The Return of hooliganism

[Rupert Wanger]

Football-related arrests and banning orders, season 2012-2013

The Top Ten

1. Newcastle United: 175 (Total arrests)

2. Manchester United: 145

3. Leeds United: 101

4. Manchester City: 95

5. Chelsea: 92

6. Nuneaton Town: 87

7. Sunderland: 71

8. West Ham United: 67

8. Millwall: 67

10. Wolves: 56

[Rupert Wanger]

Nuneaton Town? WTF

[Iceman123]

Rupert this thread may have raised a modicum of interest if you had thought about context - compare it with last year, foreign teams - anything the choice is yours - however without it I have to agree with the good doctor.

[Bettyboo]

Come on Millwall, up your game...

https://www.google.com/search?q=mill...5&dpr=1#imgdii=_

[Bettyboo]

Rupert this thread may have raised a modicum of interest if you had thought about context - compare it with last year, foreign teams - anything the choice is yours -

The decline of Millwall?

[Rupert Wanger]

^I'm going to research some European leagues too. Them Turkish konts Galatasary must be up there

[Rupert Wanger]

n 2007 Dutch side Feyenoord caused havoc in the French city of Nancy following a UEFA Cup match. However, it's the team's bizarre rivalry with Ajax that makes them stand out in the Netherlands.

For some reason, whenever the Rotterdam-based club play Ajax there's always antisemitic undertones. There's nothing particularly Jewish about Ajax as a club, but that doesn't stop the fans from Rotterdam shouting "Hamas Hamas, Jews to the gas!" during the game. Rioting and fights are also commonplace at this fixture and in 2009 both teams banned away fans from attending.

Not that Feyenoord reverse their animosity for Ajax. In 2011, English minnows Barnsley and Hull City both had to cancel exhibition games with the Dutch team after police advised it was best to avoid the hooligans.

[Rupert Wanger]

Lazio, Italy



Lazio's "ultra" fans are not merely a group of violent thugs; they're a group of organized violent thugs.

The Irriducibili have their own offices and prior to 2006 had a huge say (well, for fans at least) in the running of the Rome-based club. The fan-base influenced transfer policy and were reported to have held face-to-face meetings with under performing players and possible transfer targets until the club curtailed their power.

But, it's the group's fascist sentiments that tend to cause the most controversy. There's a picture of Mussolini on the wall of their office and banners adorning swastikas and neo-Nazi symbols were once commonplace at home matches.

It's also not uncommon to see this bunch praise dictators and war criminals or recount racist chants during the game.

[Rupert Wanger]

Glasgow Rangers, Scotland

Wikimedia Commons

Rangers' fans famed drinking den, The Louden Tavern.

Famed, in part, for their intense and religious rivalry with fellow Glaswegians Celtic, Rangers were once said to have the worst hooligan problem in British football.

In 2008, almost 100,000 fans migrated from Glasgow to Manchester to watch the UEFA cup final with Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg. Few had tickets for the match, so the city council erected a large screen to allow supporters to watch. When the screen failed, rioting began.

Rangers fans clashed with riot police outside the stadium. Things weren't much better on the inside, where a Russian fan was stabbed leading to the arrest of six Glaswegians.

[Rupert Wanger]

Galatasaray, Turkey



Adorning a banner that says "Welcome to Hell" as they watch their team, Galatasaray's ultra fans never cease to make it hostile for their opponents. They've also got a fearsome and violent reputation outside the confines of their stadium.

In 2010, a youth match (involving players aged 17 and under) between academy teams from Galatasary and rivals Fenerbache, was called off after half time. The reason? Young Fenerbache players were attacked by a mob of Galatasary fans as they left the field. One of them suffered a broken nose and several others were injured.

In 2000, traveling fans from England's Leeds United clashed with Turkish supporters ahead of a UEFA Cup semi-final match. Two Englishmen were stabbed and killed and Turkish TV showed footage of several others lying in pools of blood outside the club's stadium.

[Rupert Wanger]

Red Star Belgrade, Serbia

AP

Red Star's supporters enjoy a little sing-song during the game and have such lovely chants as "You're going to get your f**king head stamped on like a Kosovan."

They don't just get involved in soccer matters. In 2001 they took in upon themselves to go and smash up Serbia's attempt at a gay pride festival.

The fans also let players know when they're unhappy, employing someone to go and smash up players' cars when performance is lacking. The former Red Star and now Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic had his car smashed to pieces after he appeared in a fashion shoot with a player from local rival Partizan Belgrade.

