By Daily Sports on March 18, 2016

The killing some days ago of a Nigerian Lionel Messi fan by another Nigerian who is an admirer of Christiano Ronaldo is a stark reminder of how passion for the round leather can result in tragic ends.

Loyalty to teams and particular players often reveal the innermost personality of football followers and what we see at football viewing centers and newspaper stands as fans gather to watch and talk about games give us a real education  into the minds of people and how cruel they can be. You hear expressions like “you are a fool”, “he’s a useless gay”, “let him die”, etc.

And in these times of cheap booze, such cruelty as seen in the viewing centers and recently in India are most likely to keep being replicated.

For those who like to hang out in places where people are gathered to enjoy a football match or engage in a chat about football, here are five rules to keep yourself from being dragged into football-related trouble with other viewers or discussants.

1. AVOID PHYSICAL CONTACTS IN MOMENTS OF ECSTASY

Some people are usually inclined towards touching fellow viewers when watching matches, especially in moments of intense excitement, like when their darling team scores a goal.

Now this is fodder for violence because when someone is deeply down, from seeing his side concede a goal for example, the last thing he needs is someone poking his tongue at him and touching him.

I’ve seen a number of people being irritated by the touching of their 'friends' who are mocking them and in many cases this leads to a quarrel.

2. DON'T BE QUICK TO THROW ABUSES AT PLAYERS OR COACHES.

It is quite easy to work out the kind of personality of people by seeing them behave while watching a game. When one is very abusive, criticising players and coaches with foul words, they give themselves away as uncultured and irascible.

Others of similar negative characteristics are most likely going to develop a resentment for other tetchy persons when they disagree and the result could be unpalatable.

3. DON’T DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL TO A FOOTBALL GATHERING

Always remember that too much alcohol consumption leaves you vulnerable to a lack of self-control.

4. KNOW WHEN TO STOP A JOKE

At times, some of us like to believe we are too funny especially when people laugh to what we say in football viewing centers. The thing is that too much joke and laughter can make us look at times like natural fools and makes our opinions susceptible to being dismissed as unserious.

When we later strain to make what we think is a serious observation, it can be frustrating to taken for a clown by others who are arguing with us and this leads in a number of cases to unsavory arguments and fights.

5 CONTROL YOUR ASSOCIATION

Avoid people who flout the above rules. Football should be enjoyable and anyone who is potentially threatening to your enjoyment of the beautiful game and also dangerous to your physical health and peace of mind does not deserve your company.

•Nelson Dafe, whose photo appears here, writes for Daily Sports.

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 18, 2016

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