Soccer vs. The State
Another book from the anarchist book fair and whilst chunkier than the others I bought / picked up this is mainly a series of articles by others sewn together into a coherent story. It goes through how anarchists and their ideas are linked to football. It's not a massively rich seam of content so anything slightly left wing seems to be included. Including making out that folk like Maradona are radical just cos they pay lip service to some left wing groups to delude themselves that they are still working class rebels. My arse. And then goes on to bemoan that today's game is all about winning and that cheating is a sympton of the capitalist annexation of the beautiful game. Hand of dog anyone? Anyways, despite that whinge it's a really good read and well put together. First off a few debates around whether the competitive and tribal nature of football is compatible with anarchist ideas. And whether it is (and always has been) an opiate for the people pitting them against each other rather than against their capitalist masters. Obviously the ongoing commercialisation (wasn't it ever?) and recent big money makes the difference between supporter and supported / owner greater than ever before. Violence and bigotry are also examined from all sides.
Next section is about how football can lead radical ideas and actions and we hop through examples including footballers themselves, managers & owners, then teams and onto supporters and their fan groups including the Ultras movement (if that's what it is). Lastly we trip through examples of radical home grown grass roots football teams, or should that be collectives, which provides particularly fascinating reading especially the Bristol Easton Cowboys and Girls.
Great articles and very worthwhile reading. Practical too as my willingness to pay Ashburton Grove prices (aka The Arsenal ground) and now living south of the river has led me to try to find another team to co-support. You know that you can never stop loving your childhood team. This is neatly pointed out in the book as examples of left wingers supporting rich or full on capitalist clubs are given, with the point made that once you're in you're in and there's no going back. If religion be the opiate of the people then football is chasing the dragon - you can never leave. Who can resist looking at least at the scores? I feel irrational urges to look up Bath City scores and table positions of towns I've lived in and the teams of mates. Back to my point. I've tried to like Crystal Palace but failed miserably. I never meet fans I like, even though I know they have probably the closest to ultras. Their ground is bloody bleak and cold. And prices are nearly as expensive as The Arsenal whilst their football is shite and so value for money is way less. Fulham have lost their appeal recently and they're too close to my main team for comfortable support. Chelski are obviously out due to them being, well, Chelsea. Maybe Dulwich Hamlet who my mate goes to see but I suspect that the quality of football is about as good as I can could muster on a lucky day. I had considered AFC Wimbledon but it's a bit of a trek to their temporary ground - sharing until they can move back to Plough Lane. So as they're name checked in the book as a fan created club, following the disgraceful move of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes, I thought I'd put in the effort to go see them. After cycling 8 miles through the rain I arrived to see them play Dagenham and Redbridge (who Debbie said I should support instead seeing as I'm married to her and she's from those parts) and what a match. We (yes, we) won and as I was in the home end terrace behind the goal was in the midst of the sort of boisterous mayhem and witty songs that I last experienced back in the North Bank days at Highbury. Ah blissful memories. Although to be fair not quite as crowded or dangerous as being in the middle of the North Bank. The nearest I've come to it since the move from Highbury was at St Pauli in Hamburg where you still have terracing and can bring drinks onto it. So maybe I'll go see The Wombles more often and start learning the players names and the local chants. I know this seems a bit forced but think of it as moving from being C of E to Quaker. Same base drug different usage.
That may be a diversion but linking back to the book The Arsenal are name checked as having the highest ticket prices in the world (well what do you expect if you watch the best team that ever walked the earth, hmmm) and St Pauli who are the most obvious high profile radical left wing / anarchist club. Even with a copper playing part time for them. They aren't praised without criticism and as always through the book where players, clubs and fan groups stray from high anarchist ideals this is commented on. So yeah. Excellent read and a well balanced book. Go read. Liberate a copy from your local capitalist book store - or better buy a copy from the next anarchist book fair that you visit.
A final word. Whilst most of the book makes sense I think that the grass roots pick up game idea that it's purely anarchist is obviously not restricted to anarchists. Would have been more telling to point out that many things that we do in society have no rules enforced by police or referees but are generally agreed amongst those participating. My recently defunct 5 a side nights (RIP - I miss you, not getting my weekly fix) were a great example where we just turned up, sides were picked according to a mystical force and the physicality of the games regulated by mutual consent, or one of us oldies throwing our toys off the pitch temporarily. One guy usually kept score although once we got past ten goals each we were all very dubious as to his proclamations. A great example of libertarianism in action. Although we did have to pay the school for the pitch.