Though Serbian hooligans are still some of the most feared in Europe, and though the fierce local rivalry Red Star enjoy with Partizan is intense, a look through the history book will shows just how vicious this group was before the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

During the 1980s, Red Star fans attacked fans of Croatian teams with iron bars and clubs. It was even reported that one hooligan kidnapped a fan of Croatia's Hadjuk Split and then raped him with a broom handle over the course of two days.

In 1990, nationalistic sentiments came to a head in a match against Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian capital. The match was abandoned after 10 minutes due to the violence that erupted among the fans. The stadium was set ablaze. The match is seen by many as a symbolic event demonstrating the end of Yugoslavian unity.

[Rupert Wanger]

Roma, Italy



There must be something in the water in Rome. Like its fellow Romans Lazio, Roma has a thuggish contingent that the rest of Europe should be scared of.

Recently, two black players from the club were attacked by their own fans outside Roma's training ground.

In 2004, during the derby match between Roma and Lazio, rumors circulated that children had been killed outside the stadium prior to the game. Roma fans stormed the pitch to confront captain Francisco Totti, demanding the match be postponed.

When Roma were drawn against Manchester United in the 2007 Champions League, members of the team's ultra fans sent text messages all over Europe inviting other hooligans to come and beat up the traveling supporters.

During the game, fighting broke out inside the stadium with several arrests on both sides.

When United returned to Rome the next season in the same competition, fans were ambushed before the game by the waiting Roma ultras. Five were stabbed by the hooligan mob.

In 2009, Roma continued their hostility towards British clubs. An Arsenal fan was stabbed during the knock out round of the Champions League and when United went to Rome for the competition's final, it took a matter of hours for one of them to be knifed. Roma weren't even playing in the match.

[Rupert Wanger]

West Ham United, England


Millwall's arch rivals, we've already noted the violence that occurred when the two clubs met in 2009.

West Ham's Inter City Firm are another group of hooligans who treat their violence as part of their heritage. They gained international fame when Elijah Wood joined them as they were inaccurately portrayed in the movie Green Street Hooligans (which also featured some horrible English accents).

Recently, they brought their brand of support to the U.S. starting a ruckus during an exhibition match with Columbus Crew in 2008.

It was reported the Columbus had started its own hooligan group after watching the movie based on those they were fighting.

[dirk diggler]

Rangers were once said to have the worst hooligan problem in British football.

Haha, doubt it. Aberdeen and hibs have always been the top firms is Scotland. Still do.

[Rupert Wanger]

^Very much so Dirk

[Iceman123]

^
Dirk the ASC had their days in the mid eighties - but no doubt that the Hibs boys became no1 and kicked all the loons asses

[Rupert Wanger]

^Alot of firms had their days in the mid-late 80's

[Iceman123]

A few of the Hibs 'CCS' boys are in their 40's and still into it!

[dirk diggler]

^
the Hibs boys became no1

This is true.

^
and kicked all the loons asses

Not strictly true.

But I'm biased.

Both still very much in the game.

[alwarner]

Football-related arrests and banning orders, season 2012-2013

The Top Ten

1. Newcastle United: 175 (Total arrests)

2. Manchester United: 145

3. Leeds United: 101

4. Manchester City: 95

5. Chelsea: 92

6. Nuneaton Town: 87

7. Sunderland: 71

8. West Ham United: 67

8. Millwall: 67

10. Wolves: 56

If you only take league games into account for Newcastle (38) then it's roughly 4 people per game.

Good away following, not known for having a firm. Stands to reason that it's pissed up idiots. Although there'll be some violence in there for sure.

Nuneaton is a bit of an anomoly, but this article http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Sport...-0-1555569.xnf mentions an EDL protest in the town I wonder if the police have marked these down under "football related".

Also and this is only anecdotal; but if clubs that have rivalries are in different leagues then their hooligan element will go to a local club and have it out there. Nuneaton is in The Midands so that would fit. Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry, Villa etc... are all there or there abouts. Loads of others too.

[alwarner]

^
Dirk the ASC had their days in the mid eighties - but no doubt that the Hibs boys became no1 and kicked all the loons asses

The first Casuals.

[Bettyboo]

The Ipswich Town crew aren't noted for their violence, but they do have tractors - which is cool...

[Aberlour]

You want to see the worst of football related violence you need to look at South America. The Brazilian and Argantinian big city derbies are like fucking war zones. In fact many of the fixtures are played to home fans only, no away support even allowed.

[beerlaodrinker]

Still a few of the chelsea headhunters getting around in the philippines and thailand, The dogs bollocks bar in pattaya used to have a lot of them as well,
one of them wrote a book about his hooliganism experiences

[Thormaturge]

Southend United 6 ......one of which was a pitch incursion.

Please tell me Southend didn't have a streaker.