Review
The Not-So-Beautiful Game
- Foul Play, What’s Wrong with Sport
- Icon Books
Foul Play, What’s Wrong with Sport
Foul Play is a thought provoking critique of the dark side of modern sport. Joe Humphreys challenges the popular belief that sport is a positive influence on athletes, spectators, indeed the world as a whole.
Tracing the history of organised game-playing, he observes that soccer alone has more followers than either Christianity or Islam. His main objective is to consider whether or not sport is another form of religion, or in fact a dangerous cult.
This leads Humphreys to consider case studies of extreme behaviour in a sporting context; whether it is in the form of players, supporters or administrators. Strongly worded chapter headings such as: Headers and Headcases: Sport and Stupidity
display the extent to which Humphreys believes there are other dimensions to sport that are often glossed over in favour of more glorious attributes.
It’s a very personal book, being an avid sports follower (football unsurprisingly dominates the litany of misdemeanours provided) Humphreys bases his thesis on the fact that there is something in the very nature of sport - its competitiveness - that brings out the worst in people, not the best. Once he provides the reader with evidence, it’s often hard to disagree. One example is when he compares war to certain team sports; a similar type of environment where nobody thinks they are responsible for wrong-doing in the pursuit of victory.
The concept of the ‘sporting lie’ is scrutinised to a great extent in the book; whereby Humphreys suggests that the myth that exists of sport being a celebration of the aesthetic, is indeed a common misconception. In heavily commercialised sports, he argues, risk-takers are not applauded but rather scolded for ‘irresponsibility’. The example provided (media outrage at Arsenal’s Robert Pires unorthodox penalty attempt in 2005 where he successfully imitated Johan Cruyff’s famous effort for Ajax 23 years previous) shows that a more conservative, pragmatic approach currently pervades in the sporting world.
The book is certainly amusing and well researched with copious examples to underline valid points made by the author, an impressive knowledge and clear passion of many sports adds to the book’s credibility. Humphreys ‘dreams’ like Martin Luther King hoping for Superbowls without ‘warmongering half-time shows’ and of a time when the record books will stop listing who won, and instead tell the stories of those who took part. Dream on, kid!
Often tongue-in-cheek, Foul Play does examine the hostility that exists between rival sports clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. This culture of ‘mutual defamation’ is rife in many sports, but Humphreys quite rightly argues that hatred in sport can’t really be put in the same bracket as hatred in religion. The latter has been responsible for the loss of millions of lives down the centuries while however despicable, football hooliganism has claimed a few thousand casualties.
The conclusion that this Irish author draws is not a pretty one; sport is bad for your health and damaging for your character, as well as being the last refuge of; sexism, racism and homophobia. Indeed an alternative title that appears with the blurb speaks of ‘tackling the sports delusion’. Humphreys’ prognosis is very much a sad tale of the glass being half empty; undoubtedly a regular scenario for a self-confessed West Ham United fan such as he!
