19th
the goodwill of hooligans.
I was at a football game in London recently when the drunk guy in the seat in front lit up a cigarette. It was a football game, and I was engrossed in the action and I didn’t even notice until a women sitting a few seats away made the point of asking him to put it out. For some the public shaming would have been enough to persuade him to put it out. However, he refused and kept on smoking. I thought that was the end of it, and besides I didn’t really want to get involved - I didn’t pay all that money to go there and miss the action by getting mixed up in a smoking debate. Then the guy in front of the smoker stood up, turned around and started to confront the smoker. He was clearly the kind of guy old ladys cross the street to avoid - tattoos, rings, shaved head, clear attitude problem, etc…
‘I think the lady asked you to put that out’
Then some swearing from the drunk guy, and a few of the hooligans mates joined in the protest against the smoker. His argument consisted on them all being fans of the same team, so they shouldn’t argue, and they should let him smoke. I feared that violence was about to ensue and looking at the stewards I could see that they would be able to do little about it. The smoker then asked if they would all like to ‘have a go’ and I was getting ready for the first punch to be thrown. I shouldn’t have worried though because the hooligan then said something that stunned me.
‘We both support the same team and I would never hit a brother, but I will try and stop him killing himself and my brothers around him’.
By this time nearly everyone within in earshot was focusing on the argument and not the game. The guy smoking realised he was beat, put it out and left the game there and then. At full time as everyone was leaving there were many pats on the back and thankyous to the guy who had stood up and confronted the smoker, but he took it in his stride, clearly not wanting the admiration. It reminded me of a quote that always sticks in my head, I have no idea who its by but I know there was a film title based on it.
‘All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing’.
How many times have you or I stood by and done nothing? It can’t always be someone else’s responsibility.
