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Jan 2007 Vol.1
Issue 1
MSS HISTORY |
Soccer: The Global Presence of the Global Game
by Khalil Rajan, January 2008
With billions of
adherents world-wide, soccer is the global game. With
several international tournaments, the world’s largest
fan base, and the only tournament that can truly claim
to be one of the entire world, soccer holds much more
power and influence than one would initially assume. It
has been argued that a game having such a large
influence on the world has allowed it the opportunity to
resolve conflict around the world, better the lives of
people in impoverished countries, and improve
international economies. Critics have argued both sides
of the issue with the prevalent opinion being in favour
of the game’s positive influence on the world.
Putting aside their
differences
“Many of these
boys are orphans of the war…some of them saw their
mothers wrapped in blankets, tied up, poured with
kerosene, and burned alive.” [i]
– Charles Taylor, National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL)
| The above
quote represents a typical scene in Civil War
Liberia through the eyes of a man who played a
key role in the conflict: his group, NPFL, was
one of two major groups fighting in Liberia’s
civil war. This, along with other traumatizing
spectacles, introduced a new generation of
soldiers to Liberia’s civil war: child
soldiers. Fighting to avenge the deaths of
family, these young boys, no older than ten
years old are encouraged to join rebel groups
and gun down fellow country men – innocent
civilians left for dead. |
 |
However, more
shocking than this is the essential role that the game
of soccer has played in helping to resolve this
conflict. According to Kofi Annan, former Secretary
General of the UN, they are, “using soccer to heal the
emotional wounds of war amongst young people.”[ii]
Less than a year after the Civil War in Liberia, a
soccer program was implemented. In this program,
players from opposing rebel groups united and played
alongside one another against other soccer teams
composed of the war’s veterans. Participation in this
program included the requirement to swear off violence
and never return to fighting. Violence and animosity
have been virtually non-existent since the programs
implementation.
Iraq 1, Islam 0
Similarly, on the
political front, one must look no further than the Ivory
Coast or Iraq to realize soccer’s ability to influence
political structure. Our first study comes from Iraq.
They showed that their goal of a unified nation had not
faded after a goal scored by a Sunni Muslim carried them
to their first Asian Cup tournament victory ever.
Despite the split between the many sects of Islam in
Iraq, all Iraqis flooded the streets to celebrate,
ignoring the threats of car bombs and gunshots, when the
final whistle blew to make the victory official.[iii]
Following this victory, through a sense of nationality,
a shift in political views was made from initially
non-secular to increasingly Nationalistic.[iv]
Our second case is the
North-South split – a conflict that began when rebel
forces seized the northern part of the Ivory Coast in
September 2002. However, a victory over Sudan (a
combined effort of both Northern and Southern Ivorian
Coast players) called for celebrations as it gifted the
country a birth in the 2006 World Cup, a first in its
history. And celebrate is exactly what they did.
Emotions ran high in both the north and south of the
Ivory Coast and conflict was put on hold after three
years of feuding. Since then, the government and rebel
groups have made movements towards peace talks – a
decision influenced by the country’s milestone
achievement.[v]
More recently, in March 2007, the Ivory Coast President
Laurent Gbagbo and rebel leader Guillaume Soro signed an
accord agreeing to a new power-sharing government being
formed within five weeks and a joint army command to be
set up within two. Finally, in April 2007, President
Gbagbo declared, “the war is over.”[vi]
Things have certainly looked up since the victory over
Sudan as the Ivory Coast has made great leaps and bounds
towards a country united – not a country divided.
