Football is undoubtedly one of the most famous sports across the globe, with a large percentage of the world’s population very interested in the following football. The European region has been considered to be the world’s most prominent fan organization, with around three million football fans (Faccia et al., 2020). Having such numbers directly affects the economy and welfare of the people in these countries.
Football has had a health benefit to those who play it regularly. An excellent example of this is heart disease, the primary cause of death in Poland (Zatonski, 2019). Regular and moderate forms of exercise, such as football, can reduce this condition. Magda Urbanska, the director of grassroots at polish FA, says that the government was highly motivated by information on the health benefits of playing regular football (Campelli, 2021). The government of England was convinced that football could assist in preventing a variety of serious illnesses (Pringle et al., 2021). Research from Shepherd et al. (2021) proved that playing football improved youth mental health in many European countries, especially Germany. As a result, billions of euros were saved that would have otherwise been used to cater to medical needs.
A reduction in the number of people engaging in crime, leaving school, and abusing drugs is also impacted by football. Faccia et al. (2020) say that “historically, football has offered many opportunities for youth and adult men to be physically active.” Sattorov and Saidov (2021) suggest that “countries such as Austria and Serbia are working with their governments to increase the formation of football teams in educational institutions and areas of settlement.” The SROI model with the formula derived by Crabbe established the monetary cost of savings per individual in Sweden regarding the particular person’s path. If a person is at a 52.5% risk of engaging in crime, getting involved in a sport would reduce this risk by 15.81%, with this individual experiencing a saving of around 817 Euros (Campelli, 2021). This research goes ahead to prove that engaging in the evils mentioned above would lead to an extra cost of 5,176 euros per person (Campelli, 2021). Applying these calculations to a more significant number of individuals would lead to the realization of massive savings not only by individuals but also by the government.
Football may indirectly cause a negative impact on the environment. Carbon emissions are generated by vehicles used when traveling to play or participate in football tournaments. It has also led to an increase in rivals between supporters from different regions as a result of supporting a particular football team. It is natural for people to support the teams from their hometowns. However, this has often led to unhealthy relations between football fans from different regions due to the football rivalry. The aim of investigating the negative effect of football, aside from the injuries, is to come up with strategies that reduce these negative aspects.
Football has led to positive engagement among members of society who would otherwise have not known each other. This is because football is an inclusive and team sport. Players are organized in teams where they have to work together to beat their opponents. Their fans are also united by their common love for that particular team. Various teams have their own fan groups that offer them support.
Football has had played a significant role in the economic and social environment. It is essential to focus on the positive effects and put more effort into them. The negative impacts should not be avoided as well. As much work as possible is needed to reduce these negative results for the improvement of the whole community. As many football fanatics like to put it, football is not just a game, it is an emotion. There is, therefore, a need to improve the way the public and the government view this sport.
References
Campelli, M. (2021). Quantifying the economic and social impact of football. The Sustainability Report. Web.
Faccia, A., Mataruna-Dos-Santos, L.J., Munoz Helù, H. & Range, D. (2021). Measuring and monitoring sustainability in listed European football clubs: A value-added reporting perspective. Sustainability, 12(23), 9853. Web.
Sattorov, A. E. & Saidov, G. K. (2021). Improving the training elements in primary training groups of sports schools. Web of Scientist: International Scientific Research Journal 2(05), 737-746. Web.
Shepherd, H. A., Evans, T., Gupta, S., McDonough, M. H., Doyle-Baker, P., Belton, K. L., Karmali, S., Pawer, S., Hadly, G., Pike, I., Adams, S. A., Babul, S., Yeates, K. O., Kopala-Sibley, D. C., Schneider, K. J., Cowle, S., Fuselli, P., Emery, C. A., & Black, A. M. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on high school students’ athlete experiences with physical activity, mental health, and social connection. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3515. Web.
Pringle, A.R., Zwolinsky, S., Lozano-Sufrategui, L. (2021). Investigating the delivery of health improvement intervention through professional football club community trust-strength and challenges. Public Health in Practice 2, 100104. Web.
Zatonski, W. A. (2019). One hundred years of health in Poland. Journal of Health Inequalities 5(1), 11-19. Web.