It is the fifth of May, 2000 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Glasgow Rangers have just defeated the Glasgow Celtics in the Scottish Cup Final in European Football. As thousands of people clear out of the arena, a riot breaks out between the mostly Protestant Ranger fans and the Catholic supported Celtics fans. This violent riot ends with twenty-eight police officers and approximately fifty civilians injured ("Belfast"). The idea that something as enjoyable as viewing a football game could turn into this terrifying event has many concerned parents refusing to let their children attend these games. Football hooliganism is common at the games in Europe; this incident is one that is more recent, but not the most violent example. Hooliganism is a complex problem that can only be solved by an equally complex solution. In order to solve this, one has to look at the contributing factors. Gang involvement, family upbringing, and competitiveness are three major factors that contribute to violence in the stands.
             Firstly, it is a well known fact that most hooligans belong to a football gang. Much like cults, these gangs have "headhunters". Headhunters attend the pre-season games looking for fans of their team sitting alone. Then they "love bomb" these fans with kind words, party invites, and make them feel accepted. Football gangs are very attractive to the unsuspecting fan because they provide them with a sense of security and confidence. The new gang members feel invincible because they know that they can start fights and will have people to back them up. Gangs also provide an outlet for their aggression and frustration against the opposing team. In Europe, people who are indiscreetly cheering for a certain team (wearing team colours, face painted, flags, etc.) are seen as sitting ducks for gang headhunters. They realize that he/she is passionate about both the team and the sport, and have good p...