Now you see it, now you don’t
“And then, when Chelsea jumped to
the top of the English Premier League table, the
anti-Semitism vanished altogether.”[vii]
Franklin Foer, Author of How Soccer Explains the
World, and Soccer vs. McWorld
The healing power of
soccer is not solely confined to the boundaries of
social and political conflict. While it has proven that
it has a great influence in these areas, the same can be
said for its influence on cultural and religious
conflict. During the 1980s, world-renowned Chelsea
Football Club was infamous for its involvement in racist
gangs like Combat 18, a gang whose name was
derived from the initials of Adolf Hitler. Their firm,
famously known as the Chelsea Headhunters, was also a
proud supporter of the very xenophobic English National
Party. Stories of their misdemeanors include a visit to
the Auschwitz concentration camp where Jews were held
during the Second World War. While there, they
consistently addressed passers by with the Nazi salute,
“Sieg Heil!”[viii]
One can only imagine the disdain that this intensely
anti-Semitic group shared when club ownership was
transferred to a Jew in 2003. One fan going by the name
of West Ken Ken was quoted on the Chelsea message
board writing, “I like the money but the Star of David
will be flying down the Stamford Bridge soon,” and even
went so far as to call him a Yid.[ix]
Within the first year of takeover, the Jewish owner had
invested more than £200 million.[x]
Success quickly followed these extravagant expenditures
and within one season the club had improved to second
place in the English Premier League. It is easy to see
that the key to overcoming this racial tension was a
successful squad.
True Believers?
While numerous examples
exhibiting soccer’s ability to resolve conflict have
been cited, there are skeptics who say it can do just as
much damage. The most famous argument against soccer in
terms of violence and conflict is seen in its very
supporters. Soccer hooligans are notorious for starting
riots and even causing deaths. Every country in the
world that has a strong soccer fan base has at least one
extremist group of supporters who wreak havoc on rival
fans. Those that are so stubborn in what they believe
in that they are willing to physically harm anyone who
does not agree. Similar to the Islamic faith, both have
a small percentage of supporters who practice these
violent acts. However, can these people really be
considered “fans”? As seen in the previous arguments,
soccer is used to eradicate violence and conflict, not
condone it. Just like in Islam, where Muslims are
taught not to hurt any of Allah’s creations or
creatures. In either case, can the extremists really be
considered true adherents? They are not truly following
what their faith (in this case soccer or Islam) stands
for.
From sea to shining sea
“Club owners scoured the planet for
superstars they could buy on the cheap…many countries
like Spain turned to former colonies like Argentina.” –
Franklin Foer, Soccer vs. McWorld[xi]
As the game of soccer
constantly grows, so does the demand for competition.
Fans quickly grow weary of watching the same league
matches over and over again – they demand the highest
quality. This is where international competition comes
in to play. Unfortunately, soccer’s largest
competition, the World Cup, comes once every four
years. Fortunately, more international competitions
have been implemented since the early 1990s and with
increasingly globalized competition comes the hunt for
labour resources. Before this international
competition, clubs were comprised of mainly local
talent, but following the globalization of competition
clubs quickly turned to impoverished countries for
superstars they could buy on the cheap. Soccer is able
to benefit the lives of those in impoverished countries
through immigration and job opportunities. Take a look
at the English Premier League (EPL) for example: easily
the world’s biggest and most competitive professional
soccer league. In March 2006, Arsenal FC and Tottenham
Hotspurs faced off in a Premier League match. Between
the two clubs they fielded only three English players
and the rest of the players represented fourteen
different countries around the world.[xii]
The world-wide popularity of soccer has encouraged
global free trade, acquiring labour where it is
cheapest, of highest quality and most convenient.
Africa’s lifeline
“Rich European clubs scour Africa
for talented boys of fifteen or younger.” – Geoffrey
Wheatcroft, Non-Native Sons[xiii]
While any pessimist
would look at the problems that plague Africa (i.e.
AIDS, poverty, civil wars, corrupt governments, lack of
education) and write it off at a lost cause, hope still
remains. Soccer has played a key role in bettering the
lives of Africans. Currently, in the EPL, there are
seventeen teams fielding upwards of fifty African
players, all of whom make regular appearances for their
club side.[xiv]
The average salary in the EPL is currently 1.25 million
USD per year[xv]
whereas the average salary in the African country of
Ghana is 2,200 USD per year.[xvi]
Naturally, many would argue that while there is a
significant impact on the players who end up playing
professionally, they are a small percentage and
therefore there is no substantial overall impact. While
the first part is true, the latter is not. Rich
European clubs have constantly scouted African youth
players at younger and younger ages, some barely
teenagers when they make the move to Europe for a better
life.[xvii]
However, moving at such a young age also means that the
players must attend school and get an education, an
opportunity that would be near impossible in Africa
where getting an education is like winning the lottery.
In England for example, when players near the
professional stages of their careers, they are required
to continue attending school at soccer affiliated
colleges. A program that started with just eight
affiliated colleges has now grown to over 200 colleges,
marking its immediate success.[xviii]
With higher education, these players are able to lead
better lives in better countries and even go back to
their native countries to make a difference. Take
Zinedine Zidane for example, an Algerian born French
midfielder and also one of the best players of his
generation. Since retiring a year ago, he has returned
his native land and other African countries to perform
charity work by staging UNICEF charity matches and raise
awareness of the current issues by playing soccer with
the African children.[xix]
Although in terms of professional opportunities soccer
does not have a great impact on all impoverished people,
its ability to influence free movement of labour from
country to country and help the poor acquire educations
has had and will continue to have a phenomenal impact on
their lives.
Rolling in dough
“Hosting these [World
Cup] events enhances tourism, economic development,
investment in infrastructure…” – Diane Ablonczy,
Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism
[xx]
One of the games
greatest attributes is its ability to support countries
economically due to its large popularity. In 2006, the
cumulative audience for all World Cup matches held was
approximately 26 billion viewers – the equivalent of
each person in the world watching 4 games – and all in
the span of one month.[xxi]
To say that the economic impact of this tournament was
anything less than astronomical would be an
understatement. When the USA hosted the World Cup in
1994 the games were played in six different cities
across the country with the finals being held in Los
Angeles. In this city alone, where only eight of the 52
games were played, they yielded 623 million USD (based
on conservative approaches).[xxii]
These were all direct effects of the tourism and foreign
investment into the United States. Furthermore, a
requirement for the USA to host the tournament was that
they establish a concrete, lasting domestic league (now
known as the MLS). The lasting affect of this league
left a permanent economic impact on the United States
through corporate sponsorship and continued attendance
by fans not to mention the fact that the funding for all
the venues was partly fueled by foreign investment, as
is the case for any host country of the World Cup.
Everybody’s a winner
While there is a proven
track record of economic success for the host nation of
international competitions, the winners tend to benefit
too. According to a study titled, Soccer and the
Economy: March 2006 Edition, economic success can be
attributed to several contributing factors. These
include, but are not limited to, the sense of euphoria
that the citizens of the champion nation experience
creating a high morale and strong work attitude as well
as the memorabilia that is produced and purchased; both
of which boost the economy. According to a study
conducted by Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN) and the
Amsterdamsche-Rotterdamsche Bank (AMRO), the winning
countries tend to experience a 0.7% increase in their
market.[xxiii]
In 1988, following Holland’s European Cup championship,
the Amsterdam Stock Market gained 29% more in that year
than it did in the previous year.[xxiv]
Also, on average, the champion nation of the World Cup
will have a stock market increase of approximately 10%
more than the previous year.[xxv]
While the rich get richer, the poor get
poorer
While soccer’s
economic impact is astronomical, there are those that
pose the argument that it only benefits the rich
countries. Poor countries like those in Africa have
never hosted the tournament or had the opportunity to
hoist the cup above their heads. Although this was
true, the situation has changed. A FIFA policy known as
the Rotation Principle, implemented in 2000,
allowed each continent the opportunity to compete with
countries within their own continent to host the World
Cup, with the tournament being moved to a different
nation every four years.[xxvi]
This allowed an African nation the opportunity to host
the cup. In 2010, South Africa will become the first
African nation to host the World Cup. This should have
the same affect that it has had on all previous host
nations: an influx in foreign investment for soccer
venues as well as an improved tourism industry. So
while international soccer tournaments have had the
proven ability to boost the economies of host and
champion nations, it has been argued that only rich
countries benefit. However that will all change in 2010
due to the implementation of the Rotation Policy
implemented by FIFA.
