Some people still seem to imagine that the sports hall is somehow an island detached from the rest of society, where the laws of the jungle prevail, writes Urheilu’s Hinni Hirvonen.
Hinn Hirvonen sports reporter
Finnish soccer player by Linda Sällström a bold bet was one of Sweden of the hottest topics of the sports weekend.
After the match, the Finnish star, who was upset by the inferior shouting of the away supporters, went to the supporters of IFK Göteborg to express his opinion about the shouting of the supporters.
Provoked fans were not happy about this.
The Konkar striker said that he also tried to talk to the referee, without success.
Sällström shared his feelings on his social media account, where he published an article about the incident.
In social media, the Finnish national team’s all-time goalscorer received not only praise but also more hate speech. Many (male) supporters urged Sällström and the female players to endure “the shouting familiar from men’s games” or to play in the future to empty stands.
With his actions, Sällström also started a very important discussion about what is acceptable behavior at a sporting event.
– They say that if a group of ten men were to shout such things at girls in the city, would that be OK? I bet the majority would think that it’s really not ok. Then why is this kind of shouting ok on the football field? Sällström asked.
It has not been easy for the supporters of the Gothenburg club in recent years. The golden years of the 80s are far away: the most recent championship, even the Swedish Cup victory, came in the Corona year 2020 in front of an empty stand. The last time IFK Göteborg celebrated the Allsvenskan victory in the men’s main league was in 2007.
The club is one of the most well-known and traditional in Sweden, but it only started women’s activities five years ago, in 2019. On Saturday, the difference in level between Gothenburg, which plays in the women’s first division, and Vittsjö, which plays in the Damallsvenskan, could not be missed.
It must have frustrated the home team supporters.
Nevertheless, nothing justifies supporters of the Gothenburg club, or any other club, to use misogynistic and derogatory language in the sports stands.
Emotions belong on the field and in the sports stands. It is true that sometimes they get hot, even spill over. They try to provoke the opponent by booing or shouting. Even a dozen years ago, you could regularly hear homophobic shouting in the sports hall.
Some people still seem to imagine that the sports stadium is somehow an island detached from the rest of society, where the laws of the jungle prevail.
For the information of uncles: The world has changed. Sexual jokes do not belong in the workplace, nor does fornication in the sports stands. And not anywhere else.
No one has to tolerate harassment in their workplace.
In 2024, fortunately, it will no longer be overlooked like in previous years.