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'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain

Martin Johnes Orcid Logo

Soccer and Disaster: International Perspectives, Pages: 10 - 27

Swansea University Author: Martin Johnes Orcid Logo

Abstract

This chapter explores the policy responses to crowd disasters in UK football stadia. Despite repeated calls from the police and disaster inquiries for the legal regulation of safety in football grounds it was not until 1975 that limited legislation was implemented. The chapter argues that the limite...

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Published in: Soccer and Disaster: International Perspectives
ISBN: 0714682896
Published: 2001
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31119
first_indexed 2016-11-17T14:13:14Z
last_indexed 2018-02-09T05:17:42Z
id cronfa31119
recordtype SURis
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spelling 2016-11-17T08:43:18.1126638 v2 31119 2016-11-17 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain 8aa6d8da22a168889f76c9a5a6e5fa84 0000-0001-9700-5120 Martin Johnes Martin Johnes true false 2016-11-17 CACS This chapter explores the policy responses to crowd disasters in UK football stadia. Despite repeated calls from the police and disaster inquiries for the legal regulation of safety in football grounds it was not until 1975 that limited legislation was implemented. The chapter argues that the limited and piecemeal responses were rooted in an apathy towards safety amongst the football authorities, central government and fans. This apathy was underpinned by a desire to exclude sport from legislation, by the terrace culture of the game, by the characterization of fans as hooligans and by the exclusion of the safety of soccer fans from the concerns of central government. The disasters of the 1980s saw the safety legislation extended but it was not until the horrors of Hillsborough that approaches to safety were revolutionised within the football industry. Even then, the financial implications meant there was a reluctance amongst the football authorities to embrace the required measures, while the motive of the Conservative government was more underpinned by a desire to fight hooliganism than to protect the interests of fans. Book chapter Soccer and Disaster: International Perspectives 10 27 0714682896 football, disaster, safety 1 1 2001 2001-01-01 COLLEGE NANME Culture and Communications School COLLEGE CODE CACS Swansea University 2016-11-17T08:43:18.1126638 2016-11-17T08:43:04.0724277 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - History Martin Johnes 0000-0001-9700-5120 1
title 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
spellingShingle 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
Martin Johnes
title_short 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
title_full 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
title_fullStr 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
title_full_unstemmed 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
title_sort 'Heads in the Sand': Football, Politics and Crowd Disasters in Twentieth-Century Britain
author_id_str_mv 8aa6d8da22a168889f76c9a5a6e5fa84
author_id_fullname_str_mv 8aa6d8da22a168889f76c9a5a6e5fa84_***_Martin Johnes
author Martin Johnes
author2 Martin Johnes
format Book chapter
container_title Soccer and Disaster: International Perspectives
container_start_page 10
publishDate 2001
institution Swansea University
isbn 0714682896
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - History{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - History
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description This chapter explores the policy responses to crowd disasters in UK football stadia. Despite repeated calls from the police and disaster inquiries for the legal regulation of safety in football grounds it was not until 1975 that limited legislation was implemented. The chapter argues that the limited and piecemeal responses were rooted in an apathy towards safety amongst the football authorities, central government and fans. This apathy was underpinned by a desire to exclude sport from legislation, by the terrace culture of the game, by the characterization of fans as hooligans and by the exclusion of the safety of soccer fans from the concerns of central government. The disasters of the 1980s saw the safety legislation extended but it was not until the horrors of Hillsborough that approaches to safety were revolutionised within the football industry. Even then, the financial implications meant there was a reluctance amongst the football authorities to embrace the required measures, while the motive of the Conservative government was more underpinned by a desire to fight hooliganism than to protect the interests of fans.
published_date 2001-01-01T19:09:31Z
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