While there are minor
flaws in the argument that soccer has the ability to
improve the world, they are seemingly insignificant.
Soccer is the world’s game, with billions watching and
playing. The benefits of such a global game are seen
through its ability to resolve conflicts, improve the
lives of those in impoverished countries, and improve
international economies.
“People sitting in cafés anywhere
from Buenos Aires to Beijing debate the finer points of
games endlessly, revealing an intimate knowledge not
only of their own national teams but of many of the
others too, expressing themselves on the subject with as
much clarity as passion. Normally tongue-tied teenagers
suddenly become eloquent, confident, and dazzlingly
analytical experts. I wish we had more of that sort of
conversation in the world at large. Citizens consumed by
the topic of how their country could do better on the
Human Development Index, or in reducing the amount of
carbon emissions or the number of new HIV infections.”[xxvii]
– Kofi Annan
Former UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan’s article titled, At the UN, How We Envy the
World Cup, sums it up best; if everything was as
global as soccer, the world would be a far better
place.
ENDNOTES
[i]
Berkeley, Bill. "The Healing Game." Mother
Jones 7 Nov. 2000. Rpt. in.: Foundation for
National Progress. 54.
[ii]
Roane, Kit R. "A Global Cup That Truly Runneth
Over." U.S. News & World Report 140.23 (2006):
10-11.
[iii] "A
Winning Goal, Then Back to War." 384.8540
(2007).
[v]
Drezner, Daniel W. The Soccer Wars. 4
June 2006. 20 Nov. 2007 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201401.html>.
[vi] BBC
News. Timeline: Ivory Coast. 22 Dec.
2007. 3 Jan. 2008 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1043106.stm>.
[vii]
Foer, Franklin. "Soccer Vs. McWorld." Foreign
Policy (2004): 40.
[x]
Stephen, Christopher. Portrait: Roman
Abramovich. Jan. 2004. 1 Nov. 2007 <http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=5808>.
[xi]
Foer, Franklin. "Soccer Vs. McWorld." Foreign
Policy (2004): 37.
[xii]
Wheatcroft, Geoffrey. "Non-Native Sons." The
Atlantic Monthly 297.5 (2006): 133-135.
[xiv] MTN
Football. Africans in the EPL. 9 Aug.
2007. 9 Nov. 2007
[xv]
Business Week. Soccer's American Idols. July
2005. 9 Nov. 2007 <http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2006/gb20060604_788472.htm>.
[xvi]
Friedman , Benjamin M. Thailand, Ghana and
the Military “Coup Trap”. 5 Dec. 2005. 9
Dec. 2007 <http://www.theglobalist.com/printStoryId.aspx?StoryId=4926>.
[xvii]
Wheatcroft, Geoffrey. "Non-Native Sons." The
Atlantic Monthly 297.5 (2006): 133-135.
[xviii]
The FA. Higher and Further Education. 30 Oct.
2007. 15 Nov. 2007
<http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/School/HigherAndFurtherEducation/#>.
[xix]
Tulett, Darren. "What Zidane Did Next." Four
Four Two Australia (2007).
[xx]Canadian
Sport Tourism Alliance. Economic Impact
Assessment. Oct. 2007. 16 Nov. 2007
<http://www.canadiansporttourism.com/files/FIFAEconomicImpactAnalysis.pdf>.
[xxi]
Football Economics. World Cup 2006 Audience
Analysis. Oct. 2006. 10 Dec. 2007
<http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:lYsu2Yv552sJ:footballeconomics.com/images/releases/world%2520cup%25202006%2520-%2520audience%2520analysis.pdf+how+many+people+watched+the+2006+world+cup&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=ca>.
[xxii]
Waltz, Clint. "World Cup Soccer Economic
Impact." Outside the Box.
