Now, despite all of the passion that fans of British football clubs have, and especially those of Manchester United, there are ways of reading a legal term in a way that is relatable to the footballing experience. For those of you curious about the meaning of the term, according to Cambridgeprints, the meaning of “aggravated” under the law is as follows: “Where the defendant has acted in a way that caused the victim greater psychological or physical harm or injury than would have been caused by the worst kind of act [defendants] could have engaged in”. This is, of course, expressly in the legal context, and away from the beautifully loud stadiums of Manchester, but there’s no denying that these terms can be seen during matches. To start with, “Aggravated” can in some ways be thought of as a factor that intensifies the events of different parts of the game. For example, picture the set up for a Manchester City centre-corner kick. Fans are already fired up because United and City are playing Manchester City. The intensity of the game itself is ‘aggravated’ by the fact that this is a Manchester City vs Manchester United game and fans are exceeding their own already high levels of excitement in reaction to the build-up to a particular event – in this case the throwing of the ball by the player taking the centre-corner kick. If we look at historic games, every United fan worth their team-jumpsuit will remember that, not too long ago, there was a home match against Liverpool that ended very poorly for the players and management of United, as well as the overall reputation of the club. The entire match was ‘aggravated’ by the longstanding rivalry between the two famous teams. United fans were hoping for a win, or at least a draw against their longtime rivals. Liverpool came out of the match with a 3-1 victory and the celebrations were incredibly, aggressively intense. Why? Because the fans of both clubs have always had a long-standing rivalry, not only because both clubs have, for many decades, been the most successful teams of the Premier League, but also because the clubs (and fans of each club) refuse to stand for what they see as actions of intentional provocation toward them. In terms of the players on the pitch, the only direct similarity to the actions of referees, officials, or even media reporters would be the reactions. If the actions of the referees or officials was ‘aggravated’, then, so too were the actions of the players. Following the disputed goal, which many say was offside, one Manchester City player went so far as to physically attack a ball boy outside his own D. This was an extreme response to a decision that neither the referee, nor the ball boy, had any control over or part in. Now, let’s think about the actions of the fans, because let’s face it, sometimes it’s not about what happens on the pitch, but about what happens off it. A goal by either side can seemingly be enough to set off fans in the stands, and it’s easy to create an ‘aggravated atmosphere’. It can be cold and wet, but you’ll shout for your team until you’re hoarse. It’s easy to be ‘aggravated’ when you’re a Manchester United fan, but that’s part of who you are. How does that compare to being ‘aggravated’ under the law? Well, when a Manchester City player falls on the ground after an incoming tackle, it’s easy to get ‘aggravated’ by the fact that the player could no doubt get up and walk off if it wasn’t for how seriously he took the situation. The ‘aggravated atmosphere’ for players goes even further: diving and flailing your arms around won’t do anything to help the situation. Players should, by rules of sportsmanship, be taught to behave maturely and handle the outcome so they don’t lose their temper. In legal terms, their behaviour could be classified as ‘more severe’ than normal because it was an emotionally charged situation. Sure, legally, it doesn’t really matter how you handle that vital centre-corner kick, whether you call for a re-take or not, but in real life it can mean the difference between missing out on Champions League next season or winning the league. On the field, your ‘aggravated’ state can give you an extra push to score that winning goal. From a legal perspective, you may just find yourself spending a lot of time in court when you could be maintaining your lead in the Premier League. Fans can intensify the ‘aggressiveness’ of the atmosphere created at football games, whether they’re Manchester United fans or Millwall fans. They can encourage the intensity and can either create a positive or negative experience because of that. In the case of Manchester United, sometimes it’s easy to be the enemy. Rivalries between teams can be both good in terms of positive competition, and bad in terms of negativity towards one another. It’s not uncommon to hear fans describe how the rivalry between two clubs can make you feel because of the overall atmosphere it creates. Sometimes, it can be negative, but other times, it can be positive, just like any good rivalry. Many BMUSC members will have personal stories about what it feels like to support Manchester United and be present for moments when rivalries were extremely intense. Whether you’re a supporter now or a supporter from years gone by, you’ll have your own reasons as to why you’re drawn towards Manchester United and ways that the rivalries may have previously ‘aggravated’ you. Fans, just like players, can intensify or alleviate the tensions created by the games. They can create a frenzied atmosphere by cheering for their players, chanting for their favourite players, or booing or heckling opponents they dislike. It’s all a part of the culture and atmosphere created by the fans. A flashing camera at the wrong moment or the wrong point in a given match might even be considered to have an ‘aggravating’ effect on a player. Just like that, however, it’s important to remember that sometimes, the media itself might have a large part to play in the state of a rivalry, or the consequences of the state of the rivalry. Media plays a role in the relationship between fans and players, just like they play a role in the relationship between one club and another. Sometimes, the pressure of being a football club and even the standard of reporting itself can ‘aggravate’ situations instead of de-escalating them. The media makes up a big part of many different sports and their stories are reported in a way that can sometimes make the situation seem more emphasised than it really is. That’s not to say that players or fans are the only ones who can have ‘aggravated’ atmospheres. Just as a player’s challenges or actions can be ‘aggravated’ when the situation surrounding them is intense, so too can the environment surrounding them. As anybody who has played football knows, sometimes players miss penalties or otherwise fail to take advantage of openings in the game that’d allow them to score. Personally, I think the biggest missed penalty in last season’s Premier League came at the hands of Manchester United when they missed a penalty against Southampton. It’s one of those moments that no football fan ever wants to witness. Above all else, however, sometimes players make mistakes that hurt the integrity of the game itself. For example, a Manchester United player may dive and simulate injury after an opponent has committed a foul. Those types of errors are ones that every player hates to see. In the past, I’ve seen Manchester City fans describe some of their team’s players as ‘players who cheat’ because that’s how blatant the behaviour was. Cheating is an action that can negatively ‘aggravate’ the situation in the game itself because it is just simply not fair. That’s why the FA and FIFA have put in place additional punishments to discourage players from behaving that way. More penalties are issued as the result of simulation than a straightforward foul these days, because no-one wants to deal with players who ‘aggravate’ their teams by cheating and trying to get them penalised for things they haven’t done. There will be times when things get ‘aggravated’ and result in defeats or successes for your team. There will be times when referees make decisions that you don’t agree with, that you feel are ‘aggravated’ in direction towards your team. There will be moments when you feel the referee ‘aggravated’ the situation by missing out on clearing fouls and penalties that were committed during the game, but on the whole, that’s a part of what it means to be a Manchester United supporter. It’s what makes being a Manchester United supporter so passionate and intense. It’s part of the fun that comes with Fridays at Old Trafford and Saturdays at Goat Hill. According to the in depth guide on the meaning of aggravated under the law, it’s clear that the term carries significant weight both in legal contexts and in the passionate world of football.
