War Minus the Shooting?
GILL GOLDENBERG takes issue with George Orwell’s view that football is ‘war minus the shooting’ and suggests that domestic football has positive things to offer
George Orwell’s famous assertion about football sprang from the visit of the Dynamo Moscow football team to England in 1945. His perception was as much to do with politics as with football, and things have moved on significantly since then. Violence on the pitch (particularly in international fixtures) moved to violence on the terraces during the 1960s and 1970s and has gradually been minimised.
However, tribalism is very much a feature of English football, as evidenced by ‘derby’ matches in particular. Speaking of tribalism, what a joy it is (as Sussex born and bred) to have Brighton and Hove Albion firmly established in the Premier League, pushing against the dominance of London clubs, teams from the Midlands and, of course, the northern powerhouse clubs.
The Beautiful Game
I enjoy watching football. Why? Primarily because in essence it’s a working-class sport. Apart from a ball, you don’t need any other equipment to play – apart from the ubiquitous pile of jumpers in lieu of goalposts. As a team sport, it promotes a sense of ownership amongst players – whatever the level. Being part of something bigger than yourself is a positive experience for anyone in any situation. Many famous and successful footballers have started out playing in the streets as children – Egyptian international and Liverpool star Mo Saleh for example. Some footballers have had disadvantaged childhoods, and being talented at football has given them a way out, without them losing a sense of where they came from. Manchester United star Marcus Rashford springs to mind.
I see a game of football as a combination of individual brilliance (as one commentator said about Liverpool’s Trent Alexander Arnold “That boy has got brains in his feet.”) together with the tactical and strategic nuances employed in the game – like liquid chess.
The quality of some football commentators’ use of language to convey the action on the pitch is also impressive. They manage to combine off-the cuff comments with abundant use of statistics as well as effective metaphorical language. Some of my recent favourites are: “That ball has been kicked into the corridor of uncertainty,” during the Brighton v Notts Forest game, and “You don’t often see Guardiola’s heart blatantly spread across his sleeve,” in the Man City v Arsenal match.
Downsides
There are many downsides to men’s professional football. On the pitch, it’s the employment of fake rolls of agony by some players after being tackled, a tactic not really used as a ploy in women’s football. it’s the hostile and aggressive intimidation of the referee – although this seems to be changing this season with the rule that only the captain can challenge the referee’s decisions.
Off the pitch itself, it’s the incessant pushing of betting sites by the electronic advertising hoardings, as well as through Sky TV coverage. it’s the ownership of some clubs by overseas billionaires with debatable track records on human rights. it’s the unforgivable racist abuse coming from the stands as well as social media platforms.
It is not the astronomical wages paid to individual players in the Premier League for the 10 – 15 years of their playing career. I much prefer them being rewarded for entertaining millions of fans every week, rather than top executives of Water Companies being paid eye-watering salaries with ridiculously excessive bonuses for doing an appalling job.
The game of football in the grand scheme of things is an irrelevance. But it’s a wonderful distraction from the depressing state of the world. It has the capacity to bond and divide people simultaneously. The spontaneous game of football played during The First World War between English and German soldiers, which unfolded in the trenches over Christmas 1914, demonstrates the capacity that football has to transcend differences and unite people, if only momentarily.
However, it would be naïve to suggest that football is a panacea to conflicts in society. Orwell’s comment was about international sporting events. Current international football fixtures see some ugly, violent scenes unfolding both inside and outside stadiums. The scenes at the 2022 UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France demonstrate how quickly things can turn into chaos. Mass partisan crowds are likely to reflect socio-economic issues, and economic hardships are the fuel of division, however much you enjoy football.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply