Robin Manser BA (Hons) MSc SRE, Havelange Scholarship FIFA
Born December 1958. Mother died three-and-a-half years later. Father remarried when he was 9. 6 step-brothers and 3 step-sisters appear on the scene. The step brothers support, mainly Arsenal and Manchester United. At this point Robin whilst reading the Sun, is aware that Malcolm MacDonald has signed for Newcastle United. To piss off his step-brothers, Robin begins to follow the Magpies, a love affair that was to never end and drive him on to a desire to understand the violence that he witnessed on the terraces and the deaths that many witnessed at Bradford, Heysel and Hillsborough, although they were perhaps not aware of what they were witnessing.
After completing a degree in psychology, Robin searched for work and having moved from Newcastle to Huddersfield and with the encouragement and support of his partner Nichola he went on to do his masters degree. Having been awarded the Havelange Scholarship from FIFA to fund the masters, this opened doors to Premiership Football Clubs, Police Forces and others and so begun his research into who is the football hooligan and why does such violence happen. His research was controversial and his findings went against what academics before him had published and what we read in the media.
Robin discovered that the typical stereotype accounted for by the media and academics alike was unfounded and this he proved with investigations with those involved at the front line.
Robin gained the confidences of those people behind the scenes in football that the general public do not even know exist, and have the inside story on the football fan, and with the trust that was built between Robin and these parties so many of the stereotypes that we believe in were disproved.
Since completing this masters Robin has built a web site, www.footballhooligans.org.uk, now the number one football violence site on Yahoo and Google, which on average receives over 1,500 hits per week and between 100-250 e-mails a day. Robin cooperates with Dr. Clifford Stott at the Psychology Department, and the Football Industries Group (FIG) at the University of Liverpool in their current research into the policing of football fans in Europe, www.footballfans.org.uk and lectures part time at the University of Huddersfield in psychology, sociology and sports science.
Where does Robin go from here? With the increase in anti-social behaviour in the football world, with even players and managers showing their anger with their fists on the pitch, Robin believes that a holistic approach is needed, because previous studies has suggested that there is a method of identifying the reasoning of hooliganism. What Robin suggests is that there is a plethora or a number of reasons why people are aggressive and find football an arena to display the symptoms of their anger, "society has problems, problems manifest themselves in many ways. The displeasure and the ability to display feelings comes with opportunity and a football environment, and the eyes of the media that are upon it complies with that desire. Therefore, all frustrations that are experienced in life can be displayed on or off the pitch and, in what is the greatest, most passionate medium for a great deal of people, and given the media that 'loves it' as a tool of manipulation and societal focus, (get those punters), what better way is there to capitulate group feeling to an audience. From the Conference to the Premiership there is a perception that 'all eyes are upon us' and why not, if you are a football fan, Sky and the battles between the BBC and ITV indicate that this is the be all and end all. Football is bigger than politics. We don't change our allegiance in football if we are true supporters!".
Robin continues to work closely with many contacts throughout the footballing community and the police, however, he points out that the best contributors to his research are the fans, however politically correct or incorrect and that more fans must lodge their feelings for him to be the best person to champion their cause both academically and with strength and commitment to what he calls "the worst treated customers of entertainment in the known world". All people are treated in the utmost confidence.
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Robin believes that the advantage he has is that his background puts him in good stead to understanding this phenomena, it is a part of all human existence, whether English, German, Peruvian or Russian, that there is violent behaviour. The first question we are addressing is its manifestation at football. The second question is, how difficult is that to answer?
He believes that football hooliganism is overstated in a world where violence is commonplace in pubs and clubs every Friday and Saturday night, without football being a symptom. Is it simply sexy to equate anything negative in football or around football to football, especially for our media friends!
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