Re: Hooligans to the left of me...

[Graham Fereday <graham_fereday@yahoo.com>]

> Of course the World Cup brought an extra influx of
> visitors.  Many showed up at the Kokugikan... and yes, there were
> many
> football hooligans...  shudder...  yup...  Don't they know that
> football is
> a children's game, not a real sport?

Apologies to everyone for going off topic, but I felt compelled to
reply to this. There is a big difference between football fans, and
hooligans. Unless I have missed something here, and please correct me
if I am wrong, there was no trouble caused by these 'football
hooligans' at the Kokugikan. Therefore I suspect they were football
fans, taking time out from watching the world cup to take an interest
in some Japanese culture while they are here. Is that such a bad thing?

As far as I'm aware there has been no football related trouble during
this world cup (apart from a few Japanese fans getting a bit
overexcited when they beat Russia), despite the misinformed, and in
some cases overtly racist, scaremongering that was going on before the
tournament. In fact I think this has been one of the best world cups
ever, with the people of Japan and Korea mixing with, and supporting
the teams of the many visitors form overseas.

As an Englishman living in Japan I have been particularly aware of
comments like these. I am aware that some countries, including England,
do have a hooligan problem, but those people are in the minority, and
it does cause offense when anyone wearing a football shirt is
automatically branded a football hooligan, feared and reviled.

For the record I am a keen football fan, who has never been involved in
any form of trouble or violence at a football match (but who will
readily admit to having a couple of beers and making a bit of noise
during an exciting match ;-) ), and as you will probably guess from my
presence on this list, a fan of Sumo.

Please be careful about what you write in future as comments like this
can, and do, cause offense.

Graham Fereday, an England / Kotomitsuki fan

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