It recently became apparent that it was imperative to amend the “On the Prevention and Suppression of Violence at Sports Grounds Act 2008”, as football violence incidents were increasing dramatically. The new Act was voted by the House of Representatives in August 2014 containing in total 77 articles which clearly define and segregate the duties and responsibilities of all parties involved in a sporting event. Learning from past football disasters and tragedies, safety management has become today one of the main concerns for the organisers. It is imperative to learn from those incidents and use their findings as a guide to avoid similar tragedies today. The research is aiming to specify and report the duties and responsibilities resulting from the new football violence Act and identify whether it can provide the means for efficient safety management in football grounds in Cyprus.
The large amount of violence incidents between rival spectators inside and outside the venues is currently the main problem of football in Cyprus. For decades, the authorities have been trying different ways to combat violence at sports venues, a phenomenon which through the years, mainly due to impunity, has spread immensely. Hooligans felt unbeatable and the authorities seemed unable to suppress the violence in sports venues. Various committees were appointed mainly after serious incidents during football games or after a political decision by the government, but it was never a result of an in-depth research and study. Over the years it became apparent that it was imperative to improve the Act and define through a new one the duties and responsibilities of all parties involved in sporting events. The enactment of the amended Act in 2014 by the House of Representatives was the beginning of a tough and uneven under the circumstances battle against violence in football. The main element of the Act is to provide the means for an efficient safety management in football grounds in Cyprus.
Table of Contents
Chapter ONE - Introduction
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Football safety management
1.3. Football violence in Cyprus
1.4. The Act against violence at sports grounds
1.5. Research aims and objectives
1.6. Outline
Chapter TWO - Literature Review
2.1. Theoretical background
2.2. Safety management in football grounds
2.3. Football disasters
2.4. Aftermath
2.5. Duties and responsibilities
2.6. Safety & Security planning
2.7. Football grounds operations
2.8. Football grounds infrastructure
2.9. Beliefs and arguments
2.10. Conclusion
2.11. Summary of the chapter
Chapter THREE - Research Methodology
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Research philosophy
3.3. Research design
3.4. Research methodology
3.5. Research approach and data analysis
3.6. Method justification
3.7. Research limitations
3.8. Summary of the chapter
Chapter FOUR - Results, Analysis & Discussion
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Results
4.3. Limitations
4.4. Conclusion
4.5. Summary of the chapter
Chapter FIVE - Conclusions, Implications & Recommendations
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Key findings
5.3. Recommendations
5.4. Limitations
5.5. Final conclusion
5.6. Future study
Research Objectives and Themes
This research aims to identify and report the duties and responsibilities resulting from the new football violence Act in Cyprus and to determine whether this legislative framework provides the necessary means for establishing efficient safety management within local football grounds.
- The legislative framework of the "Prevention and Suppression of Violence at Sports Grounds Act".
- Roles, duties, and responsibilities of stakeholders (police, stadium owners, safety officers, and stewards).
- Safety management strategies and infrastructure requirements for football grounds.
- The impact of the "fan card" implementation on spectator safety and violence prevention.
- Comparative analysis of fan perceptions between ultra-fans and non-ultra fans.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3. Football disasters
During the last 70 years many tragedies and disasters occurred in various football venues and the official findings and reports fundamentally changed safety management and event policing. It is because of these disasters and mainly after the various reports and recommendations that things started changing. Safety today is considered as top level priority.
The following disasters are examples of bad safety management.
Burnden Park disaster | 1946
On 9th March 1946, Bolton was facing Stoke City in an FA Cup Quarter Final game. As the game was only six months after the end of World War II, the stadium was still in use by the government and the Burnden Stand was not available to the fans. This meant that 9000 fans that had tickets for that stand would have to enter from another gate and escorted around the pitch.
The stadium management and the police were not prepared to accommodate that amount of people and 20 minutes before kick-off, they decided that the gates must close. This, however, did not stop people from entering the venue as they started climbing over the gates, while others removed some fences and entered the venue.
A few minutes after the kick-off, two barriers collapsed under the weight of thousands of people, and everyone started entering onto the pitch to get away from the crush. The referee stopped the game to allow the police to push the spectators back, over the side line.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter ONE - Introduction: This chapter defines the core problem of football violence in Cyprus and presents the research objectives concerning the amended Act for safety management.
Chapter TWO - Literature Review: The chapter explores academic literature on hooliganism, historical football disasters, and the essential trinity of safety, security, and service management.
Chapter THREE - Research Methodology: This section justifies the mixed-methods approach, including surveys, semi-structured interviews, and observational research conducted in Cypriot stadiums.
Chapter FOUR - Results, Analysis & Discussion: This chapter presents the findings regarding the implementation of the Act, fan card acceptance, and observational data collected during high-risk and low-risk football matches.
Chapter FIVE - Conclusions, Implications & Recommendations: The final chapter summarizes key findings, confirms the effectiveness of the legal framework, and suggests further research into the financial and social implications of the fan card scheme.
Keywords
Football violence, Cyprus, Safety Management, Hooliganism, Football Act, Stadium Licensing, Fan Card, Crowd Control, Stewarding, Police, Risk Management, Spectator Safety, Infrastructure, Sports Law, Ultra-fans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research examines whether the amended football violence Act in Cyprus provides an effective legal and operational framework for ensuring safety in football grounds.
What are the core pillars of safety management discussed?
The work emphasizes the "trinity" of safety, security, and service as the fundamental components for a successful and safe match-day experience.
What is the research question addressed by the author?
The primary research question is: "Can the new football violence Act provide the means for efficient safety management in football grounds in Cyprus?"
Which research methodology was utilized?
The author employed a mixed-methods approach, combining document analysis, semi-structured interviews with industry experts, anonymous spectator questionnaires, and direct observational research.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the historical context of football disasters, current legal definitions of responsibilities for stakeholders, analysis of stadium infrastructure, and results from field research and surveys.
Which keywords define this dissertation?
Key terms include Football violence, Cyprus, Safety Management, Hooliganism, Fan Card, Stadium Licensing, and Crowd Control.
How does the "fan card" contribute to safety according to the Act?
The fan card is intended to end anonymity, allowing authorities to track and exclude individuals involved in violent incidents, thereby acting as a deterrent.
What were the major findings regarding the "ultra-fans"?
Findings indicate that while ultra-fans generally appreciate the role of stewards, they remain strongly opposed to police presence and the implementation of the fan card system.
- Quote paper
- George Yiapanas (Author), 2016, Can the New Football Violence Act Provide the Means for Efficient Safety Management in Football Grounds in Cyprus, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/443941