[xxiii]
Kalshoven, Charles, and Ruben Van Leeuwen.
Netherlands. ABN AMRO. Soccernomics
2006: Soccer and the Economy. 22 Mar. 2006. 28
June 2006
<http://www.abnamro.com/pressroom/releases/media/pdf/abnamro_soccernomics_2006_en.pdf>.
[xxiv]
Deak, Sarah. The World Cup and Economics:
What Italy Has to Expect. 15 Apr. 2007. 3
Dec. 2007
<http://www.noodlenak.com/articles/59526/1/The-World-Cup-andEconomics-What-Italy-has-to-Expect/Page1.html>.
[xxv]
Kalshoven, Charles, and Ruben Van Leeuwen.
Netherlands. ABN AMRO. Soccernomics
2006: Soccer and the Economy. 22 Mar. 2006. 28
June 2006
[xxvi]
FIFA. Rotation Ends in 2018. 29 Oct.
2007. 17 Nov. 2007 <http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/releases/newsid=625122.html>.
[xxvii]
International Herald Tribune. At the UN, How
We Envy the World Cup. 10 June 2006. 9 Oct.
2007 <http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/09/opinion/edannan.php>.
WORKS
CITED
"A Winning Goal,
Then Back to War." 384.8540 (2007).
BBC News.
Timeline: Ivory Coast. 22 Dec. 2007. 3 Jan.
2008 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1043106.stm>.
Business Week.
Soccer's American Idols. July 2005. 9 Nov. 2007
<http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2006/gb20060604_788472.htm>.
Deak, Sarah.
The World Cup and Economics: What Italy Has to
Expect. 15 Apr. 2007. 3 Dec. 2007 <http://www.noodlenak.com/articles/59526/1/The-World-Cup-andEconomics-What-Italy-has-to-Expect/Page1.html>.
Drezner, Daniel
W. The Soccer Wars. 4 June 2006. 20 Nov.
2007 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201401.html>.
FIFA. Rotation
Ends in 2018. 29 Oct. 2007. 17 Nov. 2007
<http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/releases/newsid=625122.html>
Foer, Franklin.
"Soccer Vs. McWorld." Foreign Policy
(2004): 37.
Football
Economics. World Cup 2006 Audience Analysis.
Oct. 2006. 10 Dec. 2007 <http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:lYsu2Yv552sJ:footballeconomics.com/images/releases/world%2520cup%25202006%2520-%2520audience%2520analysis.pdf+how+many+people+watched+the+2006+world+cup&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=ca>.
Friedman ,
Benjamin M. Thailand, Ghana and the Military
“Coup Trap”. 5 Dec. 2005. 9 Dec. 2007
<http://www.theglobalist.com/printStoryId.aspx?StoryId=4926>.
International
Herald Tribune. At the UN, How We Envy the
World Cup. 10 June 2006. 9 Oct. 2007
<http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/09/opinion/edannan.php>.
Kalshoven,
Charles, and Ruben Van Leeuwen. Netherlands. ABN
AMRO. Soccernomics
2006: Soccer and the Economy. 22 Mar. 2006. 28
June 2006
MTN Football.
Africans in the EPL. 9 Aug. 2007. 9 Nov.
2007
Roane, Kit R. "A
Global Cup That Truly Runneth Over." U.S. News &
World Report 140.23 (2006): 10-11.
Stephen,
Christopher. Portrait: Roman Abramovich.
Jan. 2004. 1 Nov. 2007
<http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=5808>.
The FA. Higher
and Further Education. 30 Oct. 2007. 15 Nov.
2007
<http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/School/HigherAndFurtherEducation/#>.
Tulett, Darren.
"What Zidane Did Next." Four Four Two
Australia (2007).
Waltz, Clint.
"World Cup Soccer Economic Impact." Outside
the Box.
Wheatcroft,
Geoffrey. "Non-Native Sons." The Atlantic
Monthly 297.5 (2006): 133-135.
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