Football as a sport thrives on its capacity to captivate not only the players on the football pitch but also the spectators in the stadium stands, communities where clubs are located, and those far away who are captivated by the beautiful game. If football was compared to a product which is manufactured from a factory and delivered onto a market, its key raw materials are, the football players, coaches, and the support staff who are responsible for delivering football performances in the stadiums and on the other hand, the ultimate consumers of football are the fans who either go to the stadiums to support their football clubs or follow it elsewhere on other platforms like televisions, radio, and social media.
One must appreciate the fact that just like any other commodity on the market, customer experience remains a dominant aspect to the football fan. Product package especially when it comes to his or her satisfaction, to a fan who has booked a seat in the stadium to watch their club play, feeling the intensity of the action on the pitch derives to him the best satisfaction and this informs his choice to go and watch the match live. However, due to the recurrent need to commercialize and develop the sport, the ambiance of this stadium environment has over time been upgraded and regulated to suit the full benefit of its participants and the spectators. In the modern game, the fans extend beyond those who are stationed in the stadium to many others watching and following the match on television, radio, or any other medium. And in order to satisfy all these categories of fans, deep consideration must be given to the events unfolding on the field of play and in the stadium.
As the proceedings kick-off at the start of a football match, players and fans automatically connect to the intent fire of passion from within in order to power through the next ninety minutes, delivering their all both on the pitch and in stands respectively. The excesses of this football passion which is usually expressed in form of lapses of emotional control by football players through reckless tackles and other ingenious attempts to win the match for their club is regulated by officials on the field, that is the center referee with the support of his assistants. From the perspective of those in the stands, there has always been a concerted effort to regulate the conduct and behaviour of those in the stadium stands.
The impact of the events unfolding on the football pitch not only captivate those on the pitch but also those in the stadium stands. However, unlike on the pitch where usually there is an acceptable arbiter inform of a referee, in the stands, order is usually left to the stewards or security personnel where they exist and to none where they don’t exist.
Over the years, football as a sport has made encounters with ugly scenes of fan violence and hooliganism. Across the world, the game is famed and rich with many football derbies which extend from country to club level and in every football calendar year, football fans are always braced for these football battles. For example, in the Americas, Argentina versus Brazil takes the first spot as one of the fiercest rivalries between national sides others include Chile versus Peru and Argentina versus Uruguay. At club level, derbies like the SuperClásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina, Fla-Flu between Flamengo and Fluminense in Brazil are some of the most fiercest rivalries at club level. In Europe, there are many battles at national level but it’s those contests at club level that have evoked more intensity and following because of their reputation and magnitude. These rivalries are unique and represent a lot of history across the different cities where they exist. Many of these battles have been uniquely crafted and many of the football fans across the world follow them as if they’re part and parcel of these inter-city battles. The beauty of it all is that it has created an environment of epic fanfare among football followers worldwide.
Many of the current crop of football followers in Uganda were born during the epic rivalries between Manchester United and Arsenal in the early 2000s, but without any doubt, none of them can attest to have ever watched a game between those two clubs that failed to end because of hooliganism or fan violence on the matchday. In as much as the action on the pitch has on several occasions become animated and fierce between the opposing players, there was never an occasion where this was transferred to those in the stands. English football presents the best case for how football can manage the immense passion attached to it and expressed in form of rivalry and acute fan following for its own commercial benefit. The principles have been properly articulated to all stakeholders within their football sector, from the players on the pitch, club officials, club management, local authority institutions but most importantly to the fans. In the English game, it’s the norm and custom that hooliganism or unsporting behaviour cannot be tolerated and the penalty for it is to protect the good image of the sport at all costs.
One stand-out incident in English football that elaborates its purist stance on hooliganism involved one of its contemporary legends Eric Cantona at that time playing for Manchester United, the player was suspended for over six months after assaulting a fan in the stands. It is no surprise that the English game has massively harvested from its massive advertisement base. Football in that country is more than a game, it is a product that has imposed an obligation to all stakeholders to protect its value.
In Uganda, football ranks top as the country’s most-followed sport with a deep passionate following mainly for the national team but this is not the same at the club level, although recently there have been good progressive trends.
Historically, Uganda has been involved in a number of derby games with all regional neighbours, however, it was the 2004 match between Uganda Cranes and Amavubi stars of Rwanda that raised the most controversy on the football pitch but this did not escalate into the stadium stands.
On the record, Uganda is not famed for incidents of hooliganism and fan violence at the national level. However, this is different on the Club scene where on many occasions, football fans have turned rowdy fueling violence and acts of hooliganism. This has in many cases been followed by fines and reprimands by the Football governing body, Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to mainly officials and Clubs. However, these measures have failed to curtail this malpractice and it’s a usual phenomenon for clubs to be docked points in the Uganda Premier league because of the misbehavior of their fans. One asks; why would a fan act in a way that injures his or her club? It’s no secret among football circles that there are certain groups of fans who have become notorious for their misconduct during football matches. These fans not only utter obscene words but also insult club officials and match officials with who they disagree. The discipline of those in the stands is equally not helped by those on the pitch, any keen follower of the UPL matches will tell you how there is a serious concern of indiscipline among football players in Uganda.
Onduparaka’s Rashid Okocha (shirtless) sent away from the technical bench after recieving a red card during the game against SC Villa | Credit: John Batanudde 
Onduparaka’s Rashid Okocha given marching oders away from the bench after being shown a red card during the game against SC Villa | Credit: John Batanudde
In a recent match, a player was cautioned after committing a nasty challenge on an opponent which on another day would have amounted to a straight send-off, to make matters worse when the player was finally sent off he instead wanted to assault the referee. This player was suspended by Fufa only to come back and cause further controversy when he led fellow players to attack a match official disputing the award of a penalty against his team-leading to the abandonment of the match. Players in the UPL tackle their opponents recklessly without remorse even after they have been cautioned. One can also argue that football officiation in the UPL must improve as on several occasions many of the stakeholders in the local game have vented dissatisfaction with the officiation of the games.
FUFA needs to stride beyond handing out fines and penalties to carrying out campaigns in order to inform the different stakeholders about the impact of hooliganism and violence in football. Efforts should be made to improve the local football product wholesomely, starting with the players and officials on the pitch, the fans in the stands, and the club officials.
Football as a business in Uganda has not yet reached the break-even point so as to make profits for its stakeholders and finds itself in a bend in which it must have a clean slate of all vices especially hooliganism and violence in order to attract investment and sponsorships. The message should be implanted into the fans that every stone thrown during a match chases away the opportunity of sponsorship to their club. This responsibility to tame hooliganism also extends to administrators of football clubs in Uganda, efforts should be made to organize their fans so that they can sensitize about the effects of hooliganism and violence. Passion in football must flow with integrity and respect for competition so that it can benefit football as a sport and business in the country.