Fans should control emotions

If soccer fans can't control their tempers, or emotions, they should stay at home and watch the game on television.

If they can’t sit and watch a game and rather opt to stand on chairs, they should also stay home.

For the last two weeks the only thing we have heard about is Chula Chula FC and how their fans almost ran down Hage Geingob Stadium.

This is a little exaggeration, but the point is, a significant number of seats were damaged. Now whichever way you look at it, the chairs might have already been brittle, and someone is looking for someone to blame for how they looked after the match, or fans really jumped on chairs instead of sitting on them.

Now I think this topic has reached a point where we need to just move on and lay down ground rules.

It is very likely that Chula Chula will get the fan vote to face African Stars in November’s Dr Hage Geingob Cup. I would love to see their rematch again, looking at the atmosphere and the numbers these two sides pulled in their Debmarine Premier League clash.

It will be an ideal match to reinforce and get football lovers back into the stadiums, or bums on seats, as the saying goes.

The only trouble is that during their encounter at Hage Geingob Stadium, some fans broke chairs. I cannot say if these were solely Chula Chula fans responsible for this behaviour, or if African Stars fans were also involved in this fracas, or if it was just a bunch of football fans who were part of the mix, watching the game.

All I know is that it has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, and rightfully so.

This should however not become an ethnic racial issue, nor be a treated as such. I have seen some comments on social media where certain people have now started labelling and stereotyping others. Let’s stop this. It does nobody any good in the long run.

With any competitive high-stakes match comes emotions. But we cannot be breaking down infrastructure under any circumstance. Yes, it is true that internally, people are psychologically and emotionally building up a lot of intensity and tension during a match, it is part of the euphoria that comes with watching a match or competition.

But this should not be seen as an opportunity or an excuse to hit someone, throw cans onto the field or to destroy something.

So let’s stop this behaviour. Clubs managers should send out messages to their fans and urged them to be responsible in representing their club.

Soccer is also a family game and there are children who go with their parents to stadiums. Their lives could ultimately be in danger because of people who do not know how to act in public.

Tell me, what fun does one get out of throwing a can into the field? What kind of example is that to the next person?

Let us behave like moral citizens and if anything, organisers must increase security. Fans may have a right to cheer and shout –certainly event promoters encourage such behaviour – but do it in a way that doesn’t harm anyone or anything.

Clubs and organisers should also educate spectators and make them realise that actions have consequences.

On a more positive note, big ups to the marketing team of Chula Chula, you are doing an incredibly great job in pulling the numbers and bringing life into what was a deadbeat league. Feel free to share notes with other clubs.

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