Subculture and group factors influencing violence among football fans

Recently, news about the behavior of football spectators has been as important as news about football itself. This survey studies subculture factors and group dynamic structures influencing the violent behavior demonstrated at football games. A sample of 1020 football spectators who were present at important football matches ,especially between Esteghlal and Piroozi teams, have been used for this research. According to the findings, football hooliganism, in part, is subject to some identical, group and situational variables: age, behavior, affectivity, suggestibility, group contagion, reading sports newspapers, police performance, and excessive appeal to specific sports teams. Moreover, some factors which influence football hooliganism in Europe and other countries like social class, alcoholism and racism do not pose an influence on Iranian football violence.