The hooligan as ‘internal’ other? Football fans, ultras culture and nesting intra-orientalisms

Abstract

Football fans, specifically fan associations (navijačke udruge), are sometimes depicted as stereotypical of Balkan 'mentality', drawing on associations with violence, organised crime and examples of 'primitive' behaviour and attitudes at football matches. In this paper, I argue that the drawing of such associations may explored in terms of a nesting intra-orientalism, whereby non-European 'others' are constructed at different levels typically within a state, rather than projected outside to other geographical regions or states. On the basis of my experience as a member of an ultra-left fan association in Zagreb, I explore several characteristics of ultras' group participation -focusing on what they referred to as the 'supporters' world' (navijački svijet) and ultras' culture (ultras kultura). I label three characteristics that also define the wider contemporary 'everyday geopolitics' in the Balkans at present. On the basis of these three characteristics, I evaluate the hypothesis of a nesting 'intra-orientalism' and the ideological purposes it may serve.

‘Wildlife’: Ecstatic practices of hardcore football and music fans during Czech and Slovak post-socialism

“…Guilianotti -Bonney -Hepworth 1994). These commentators have considered this behaviour in relation to the commodification of the game (Redhead 1997;Williams 2013), social movements and politicisation (Testa 2009), masculinity (Hodges 2014) and criminology (Spaaij 2007). They have also conducted detailed ethnographic research (Armstrong 1998).…”

"Hooligan" - "Enemy of the people" or "Patriotic hero". The media construction of football fans in Serbia

“…У овом раду превасходно полазим од примедбе Рамона Спаја да се мора водити рачуна о томе да проблем навијачког насиља није универзалан, већ у огромној мери зависи од локалног контекста (Spaaij 2007: 414). Полазећи од специфичности "навијачког света" у Србији, посебно у контексту повезаности са политиком и државним структурама, покушаћу да укажем да законска решења заснована на "британском моделу", примењивана у другачијем социјалном и политичком окружењу, производе конфузију не само у дефинисању проблема, већ воде ка процесу "интраоријентализације" фудбалских навијача (Hodges 2016), односно, они се перципирају као својеврстан "унутрашњи Други". Анализирајући примере из медија у Србији, показаћу како се у њиховом дискурсу навијачи дефинишу као "народни непријатељи", претња прогресу, метонимијски повезујући уобичајене активности на спортским догађајима са деловањем појединих припадника навијачких група у активностима директно повезаним са криминалом.…”

Barras Bravas: Youth Violence in Football Crowds at School

“…Both public and private spaces become platforms for these groups to express their desire to be acknowledged. It is common to see graffiti showing their team's crest or caustic remarks about their rivals, as well as simple marks signaling their territory and their membership to the subculture (Hodges, 2016). Gómez (2011) explains barras bravas as: "associations of individuals defined by their passion and enjoyment of football, which take the form of emotive communities" (p. 57).…”