludes that to ensure safety and security at football matches, the police need to constantly monitor their tactics and act proactively but fairly to deal with soccer-related violence. This year, as spectators were largely excluded from attendance at live soccer matches during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a unique opportunity to address problems and issues to ensure the safety and security of football fans into the future.