ABSTRACT
The argument in this paper is that soccer hooliganism as a social phenomenon is deeply rooted in the sense that, for ‘core’ soccer hooligans, those who nowadays engage most persistently in its more violent and disruptive aspects, hooliganism at and in conjunction with soccer forms part of a way of life to which they are deeply committed. Why should that be so? In order to arrive at a sociological diagnosis, some statements by ‘core’ soccer hooligans which shed light on aspects of their typical motivation will be considered. Following that, data on the social origins of soccer hooligans from the 1960's through to the 1980's will be examined. Then, some popular explanations will be critically looked at. Finally, aspects of a sociological diagnosis will be offered.
