Football Culture – Term Paper

Essay on Football Culture

Culture is a way of living of a group of people- their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols which they accept, generally without dispute, and that are passed along through communication and practice from one generation to another. It consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior learned. Conveyed by symbols, constituting the unique achievement of individual sets, including their personifications. In artifacts; the essential main of culture consists of shared ideas and mostly their attached ethics; culture structures may, on the one hand, be considered products of action, and on the contrary, as conditioning effects upon further deed (Pearson n.p).

More than 240 million population all over the world play soccer often as to the Federation International of Football Association (FIFA). The game has grown from the sport of striking an animal-hide ball around to the World Cup sport it is today (Pearson n p).

The history of football goes back to over 2,000 years ago into ancient China. Greece, Rome, and some countries in Central America also claim to have started the sport; nevertheless, it was England that advanced soccer, or what the many people around the world refer to as “football,” as the game we know today. The English get recognized with bringing the first uniform rules to the match, including punishing against tripping opponents and holding the ball with hands (Pearson n.p).

Recent Football Changes

More rules get implemented as the game advanced and more historical milestones set. The penalty kick presented in 1891. FIFA became an affiliate of the International Football Association Board of Great Britain in 1913. The yellow and red cards got introduced 1970 World Cup finals. Recent changes include goalkeepers getting barred from handling intentional back passes in 1992 and challenges from behind red-carded and penalties in 1998 (Pearson n.p).

Football is a very common sport in several countries all over the world, and most people become obsessed with the teams they back. “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that” (Coach Bill Shankly 12). Although football is considered necessary all around the world, there is a particular obsession in England which may be because of the sport’s history (Pearson n p).

It has gathered a broad fan base and has also have provided job opportunities to millions of people worldwide. In fact, in every stable country, there exists a football league. The most common and followed leagues in the world include; English Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain). The four countries host the most popular football leagues in the world. England tops the fan base count followed by Spain (Garrahan n.p).

Talented Football Players

Football always focuses on the talented people who have unique skills in handling a soccer ball. Most talented players play football as a source of entertainment and passion. However, recently, there is the emergence of the league that flood money is hiking the salaries of player, hiking the release clauses and even allowances that are unaffordable to other clubs. It has, in turn, changed the players’ interest largely to money. It has denied the smaller clubs, which doesn;t have important financial chest access to quality and talented players. Most talented players become highly valued regarding money and even salaries. It has even brought conflicts in teams as players compete for higher wages and recognition. FIFA tried to curb this aspect by introducing the financial fair play rules. However, it seems hard for the body to control the clubs; activities since they use the weaknesses of the law to their advantage (Garrahan n.p).;

The emergence of new leagues in countries such as China, Japan, and the USA, leads to inflation of salaries for players since these countries possess large amounts money. They buy players from the developed leagues at very high prices and offer them inflated salaries. The salaries being high the talented and unique players leave their teams and join these luxurious clubs. It leads even to indiscipline of players when they are not allowed to leave their current clubs. Others even demand and boycott training or even playing if the salaries increases do not get increased (Garrahan n.p).;

The football governing board (FIFA) should try and formulate new and airtight laws to seek to restrict further rot in the industry. The specific countries; football governing body should also try and come up with rules and guidelines to help curb this tendency. In the event it is left to thrive, the original meaning and purpose of football will be lost (Garrahan n.p).

Racism in Football

Racism recently has brought an uproar of problems in the football industry in the world. Racism in football is the abuse of team players, administrators, and fans due to their skin color, race, or background. Some may get targeted because of their friendship with an opposing team. Nonetheless, there have been occasions of players being targeted by their fans. Since no one can decide sources of talent, whether a player possesses black or white race, doesn;t warrant them harassed because of the same. There is the emergence of bad behavior mostly by fans to abuse or boo a player due to his color. It demotivates the player concerned making them feel unwanted killing his desire to play. It has significantly reduced the quality of football since some players fear of abuse. In the leagues where racism is prevalent, the player tends to distance themselves hence the teams of the league are limited to the race which does not face abuse (Rank n p).

The issue of racism has hit the football governing body where they are trying to educate the fans and even the players on the effects of racism. It is much evident in big games where banners of ;say no to racism; are always displayed on fields. Sometimes they are attached to players; uniforms. It has significantly helped in the move to campaign against the racism. Heavy fines also apply to the clubs in case their fans get engaged in racism activities. It has, in turn, challenged teams around the world to deploy security personnel in pitches where they identify fans who are involved in racism-related activities. The fans later get punished by fine or ban from entering any football stadium in the world. The move has cases of racial abuse in the stadiums drastically; (Rank n.p);

In conclusion, football culture is continuing to grow day by day gathering more fans and investors. Most of the large companies in the world have entered into football business through sponsorships and even grants. As more fan base created, the value of football culture increase. In some countries such as Brazil, Spain, and England, so has become an alternative to education. Talented kids attend soccer academies instead of academic school. In soccer academies, they concentrate much on football and less academic. It shows that people are drastically adopting football culture as a way of living and have started to embrace it.

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Works Cited

Garrahan, Matthew. ;Cash converters;: when Saturday comes.Retrieved on 21st March 2017.

Pearson, G. ;An Ethnography of English Football Fans: Cans, Cops, and Carnivals.; Pro Football journal Manchester University Press, 2012.

Ring, David. Foreign players and football supporters: The Old Firm, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain. Green Soccer Journal. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2012.