It is a warm and sunny day; the scene perfectly set for the afternoon's brutal contest. Thousands of spectators are seated in a stadium, of which, in the center is a rectangular pitch. Large banners and flags are hung from the stands, and spectators are attired in the colourful regalia of their favoured team. An aggressive and belligerent atmosphere prevails over the stadium; an atmosphere not helped by the numerous guards patrolling the edge of the pitch. Finally, two teams of well-honed athletes walk out into the arena. Then, to the delight of the crowd, who are eager for violence, battle commences.

You may be forgiven for thinking this is a description of a scene from the Colosseum of ancient Rome; but it is, however, a typical UK football match. The football is but a thinly veiled disguise for the real ideals of the sport: tribalism, bigotry and hatred. It is, in essence, a win-at-all-costs war between two sides; and the culture and success of many teams is built on this premise, which appeals to their core fans. For many, the football is of secondary importance; the tribalistic element is their main pleasure.

Earlier in the year I took a holiday in Florida, and while there, I attended a baseball match. I was struck by the marked difference between the UK and the US regarding the atmosphere at sporting events. In the US, a day out watching baseball or hockey is generally one of enjoyable family entertainment. The following is my perception of a baseball match in Miami.

Arriving at the ground, I witnessed rival fans talking to one another in a friendly manner regarding their predictions about the match. Inside, both groups of fans were seated next to each other, something that would never happen at a UK football match. Another observation that interested me was that alcohol was allowed to be drunk inside the stadium; and it didn't lead to violence, but was all part of the social day out. When the match was under way, there was no crowd fighting, swearing or aggressive behaviour. It was simply a good fun day watching a pastoral sport; and an afternoon I thoroughly enjoyed.

However, this atmosphere is a few thousand miles away, literally and metaphorically, from a football match I attended in Glasgow recently. It was between the two richest and most successful clubs in the Scottish football league: Rangers and Celtic, both of Glasgow. Arriving at the ground a half hour before the start, I was met by numerous Celtic supporters who had just departed from the city center bars, having consumed vast quantities of alcohol. Across the street were a group of Rangers fans making their way to another entrance: segregation is vital in order to prevent an all-out war. When these two groups saw one another, bottles were thrown and small fights broke out, before the police intervened. Nearby, some Celtic fans were urinating against a wall.

Once seated inside the ground, I noticed that the atmosphere was most definitely not family orientated; an alien philosophy in the world of UK football. Being in the stand beside the Celtic fans, they all started swearing and chanting sectarian slogans towards the Rangers fans nearby. The scene reminded me of old Scottish tribes facing each other in the Highlands, preparing for attack. I dreaded to think how much worse it would be if alcohol were being drunk in the stadium. As if this wasn't bad enough, the game then started.

Aggressive behaviour is not just restricted to the fans; the football pitch is every bit as brutal, especially with a Rangers and Celtic match. Little footballing skill was shown throughout; instead, I was treated to a hard and physical game, which is what the fans expected and desired. At one point in the match, a Celtic player viciously tackled a Rangers player. The latter had to be taken off the field on a stretcher to a tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. As this was under the Celtic stand, the Rangers player found himself receiving all sorts of abuse, taunting and laughter from the Celtic fans nearby; one of their 'enemies' had been wounded, and was therefore deserving of such abuse. This was no more a sporting contest than the average English foxhunt. The incident made me realize just how pathetic these Scottish fans are. The entire existence of these two clubs would appear to rest on more than 100 years of religious bigotry (Celtic is Catholic, while Rangers is Protestant). Also, their industry is built on a culture glorifying religious hatred. If only this sporting event could be as civilized as those in the US.

In the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, there is a moment where one of the chimps throws a bone high into the air, where it metamorphoses into a spaceship, signifying our progress from Neanderthal into highly advanced, intelligent human. However, when it comes to UK football, it's unfortunate and sad that we are still at the Neanderthal stage of human behaviour!