Spectator Violence in Football Matches in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province

Spectator violence is a phenomenon that has been associated with professional football in Europe. Issues of hooliganism, tribal tendencies and insecurity have found their place in African football. This paper interrogates issues of spectator violence in football in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. The paper is grounded on frustration-aggression theory (Miller & Dollard, 1939) in trying to determine the causes, nature and impact of violence in sports. A descriptive qualitative approach was adopted in which interviews were conducted to collect views, attitudes and opinions of the spectators, players, referees, and football clubs’ management. Document analysis augmented findings from interview schedules. Expert purposive sampling technique recruited thirty participants comprising of referees, managers, coaches, players, and spectators to establish causes of spectator violence in football. Participants were voluntarily selected and protected as they were assured of their anonymity and confidentiality. Findings from interviews and document analysis point out that spectator violence seems to be influenced by hooliganism, escapism, tribalism, and frustration in football among other issues. Seventy percent (70%) of the participants also indicated that matches are a representation of historical and ethnic conflicts between tribal groups, hence these tendencies trigger violence in form of hooliganism. On the other hand, 85 % of football managers pointed out that songs and chants in the stadia by football spectators trigger violence. There were 65% of the spectators who pointed to unfair calls by referees as an indicator of football violence. Similarly, 86% of the referees indicated that frustration and escapism by spectators promotes football violence when spectators try to settle scores and vent their anger through sports. Based on the findings, the study recommends that football should be taken as an industry where outreach programmes are held to educate the football players, spectators, managers, referees, and the nation at large. Conduct of the different personalities at matches should be imparted at grassroots level through schools, clubs, and media.