New Internet craze: start a soccer riot

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Where will tomorrow’s soccer hooligans learn the tricks of the trade? Online, of course.

A website called ‘littlehooliganz.com’ is causing verbal Molotov bottle tossing in England, a new twist on the age-old debate on whether kids learn violence from movies, TV and video games or by watching their government in action.

‘Little Hooliganz’ challenges people to ‘become the most notorious, respected and meanest Hooligan the world has ever known.’

Still, the outcry about the self-professed parody site seems a bit much. English hooligans functioned fine for years without online encouragement. All that was required was alcohol, ignorance and some ‘others’ to attack. Besides, the site’s chat room has strictly enforced anti-hooligan-like rules, including bans on swearing and racism.

Guess future ‘hooliganz’ will have to pick up those skills where they always have: on the streets.

Look for the idea to travel across The Pond to America. Just in time for Christmas: ‘littleraiderzfans.com’

-- Chris Foster