Football hooliganism is a term used to describe unruly or violent behavior associated with supporters of a football, or soccer, team. Hooliganism is generally linked to young, working-class groups from low-income backgrounds. The term is mostly used in reference to football in the United Kingdom, though disruptive fan behavior has been noted in many counties. While violence at sporting events dates back centuries, a rise in disturbances at English football matches in the 1960s brought the issue more attention. Football hooliganism peaked in the 1980s with several major, and sometimes deadly, incidents forcing changes in how the sport operated. By the twenty-first century, violent fan behavior had decreased, but scattered incidents remained a problem.
