h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The inanity of football chants brings to mind the old axiom:

Cricket is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans,
Rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentlemen, but
[Association] Football is a hooligan's sport played by hooligans.

I always thought it was :-

rugby is a gentleman's game played by hooligans
football is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen

perhaps someone can find the correct quote for us!

No, rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen
football is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans.

When did you last hear of a rugby match marred by violence?

Apart from ON the field?

Hey, that's allowed. Admittedly there has been some trouble at Rugby recently, but it's not as bad as football. At Headingley, where the Leeds Rhinos play, they don't have any of the barriers up to stop opposing fans meeting, which they do at foottie grounds.

No, they use a group of yellow-jacketed stewards to separate fans at football matches these days. (Except when Millwall play, when a fleet of rhinos are employed.)

No, barriers aren't erected at any ground these days.
At Bangor City - the two opposing sets of fans even change ends at half-time!!

Oh, my mistake.

this is the true wording of the expression, but it is a reflection of class prejudice, not reality; it dates from the time when rugby was an amateur toff's sport and football was either working class or professional.

the hooliganism connected with football does not come from the players. no rule requires a team to knock the ball out when an opponent is injured, nor to give the ball back to the team which did so when play resumes. it is simply "done". what could be more gentlemanly?

Hooligans
Post: 7

Posted May 18, 2001 by Eusebio - squad number 11
No, barriers aren't erected at any ground these days.
At Bangor City - the two opposing sets of fans even change ends at half-time!!*

Sorry at St Mary's there is a line of Police/stewards between the Home fans and Way. Away are all in a corner on the Northam end.

*Non League teams all seem to do this. In my experience.