Armstrong versus Archetti's View of Firms

An anthropologist by the name of Gary Armstrong did 14 years of participant observation with a football firm out of the United Kingdom, the Blades. This firm supported the club Sheffield United. In his effort to put an end to the myths around hooliganism,he says, “To the outsider, violence is the raizon de’etre of a Blades gathering” (233). He claims that the level of violence surrounding hooliganism has decreased over time through increased policing at the stadiums. These gangs are a way for men to feel good about themselves, and loyalty is the basis for male hooligan culture.
Eduardo Archetti disagrees with Armstrong in his book Masculinities Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina, claiming that the basis for hooliganism is masculinity. It is a way for men to define themselves around their manhood. He also feels that it football is a tradition to these people, tracing back hundreds of years. Every game is a way to unite fans and the entire country in order to create a sense of national pride.
Armstrong and Archetti are in disagreement about the meaning of football firms and why one might join, but they both agree that hooliganism is a cultural issue. Armstrong believes that gangs are a way for a male to transition from school to finding a career, falling in love, and settling down. Archetti believes that hooligans join firms in order to create a sense of masculine identity and pride, and football creates a way for the country to unite. When anthropologists study athletes, they look at sports as a form of creating identity. Hooligans form their identities based on the sport that they watch, the main events that surround their everyday life. Hooligan activities allow them to create notions of cohesion, uniting based on a similar love for football.

Archetti, Eduardo P.
1991 Masculinities: Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina. New York: Berg.

Armstrong, Gary.
1998 Football Hooligans: Knowing the Score. New York: Berg.