Poor Pitches, Violent Fans

On a number of occasions, a number of football matches have been reportedly staved off because of poor conditions of pitches, which is mostly because of heavy rains, or sometimes just normal rains.

Rain is natural and it cannot be postponed, neither can it be stopped. It will fall whenever it desires without any human interference. It will fall even where it is not needed.

Most football pitches become dressed in impressive green turf during the rainy season. The turf makes a very conducive ground where football players play confidently without fear of scraping their limbs. This is where rain becomes a very needful commodity as long as the quality of a football pitch is concerned.

While water proves to be very significant as long as the quality of a natural pitch is concerned, it may also pose a great challenge if the drainage system of the pitch is poor.

No football player – not even the most skillful one – will play to the best of his capability on a waterlogged pitch. It is hard to appreciate the beauty of football on a pitch where the ball only rolls reluctantly after being kicked with so much vigour. This is what rain brings on a pitch with a poor drainage system.

Heavy rains may compel a referee to postpone a football match as long as the rains fall persistently, but when the rains stop and the sun comes out, but there still is a lot of water on the pitch, one wonders how the ‘custodians’ of the pitch manage its drainage system.

It is very disappointing to football fans for a game to be held off because of the poor quality of a pitch, which is purely because of negligence on the part of the ‘owners’ of that pitch. Rain is unpredictable and, therefore, a football pitch is supposed to be in a condition where it will still be good enough even after the rain.

Sometimes teams have the audacity of reaching the agreement of just sharing points if the football pitch is not conducive enough for a game to be played on it.

But, in real sense, earning points for a game that has not been played in not inspiring at all and it dwindles the standards of football, even if it is a single point. In fact, a team that deems itself strong enough to defeat its rival will be demoralized if they get a single point for a not-played game when they would get three points for a played and won game.

Apart from the poor quality of pitches, violent fans also spoil football. Violence is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to persons or property.

It further defines violence as treatment or usage tending to cause bodily injury of forcibly interfering with personal freedom. The second definition implies that even an insult hurled at someone is enough violence.

Of course, it is true that violence in football was mostly felt in the near past when fans would go on rampage vandalizing property, some of which the owners had nothing to do with football.

Now, it is generally accepted that there is no more violence in football in Malawi. Insults directed at referees or even players from fans are very common, yet we claim there is no violence in football in Malawi nowadays. Perhaps it is how we define violence which distorts our conception of its application.

Even without implying the second definition of violence given by the Oxford English Dictionary, I claim without fear of contradiction that physical violence is still there in football in Malawi, only that now it is stuck with small teams which but might find their way into the Super League.

For many times, matches have been spoilt by some unscrupulous fans who never want to accept defeat. These fans usually resort to violence when they see that they 90 minutes session is about to be exhausted while their team is still behind. Their aim is to mar everything so that the game might be replayed.

Football is supposed to be a beautiful game where the best have to emerge winners whatever the case. Pitches or violence should not be the deciders of awarding victory to teams. Owners of pitches should make sure their pitches are always in good conditions even after rains. It is just a matter if improving the drainage system. Fans have to accept defeat because it is all part of the game. After all, there is supposed to be one ultimate winner.