Roligan
Encyclopedia
The Roligan movement are Danish football
fans, who are well-mannered, yet cheerful, during the match and before and after. This behavior is the opposite of that exhibited by hooligans
. The term roligan is a pun
based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish
.
The movement was founded during the successful years of Danish football in the 1980s. The Danish roligans’ colourful and convivial behaviour in connection with international matches through the 1980s resulted in the UNESCO 'Fair Play Trophy' in 1984 being awarded to the 'Danish Supporters at the European Championship in France'.
A claim for the origin of the name has hence never been claimed.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
fans, who are well-mannered, yet cheerful, during the match and before and after. This behavior is the opposite of that exhibited by hooligans
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
. The term roligan is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
.
The movement was founded during the successful years of Danish football in the 1980s. The Danish roligans’ colourful and convivial behaviour in connection with international matches through the 1980s resulted in the UNESCO 'Fair Play Trophy' in 1984 being awarded to the 'Danish Supporters at the European Championship in France'.
History
The term "Roligan" was invented by a sub-editor working at the Danish newspaper B.T.B.T. (tabloid)
B.T. is a Danish tabloid newspaper which offers general news about various subjects such as sports, politics and current affairs.A large, red neon sign displays the B.T. logo at the square Trianglen in Østerbro, a part of Copenhagen....
A claim for the origin of the name has hence never been claimed.
See also
- Denmark national football teamDenmark national football teamThe Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
- Tartan ArmyTartan ArmyThe Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work...
, the supporters of the Scotland national teamScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
who are equally renowned for their peaceful nature.
External links
De Danske Roligans, (official web site)- Danish Football factsheet (11.9 MB PDF file) published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of DenmarkMinistry of Foreign Affairs of DenmarkThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and its overseas representations are in charge of Denmark's foreign affairs...
- List of Fair Play Winners, 1984