When Football Is On, Home Should Still Be Safe
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Football Should Never Become Fear
Football can bring people together, but for some families, major match days can feel terrifying. When emotions run high, alcohol is involved, and tension builds around a result, the home can become unsafe for people already living with domestic abuse.
It is important to say clearly: football does not cause domestic abuse. Abuse is always a choice made by the perpetrator. However, public services and prosecutors have warned that domestic abuse risk can increase around major football tournaments, including the
World Cup. The CPS recently urged victims to seek support during the 2026 World Cup, recognising that domestic abuse is expected to rise during the tournament.
Abuse Is More Than Physical Violence
Domestic abuse is not just hitting, shouting, or visible injuries. Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, abuse can include physical violence, threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse, emotional abuse and psychological abuse.
That means someone being scared to speak during a match, having their phone checked, being stopped from leaving the house, being blamed for a team losing, or being threatened after full time can all be part of a bigger pattern. Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - GOV.UK
Match Days Can Make Existing Abuse Worse
For victims, match day can mean walking on eggshells. It can mean checking the score before checking how safe they feel. It can mean hoping the team wins, not because they care about football, but because they are scared of what might happen if they lose.
ONS data shows domestic abuse remains a huge issue in England and Wales, with police recording over 1.35 million domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes in the year ending March 2025. Domestic abuse prevalence and trends, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
Alcohol Is Never An Excuse
Alcohol can make situations more volatile, but it does not excuse abuse. A person who becomes violent, threatening, controlling or frightening after drinking is still responsible for their behaviour.
The CPS makes clear that domestic abuse cases are treated as high priority because victim safety is so important.
The Hidden Fear After Full Time
For many victims, the most frightening part is not the match itself. It is what happens after. The silence. The mood change. The blaming. The slamming doors. The sudden anger.
Coercive control can be especially hard to spot because it is often built through fear, humiliation, isolation and threats. CPS guidance explains the importance of recognising controlling or coercive behaviour even when other offences are also being investigated.
Why This Matters In Leeds
In Leeds, Bradford and across West Yorkshire, football is part of community life. Pubs are busy, homes are full, emotions are high, and people gather to watch matches together. But behind closed doors, some people are not celebrating. They are surviving.
This is why conversations about domestic abuse during football season matter. They remind people that abuse is not passion, stress, disappointment or “just the drink”. It is abuse.
How VÕS HELP Can Support
VÕS HELP gives people a way to access support without feeling judged, exposed or forced into a formal setting before they are ready. For someone experiencing domestic abuse, even saying “I need help” can feel impossible.
VÕS HELP can offer a private first step. Someone may not feel ready to speak to police, family, work or a face-to-face service, but they may feel able to open the app and speak to someone who listens.
Employers Need To Notice Too
Domestic abuse does not stay at home. It can affect attendance, concentration, confidence, sleep, anxiety, performance and safety at work. The government has published workplace support guidance recognising that employers can play an important role in supporting victims of domestic abuse. Workplace support for victims of domestic abuse: report from review
For HR teams in Leeds, this means noticing changes without judging them. A staff member being withdrawn, repeatedly late, anxious after weekends, constantly checking their phone or avoiding social events may need support, not criticism.
The Message Is Simple
Football should never make someone afraid to go home. A result should never become a reason for violence. A drink should never become an excuse. A bad mood should never become a threat.
VÕS HELP believes support should be accessible before crisis point. Whether someone is scared, confused, ashamed or unsure whether what they are experiencing “counts”, they deserve to be heard.
VÕS HELP is here to make that first step feel safer.
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