Sport serves as a means of social control by promoting shared values, norms, and behaviours that align with societal expectations. In the context of football, this control is exercised by fostering a sense of community, national pride, and collective identity. It also provides a structured outlet for aggression and competition, which might otherwise manifest in less socially acceptable ways.
Necessity of Social Control
Social control is considered necessary to maintain societal order and cohesion. By encouraging conformity to cultural norms and laws, it ensures the smooth functioning of society. In sports, this control helps manage and redirect emotions such as aggression and rivalry into a controlled, rule-bound format, reducing the potential for social discord.
History of Football as a Tool of Social Control
The use of football as a tool for social control dates back to the Industrial Revolution. As cities grew and working-class populations increased, football became a way to channel workers’ energies and time into organized activities, away from potentially disruptive behaviours like drinking and fighting. It also served as a distraction from the harsh realities of working life during this period. The sport was promoted by factory owners and later by local governments as a way to encourage healthy, disciplined workers and to foster a sense of loyalty and morale within the workforce (Mason, 1980).
Political Use of Football
Throughout history, various political parties and regimes have used football to promote their ideologies and strengthen their control. In the 20th century, both fascist and communist states used sports, including football, as propaganda tools. In Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, football was employed to glorify the state and instil nationalism. In the Soviet Union, it was used to showcase the strength and success of the communist regime (Riordan, 1977).
In modern democracies, political parties have often used football success as a metaphor for national success, and politicians frequently align themselves with popular football events to gain public support.
Football as a Means of Social Control in Britain
In Britain, football has been used as a means of social control, particularly noticeable from the Industrial Revolution onwards. This use of football helped to manage and integrate the working class into the urban industrial society, providing a recreational outlet that promoted conformity and diverted energies away from potential unrest.
Industrial Revolution and the Early Uses of Football
During the Industrial Revolution, the rapid urbanization and the harsh conditions faced by the working class led to social tensions and potential unrest. Football clubs began to be formed in the late 19th century, many by industrial employers who saw them as a way to improve worker health, instil discipline, and reduce the likelihood of industrial action. Clubs like Manchester United, originally formed as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, are prime examples of this trend (Goldblatt, 2006).
Football and Community Identity in the 20th Century
As football clubs grew, they became focal points of local pride and community identity. This sense of belonging was important in cities that were experiencing significant social upheaval and migration. Football matches became occasions where the working-class community could gather, expressing local identities and loyalties which, in turn, diverted attention from the class struggle and political grievances. The ritual of Saturday football provided structure and regularity in lives that might otherwise be consumed by the toil of industrial labour (Mason, 1980).
Political Manipulation of Football
Throughout the 20th century, football’s massive appeal made it a tool for political engagement and messaging. During times of national crisis, such as wars or economic downturns, football was often highlighted as a symbol of normalcy and morale. Governments used football’s popularity to boost national morale and promote unity. During the Thatcher era, despite initial disinterest, the government recognized the utility of football in reaching and influencing the working class, albeit their approach was often more aligned with controlling rather than genuinely engaging with fan concerns (Critcher, 1991).
Football and Social Policies
Political parties have also used football rhetorically to connect with voters, citing football metaphors and engaging with football culture. The Labour Party in the post-war period and into the modern era often aligned itself with football’s working-class roots, using the sport as a platform to discuss issues of community and social justice.
Modern Era and Regulatory Changes
The transformation of the English Premier League in the 1990s, driven by significant financial investments and global broadcasting, marked a shift in how football was used for social control. The commercialization of the sport aligned with broader neoliberal policies promoting market-driven governance.
A prominent factor in the rise of conservative and right-wing libertarian organizations, political parties, and think tanks, and predominantly advocated by them, neoliberalism is often associated with policies of economic liberalization, including privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, monetarism, austerity, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society (Springer et al, 2016).
Football became a global spectacle, managed and regulated to maximize economic benefit while maintaining its role in providing social cohesion and national identity (King, 2002).
References
- Critcher, C. (1991). Football Since 1914: A History. London: Routledge.
- Goldblatt, D. (2006). The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer. New York: Penguin.
- King, A. (2002). The End of the Terraces: The Transformation of English Football in the 1990s. Leicester: Leicester University Press.
- Mason, T. (1980). Association Football and English Society, 1863-1915. Brighton: Harvester Press.
- Riordan, J. (1977). Sport in Soviet Society: development of sport and physical education in Russia and the USSR. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Springer, S., Birch, K., & MacLeavy, J. (Eds.). (2016). The handbook of neoliberalism. Abingdon: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
[Written and illustrated with the help of ChatGPT 4.]
