Membenahi Rupa Persepakbolaan Melalui Rupa Stadion (Reforming Football by Changing the Face of the Stadium)

Indonesian version 

Kala itu sewaktu masih ada beberapa kali kesempatan untuk menyaksikan pertandingan sepakbola langsung di stadion, saya selalu ingat bahwa pertandingan klub-klub lokal di liga nasional tidak pernah masuk ke jadwal acara saya dan teman-teman saya. Kami seakan menghindari, kalau bisa tidak menyentuh area lebak bulus kalau Persija sedang bertanding. Apa yang salah? Ya, warga Jakarta pasti paham betul. Rusuhnya pertandingan sepakbola kemungkinan besar selalu melengkapi jalannya pertandingan dan merusak wajah stadion dan sepakbola masyarakat yang seharusnya menjadi kebanggaan warga lokal.

Kerusuhan di Stadion Manahan, Oktober lalu, mungkin hanya satu dari sekian banyak kerusuhan yang memakan korban jiwa. Apalagi sejarah permusuhan antara Viking dan The Jak yang seringkali mendatangkan maut. Berbicara mengenai kerusuhan sepakbola Indonesia yang seharusnya bisa diatasi dan diminimalisir memang mudah membuat kita berpaling ke persepakbolaan Negara lain.

Hampir semua teman saya memuja Manchester United dengan Old Trafford nya, Arsenal dengan Emirates Stadium nya, Chelsea dengan Stamford Bridge nya, atau Liverpool dengan Anfield nya. Tapi kali ini ada baiknya kita telisik, apakah mereka mendirikan stadion megah itu dengan sendirinya dan tanpa alasan. Bahkan tidak hanya klub-klub divisi satu yang dipastikan memiliki stadion multifungsi modern. Namun klub-klub divisi di bawahnya pun serta merta merekonstruksi ulang atau membangun dari awal.

Alasannya tentu ada pada sub budaya fans sepakbola Inggris, hooliganisme. Hooliganisme yang sempat membuat masyarakat Inggris mempertanyakan tatanan masyarakat mereka yang seharusnya beradab dan disegani. Mereka juga pernah mengalami fase di mana kerusuhan tidak dapat dibendung. Tahun 70an hingga 80an bisa dikatakan sepakbola Inggris sedang amat populer di kelangan pekerja. Saking populer, kerusahan supporter semakin meresahkan. Puncaknya di tahun 1985 saat pertandingan Liga Champion antara Liverpool dan Juventus berubah mengenaskan karena telah memakan korban jiwa sebanyak 39 supporter Juve. Tragedi Heysel ini lah yang membuat klub Inggris tidak dapat bertanding di kompetisi Eropa selama lima tahun.

Namun ternyata tragedi serupa kembali terjadi empat tahun setelahnya. Kerusuhan Hillsborough

memakan korban jiwa sebanyak 95 orang akibat membludaknya penonton dan arus yang tidak bisa diatur. Pertandingan FA Cup antara Liverpool dan Nottingham Forest yang seharusnya dapat dinikmati tersebut berakhir mengenaskan.

Kali ini para pihak terkait dan pengamat sepakbola Inggris tidak tinggal diam. Salah satu rekomendasi yang digunakan oleh asosiasi sepakbola Inggris adalah Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry atau dikenal dengan Taylor Report. Laporan sekaligus rekomendasi dari Lord Taylor of Gosforth inilah yang membuat klub-klub liga Inggris berbenah dan mengeluarkan kocek besar-besaran untuk membangun stadion mereka.

Tidak hanya klub-klub di divisi satu, namun juga divisi dua diharuskan memiliki stadion dengan kapasitas bangku penonton yang memadai, keamanan dan pengawasan super ketat, hingga multimedia dan area media super canggih. Stadion modern menjadi salah satu prasyarat agar mereka dapat dipromosikan. Sehingga tak heran jika klub-klub lokal di Inggris serta merta pergi meninggalkan stadion lamanya yang rata-rata sudah berusia ratusan tahun, seperti Reading FC dengan Elm Park nya menuju Madejski Stadium. Bahkan Brighton & Hove Albion FC tidak berpuas diri dengan stadion barunya di Whitdean, mereka bersusah payah untuk membangun stadion multifungsi yang saat ini dikenal dengan nama AMEX Stadium.

Di stadion yang baru, para supporter dilarang berdiri, dilarang membawa minuman keras apalagi senjata berbahaya. Setiap gerak gerik mereka diawasi oleh kamera pengaman. Ini lah yang membuat masyarakat kelas menengah Inggris dengan senang hati pergi menonton sepakbola di stadion. Bahkan masyarakat yang bukan pecinta sepakbola rela merogoh kocek yang tidak sedikit untuk mencicipi duduk di bangku stadion megah.

