Comment: There has to be a limit somewhere

As football grieves over the brutal murders, a banner carries a gallows and chants of “After the match you die.” It’s the opposite of funny.

This is a comment. The comment expresses the writer’s position

We live in bleak times, something that football took a heavy toll on the body in Brussels a few days ago. The unreal incident that struck Swedish fans sparked a minute’s silence before matches across national borders, at a time when respect and seriousness should be prioritised.

Regardless of when it happened, there were bad signs of trying to joke about murder as a topic on a Norwegian soccer field, as a result of the coach going to a bitter rival.

Resorting to the kind of means that Lilleström’s fans have just done, with the overall background in place, is unfortunately quite tasteless. Where is the ruling? Is this the right time to deal with such a topic?

It is not easy to decide which is more my reaction to the tasteless actions of the Lillestrom fans or the club management belittling them as “humorous”.

Both parts are terrifying.

It is not easy to see the humor in the drawing as it is depicted as if the coach was executed. And it doesn’t get any funnier if you understand that the LSK fans didn’t mean it literally.

The fact that it was all followed by singing “After the game you’re going to die” makes it even worse.

Where were the adults at Lillestrom Gym this Sunday?

It is also important to remember that many other groups, other than the more hardcore supporter groups, follow the Elite League match. There are, for example, many children and young people in the stands and in front of the television sets. How do we explain to them that adults choose to act this way?

Football already suffers from incitement in a number of areas, for example towards referees and on social media. So, there is nothing special, to put it lightly, the thread of what appears on the stand is extended to the extent that we have now seen.

The strong reaction to the gallows flag does not mean believing that pro-culture should be Sunday school.

It should be high above the ceiling for scoop kicks and emotional outbursts in the heat of the match. The most passionate commitment is the bread and butter of football. Therefore, we have to take a lot from the stands, as it is also about trying to calm the opponent down.

However, the limit has to reach the level of what we have to accept in Norwegian football. This limit should be reached significantly before what happened in Åråsen on Sunday.

It is easy to understand that LSK fans greatly disliked Ger Pak going to Valerenga. Even if he has everything in the dry, there’s respect for the argument that going to this particular club is sacrilegious anyway. It is also unsurprising that there was a clear and visible reaction on the pitch during the derby.

But “hanging” him on the gallows means walking miles over the line. It is a bit strange that there has not been a stronger reaction from within what is often called the “football family”.

As you know, education is part of the family’s work, and here the urgent need arises to train adults on minimum habits and uses. The Norwegian Football Association has now stated that it does not like what happened, but general secretary Karl Peter Löcken could have been tougher in this crisis.

It is surprising and also a bit sad to see how many prominent footballers seem to think this trick is a good one. If this is accepted as the prevailing position, there is a risk that flexibility will be extended further next time, even if the Nigeria Football Federation believes that was too much.

Football is about emotions, and some of the strongest emotions appear in competing against the club you don’t like the most. Then it boils a little extra quickly in the top lid. But in any case, there should have been some devil’s advocates present in Lillestrom’s environment, who would have defended that even the coach’s move to Valerenga does not lift all restrictions on behavior, and that there is reason for greater caution near the tragedy. .

Does it help that Gear Buck himself didn’t react negatively to the fans’ actions? I do not think so.

No matter how you look at it, and even if no one doubts that fans actually want to kill Baki, a topic has been raised that should stay out of competitive football.

Lillestrom must be very happy thinking about the fact that Baki could be relegated to Valerenga. But drawing and singing about death? now?

It’s embarrassing and pathetic and a whole bunch of other things. Not funny.

The so-called “supporter culture” cannot be a blanket mandate for anything.