Matchday Hooliganism as a Community Safety Problem: Stakeholder Perceptions and Prevention Priorities in Ghana's Division One League

Abstract This study examined matchday hooliganism as a community safety problem in Ghana's Division One League. A descriptive cross-sectional survey collected responses from 2,820 football stakeholders across selected clubs in the league's three zones. Six perceived consequences of hooliganism were ranked using means, standard deviations and the Relative Importance Index. Injuries ranked first, followed by loss of personal items, substandard player performance, insecurity and frustration, perceived referee bias and death. The findings identify bodily safety, property security, fear and emotional distress, participant protection and institutional credibility as priority areas for prevention. The article proposes a place-based and multi-agency prevention approach centred on fixture risk assessment, visible guardianship, controlled movement, referee protection, emergency readiness, incident recording and supporter engagement. The study contributes evidence from a Global South lower-tier football context to research on crowd disorder and community safety.