Football chaos could very easily happen here

On the surface, the Egyptian tragedy had to do with sporting fanaticism. Extreme jubilation by the winning team’s fans and shocked disbelief and anger of the opposite side may have contributed largely to the pitch invasion before everything went out of control. That would be the simplest explanation of why it happened. When the smoke lifted from the Port Said stadium, however, conspiracy theories overshadowed the politically unstable nation. There were claims the bloodshed was somehow pre-meditated for political purposes.

There will be finger-pointing, investigations that are unlikely to satisfy anyone or provide clear-cut answers to the question “Why?”, heightened national tension and possibly more restrictions on activities that should not be restricted. Whether it was an “accident” that nobody wanted to happen, or something orchestrated by those with malicious intent, the Port Said incident will generate unpleasant repercussions which will affect a lot more Egyptians than just soccer fans.

People say politics should be separate from sport. But that is much easier said than done. “Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, politics has entered every aspect of Egyptian life – even football. This is most evident in the Cairo derby, a game between arch-rivals Al Ahly and Zamalek,” a report on The Guardian’s website noted. Whether or not politics was behind the Port Said tragedy, it seems the issue can hardly avoid being politicised now. National tension or divide will likely deepen, after a soccer team that had not been supposed to lose did just that.

After the “uprising” last year that toppled a dictatorial regime, democracy has struggled to blossom in the Arab nation, where a power vacuum – or continued power struggles – led to unprecedented crime, lax security and confusing law enforcement between the police and the military. Political tension also found its way into sport, with soccer absorbing a lot of bad blood politics. 

Thailand must look closely at this lesson, not least because of some striking similarities and clear warning signs that it wouldn’t take much for a soccer game to trigger crowd violence. The Thai Premier League has enjoyed a phenomenal rise in popularity, but the dark side of that is the potential of zealous yet immature fans becoming a time-bomb. Add inadequate stadium security and seating set-ups that allow “closeness” between players and supporters, a formula intended to maximise excitement and make matches look great on TV, we have key elements of a similar man-made disaster. 

So far, crowd violence at Thai soccer stadiums has been limited to bruises and bitter fan rivalry. Despite a leading figure in the political divide owning one of the biggest and most successful football teams, politics has yet to stamp its ugly face on the Thai Premier League. Fan violence, however, has been happening with worrying frequency, partly because clubs are reluctant to spend big on security measures. There were at least five big clashes last year and minor ones took place almost on a weekly basis. The Egyptian lesson has shown us how bad things can get if no proper precautions are taken.

We Thais, of all people, must know that the unthinkable, which could cause us regret for a long, long time, can always happen. Proper precaution, therefore, should not be limited to just building fences and hiring more guards.