04 06 language and culture u3b

Be a Sport!

Hooligans
Hooligans and sports have always
seemed to go hand in hand like bread
and butter. Hooliganism generally refers
to disruptive and aggressive behaviour
commonly associated with different
sports, especially football.
Why do these people perform
barbarous acts?
When hooligans go to football matches,
they are generally looking for trouble
by getting into violent fights before,
during and after the match, which may
often end in deaths.
Hooligans even get into fights in the
streets, breaking windows, cars and
committing other acts of vandalism.
When trying to find a cause for this
behaviour, it is not easy to come up
with an answer. However, one of the
reasons may be that they are generally
under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

It is also true that the rivalry between
teams is sometimes more than fierce
and that these frantic supporters turn
their loyalty to their team into an
obsession that can manifest itself in
tremendous violence.

Although hooligans seem to be
generally associated with England,
this is a worldwide problem that has
existed for more than 200 years. As
a matter of fact, one of the earliest
acts of vandalism and violence in a
sporting event took place in Ancient
Greece during a chariot race. The teams
involved got into a massive combat
which ended in riots that lasted for
almost a week!
It is a real shame that the average
football fan cannot enjoy his favourite
sport because attending a match in a
stadium is not safe.

English Toolkit 1 - Language & Culture

Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond 2011

Module

3B


Module

3B
Activities
1Scan the text and answer the questions.

aWhat are hooligans?
b What could be the cause of their behaviour?
c How long has hooliganism existed?
d Do they behave this way only in the stadiums?
e Where is hooliganism more common?

a Hooliganism is generally associated with...
b Sometimes the reason for this behaviour
can be...
cHooliganism has existed...
d One of the main problems is that
stadiums...

1 ...the excessive use of drugs and
alcohol.
2 ...have become a very dangerous place.
3 ...violent behaviour in sporting events.
4 ...for over 200 years.

3Find in the text words that mean:
a The crime of deliberately damaging
things, especially public property:
b A situation in which two or more people,
teams or companies are competing for
something, especially over a long period
of time, and feeling the tension of the
competition:
cExtremely hurried and using a lot
of energy, but not very organized:

d A situation in which a large crowd of
people are behaving in a violent and
uncontrolled way, especially when
they are protesting about something:
e Causing problems and preventing
something from continuing in its usual
way:

You should not enter the stadium under the
effects of alcohol….

4In pairs, write a set of rules you think
could be implemented in stadiums to
make them a safer place. Turn these
into a leaflet that can be distributed at
stadium entrances.

English Toolkit 1 - Language & Culture

Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond 2011

2Match and make sentences.