Barangkali dengan mengulas sedikit tentang perubahan yang terjadi pada wajah dan fungsi stadion di persepakbolaan Inggris bisa memberi gambaran bahwa stadion merupakan titik mula di mana liga Inggris bisa sebesar sekarang. Di mana mereka membuka ruang sepakbola mereka untuk ranah komersialisme. Karena dengan diperbaruinya wajah dan fungsi stadion mereka, kesempatan untuk peluang bisnis lain selain tiket pertandingan mulai berdatangan. Namun yang patut ditekankan, sponsor dan kerja sama dengan media terutama televisi menjadi penyelamat di saat mereka membutuhkan biaya untuk membangun stadion mereka.

Pada akhirnya, saya hanya bisa berkomentar, mungkin dalam beberapa tahun atau dekade ke depan, persepakbolaan Indonesia akan berubah secara signifikan mengikuti fase yang telah dialami oleh masyarakat Inggris. Yang kita butuhkan agar kita dapat menjalani fase dengan lebih cepat adalah motor penggerak atau individu-individu yang sanggup mengerahkan masyarakat dalam memajukan sepakbola tanah air.

English version

There was a time when I got chances to see football matches in stadium, but me and my friends never put the local football matches in our list. We seemed to avoid having time in a stadium to support our national league even we will stay away from Lebak Bulus area if we know the home match of Persija is being held. What is wrong? Yes, people of Jakarta must know better that the footie fans disaster most probably will occupy the match and ruin the face of our local stadium and disgrace our local football.

The disaster in Manahan Stadium last October, may be one of many disasters with dead victim. Evenmore, there is a long rivalry between Viking and The Jak who never satisfy until they took someone’s life. Speaking of football fans disaster in Indonesia which is supposed to be handled and minimized, makes us easier to look into the other football league in other countries.

Almost all of my friends admire Manchester United with their magnificent Old Trafford, Arsenal with their Emirates Stadium, Chelsea and their Stamford Bridge, or Liverpool and their Anfield. But this time we shall see carefully, do they build their modern stadia out of the sudden? Moreover, not only major clubs in the first division of Premier League who have a multifunction stadium. The lower clubs also reconstruct their home or even rebuilt it from the ground.

The reason should be lied under the sub culture of England football fans, hooliganism. Hooliganism ever made the British questioning their social culture and structure which supposed to be civilized and respectful. They did go through the unsuppressed disasters which in some cases turned to be a tragedy. In 70s until 80s, football in England might be very popular among the working class. Because of the popularity, the disaster became more troubling. The peak was in 1985 when Liverpool had to play Juventus in Champions League and the match turned to be a deadly tragedy with 39 dead Juventus fans. Heysel Tragedy made the English clubs be banned from European competition for five years.

However, it seemed to not stop the tragedy of football match when there was a huge disaster in Hillborough four years later. The Hillborough disaster sent 95 football fans to the death because of overcrowded and uncontrolled spectators in the stadium. The FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest tragically ended when it supposed to be enjoyable for everyone.

This time the authorities and football expertise would not stand aside anymore. One of the recommendations made by Football Association (FA) is the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry or has known as Taylor Report. The report as well as recommendation by Lord Taylor of Gosforth set the reformation of English football and made the clubs dig their pocket to rebuild their stadia.

Not only for clubs in the first divion, but the lower ones should also own the all-seater stadia with sufficient capacity, sanitized and controlled space with surveillance camera, also the highly equipped multimedia and press area. Modern stadia becomes one of the enquiries for them to be promoted. Therefore, we could see the local clubs left their old stadium which averagely stood for hundred years, such as Reading FC who left their Elm Park for Madejski Stadium. The other is Brighton & Hove Albion FC who could not satisfy with their new stadia in Whitdean, they hardly campaigned to build multifunction stadium which is now called AMEX Stadium.

In the newly built stadium, the spectators are not allowed to stand or even jump up, cannot bring their beer inside the stadium (other alcoholic drinks are included for sure), moreover they cannot put a dangerous weapon in their pocket. Every single move is being watched from the surveillance camera. That is the thing which makes the stadium more secure and friendly for the casual audience who is in the middle class segment. Evenmore, we can see more women watch the games in stadium and some people who know nothing about football are willing to spend their money for the expensive ticket price in order to taste the stadium, they watch it because it is a trend and a lifestyle.

By writing about the changing face of the English football stadium, perhaps sport people in Indonesia can understand that stadia shall be the starting point to rebuild our beloved local football and turn it into a serious business like happened in England. They open their football space for marketization into becoming a global business. By rebuilding their stadium, they open the chance to other sector and revenues not only rely on the ticketing. But the most important is the sponsorship and media partnership especially from the TV rights turn to be the savior from their debt because of massive stadium construction.

Lastly, I can only comment, perhaps in the following years or decades, Indonesian football will find themselves to reform as the phases which had been through by the English. What we need is the individuals who care enough to lead the way and the people who has been waiting for so long to see our football league shinning and dignified.

Sumber foto:

https://masshar2000.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/wpid-kerusuhan-pecah-di-laga-persis-solo-martapura-ulo1.jpg?w=630

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/projects/634749/photo-main.jpg?1397829103

http://the72.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Amex-Stadium.jpg

http://i2.getreading.co.uk/incoming/article4044340.ece/alternates/s2197/stx-Madejski-Stadium.jpg