ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the drastic changes that have occurred in Mexican football fandom over the past twenty years and how those changes form part of a broader transformation of Mexican society - brought about by neoliberal reforms - from state corporatism to a system of stratification opposing a small elite and a broad underclass. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF), the media and segments of the government have, in recent years, identified the issue of fan violence as a problem and made it an issue to bring it to an end. Currently, the manner in which many Mexican football supporters relate to each other could still be described as playful antagonism. Taking advantage of the fear of football supporters created by the media's coverage of the Jalisco Stadium incident, the promoters called for a vote on the reforms, and they easily garnished enough votes for approval. The reforms establish as 'criminal' a series of acts committed within stadiums.
