A whole new ball game
The motto of the 2006 World Cup is 'A Time to Make Friends'. However, it won't be a time to make friends for the 3,000 English football fans who have to hand in their passports to police because a banning order has been imposed upon them. After the hooligan panics of the 80s and 90s, it seems no liberty is too fundamental that it can't be denied if there is a game of football involved. Even those who do get there can expect to be herded around like cattle and treated with the utmost suspicion - and woe betide those who dare to sing inappropriate songs or engage in Nazi salutes.
Still, at least fans can get in touch with their feminine side while the tournament is on. According to the Mental Health Foundation, men are much more likely to hug their mates during a game - although most of the men surveyed said they had never cried over a game. 'It is encouraging that football makes it easier for men to talk about their feelings as, traditionally, men are far less likely than women to share their innermost thoughts,' said Dr Andrew McCulloch, the Foundation's chief executive. 'It is important that men feel able to express their emotions in whatever way they find most comfortable.' The flipside of the MHF story is the one circulated a few years ago about domestic violence increasing after major football defeats. Presumably, that's not the kind of emotional expression the MHF had in mind.
While the Mental Health Foundation are engaged in a cynical but feeble attempt to attract some publicity by riding on the World Cup bandwagon, the story illustrates the way in which football can be used to perform all sorts of social engineering. Gone are the days when politicians despised football - although the authoritarian controls on fans are alive and kicking. Now, politicians all want to attach themselves to it in order to get their messages across - on the basis that unlike our leaders, we give a damn about our team.