FOOTBALL SPECTATOR BEHAVIOR IN ARGENTINA - A CASE OF SEPARATE EVOLUTION

There has been a separate and distinctive evolution of football relate d violence in Argentina. Fighting between rival gangs of fans in Argen tina developed independently and considerably in advance of the modern phenomenon of football hooliganism in Britain. This case is argued us ing Argentine sources not previously translated into English. The dist inctive features of Argentine football violence are described and the main differences in relation to England are outlined. Of paramount imp ortance are the explicit political links of Argentine football clubs. Organised football preceeded democratic politics in Argentina which re sulted in the new political parties utilising the football infrastruct ure of neighbourhood-based clubs. The death rate associated with Argen tine football is significantly higher than in England, and the role of the police is more negative in Argentina. In the conclusion a framewo rk is proposed for the comparative and historical analysis of football related violence.