Possibly it is time to consider another element that football
lacks. In a philosophical world, encoded with multiple ethical systems founded
by some of the world’s greatest thinkers, it is undoubtedly obscure that the football
pitch dons an invincibility cloak protecting its assets from the real world of
morality.
It is unrealistic to believe that Socrates, Immanuel
Kant, and John Stuart Mill would approve of the undeniable extrapolation
of morality from the football industry. This is an industry which fails to distinguish between on
pitch ability and condemnable acts off the pitch.Why this happens is unanswerable. Perhaps the allegiance a fan feels towards a club is responsible for the defence of the indefensible. Racism, blatant cheating and even violence – these things are deemed as immoral by many human beings, governing bodies and societies as a whole. Yet footballers seem to push social boundaries on all of these things.
Footballers are not immune from consequent punishment
shown by the FA who frequently dish out fines and match bans. The problems
with these punishments is the normalisation of them, the acceptance by
footballers that if they do a bad thing they’ll miss three games and pay
£70,000, which in reality they can afford without financial concern.
Immorality in football is, at the least, accepted by fans,
if not condoned. Football fans struggle to separate the quality of a footballer
on a pitch from the ugly characteristics he has shown in the real world.
An example of this can come in the form of John Terry and
the World Cup. In recent weeks, radio stations and pundits have discussed
whether John Terry ought to be included in the team for the World Cup. If
football ability is the only thing being taken into consideration, then maybe
yes, inclusion could benefit the squad.
But if one looks at this case from a different
perspective, from the position that this man has displayed racist behaviour,
then perhaps John Terry should not be included in the England squad. If a
teacher, or a doctor, or a supermarket assistant went into work and racially
abused another member of their industry, it is unlikely that their job would
remain intact.
So why does John Terry even still have a chance of making
the England squad after he racially abused Anton Ferdinand? As mentioned before,
the inability to separate football talent from decadent character by both fans
and owners of football clubs is partly responsible. Secondly, the fact that the
football industry has never set a precedent for morality has to take some
blame.
The roots of immorality in football are deeper than
racism alone, which occurs quite frequently. Other branches of immorality come
in the form of blatant cheating and match fixing.
Discussing the problem of cheating is fairly simple. The
reason why so many footballers get away with cheating is because it tends to
provide an advantage to go ahead and win the game, or win a penalty, and in
turn benefit the fans paying to watch the match.
It is rare to find a footballer who will admit that they committed
a handball, or that they dived in order to be awarded a winning penalty. If
footballers did admit to this kind of behaviour, it is likely that they would
be ostracised by their team mates and fans for not taking the opportunity to
cheat and win the game.
For example, when Lee Williamson took a red card for
Blackburn Rovers to prevent their biggest rivals Burnley from taking the lead,
his behaviour was more than condoned, it was praised. He was called a legend, a
hero, and a great on the grounds that he had protected Blackburn’s history of
an undefeated 34 years against Burnley.
But if we examine this behaviour in more detail, the
message that football is delivering is that it is categorically okay to cheat in
order to protect history. It is not just Lee Williamson who is guilty of this
behaviour, it happens all over the country, and for fans it is agonisingly difficult
to condemn cheating when a player has just preserved history through that very
method.
Match fixing is just another of many examples, and while
most people are in unanimous agreement that this is incontestably immoral, it
has nonetheless been going on for years. Arrests were made, but little has been
mentioned since those arrests.
Football as an industry, and the FA as a governing body,
must take responsibility for the profoundly corrupt behaviours that take place
on and around the football pitch. It is inconceivable how this kind of
behaviour is reprimanded in other workplaces, yet football remains immune to
the consequences of it.
Owners and managers of clubs ought to take responsibility
too. When Luis Suarez was in the midst of allegations of racism against Patrice
Evra, it is perplexing that his colleagues sported shirts in support of the
player.
Perhaps though, fans simply do not care of the immorality
of the sport. Perhaps it is not a priority of concern. Yet one can’t help but
question the ironical hypocrisy of fans complaining about the immorality of
modern football while condoning immoral behaviour such as cheating and racism
by supporting those guilty of committing these behaviours.
In conclusion, football is in need of a serious reality
check. It is unjust that football should be protected against the consequences
of decadence while the supporters in the crowds would surely be castigated in
their respective work places for demonstrating similar behaviours. On the other
hand, managers, owners, team-mates and supporters ought to readdress their moral
attitudes and apply the philosophies they follow in normal day-to-day life to
football instead of simply turning a blind eye.
Why is immorality symptom of "modern football"?
ReplyDeleteThe only match fixing convictions took place in the 60s.
Diving - watch a video of Francis Lee in the 60s/70s
You can't even begin to compare the racism on show in the 70s to nowadays.
Sexism? Women's football was deemed illegal by the FA until 1971, let alone allowed in the boardroom.
Treatment of supporters/Oligarchic turn? How about the insanitary unsafe conditions pre 1989 in part due to the complete absence of any supporters from club's decision making.
You can't understand the present if you don't know your history.
why do we buy football shirts?because they're so cool!
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