by Simon Caller (flickr.com)
One of the reasons I find Jackson Heights fascinating is because of its diversity. However, what really draws me to look into this area is soccer. For me soccer is not a sport, it’s a passion that I live fervently everyday. When I walk around Jackson Heights, I find myself visiting dozens of stores offering my favorite team jerseys, all kinds of soccer balls, and different videos from past tournaments.
Unfortunately, the ugly side of soccer has also reached Jackson Heights; mainly in “El Abuelo Gozon” bar, where soccer aficionados get together for some soccer, some beer, and some trouble.
Soccer hooligans have been terrorizing stadiums for many years, and the fights carry on at this bar to the extend of having police constantly around the site on Sundays, when most of the games are played. Javier, a soccer fan who didn’t want to give his last name because he has fought in different occasions just outside of “El Abuelo Gozon,” recalled being ambushed by supporters from other teams because he was wearing a soccer jersey from the Colombian side “Millonarios.”
“My girlfriend and I were attacked by five guys at least,” he said. “I wasn’t hurt badly so I went back the next week with friends, but nothing happened.”
The manager of the establishment has been unavailable when I have visited. I imagine he is probably busy preparing the place for the upcoming international game featuring Colombia against Honduras. Hopefully there won’t be any trouble once the final whistle blows.
The key to this story is finding out the passion that is behind these brawls. Why was Mr. Gozon attacked and why had he fought before? It would be interesting to know what is going through the heads of these fans when they are planning an attack based on a soccer dispute.