Football Hooliganism

1
Football Hooliganism
Luke MacDougall
2
What Is Hooliganism?

• Spontaneous and low level disorder caused by fans
  at or around a football match.
• Intentional violence organized by gangs known as
  firms
• Firms attach themselves to specific football
  clubs and they fight firms of other clubs at
  specific meeting points.
• Fights can occur significant distances from a
  match

3
How did Hooliganism Start?

• 1314 in England with Edward II
• 1885 Preston North End vs. Aston Villa
• two teams were pelted with stones, attacked with
  sticks, punched, kicked and spat on

4
The Firm

• All over the world, but most popular in the U.K.
• Over 64 well known firms in just this one country
• Concentrated primarily in England.

5
The Casuals

• ICF stands for Inter City Firm
• Took Inter City Trains to get to football matches
• Dressed rather nicely to avoid being noticed
• Close connections with The Mile End Mob in East
  London

6
Other Popular English Firms

• Chelsea- Headhunters
• Manchester United- The Red Army
• Blackpool- The Muckers
• Tottenham- Yid Army
• Millwall- Bushwackers
• Luton Town- MIGs
• Portsmouth- 6.57 Crew

7
The Modern European Hooligan

• England had the largest hooligan population in
  the 70s and 80s, but it has since declined
• Italy, Spain, and France have seen recent
  hooligan upheavals.
• Some German firms have been linked to Neo-Nazism

8
Eastern European Firms

• Bad Blue Boys in Croatia
• Delije (Heroes) Serbia
• Grobari (Undertakers) Serbia
• United Force a pro Nazi group in Serbia
• Most of the fighting is ethnically and
  politically based.
• African American Demarcus Beasley has openly
  complained about racial slurs that he has
  received while playing in the region.

9
Headlines

• Injured officer describes battlefield
• Paris fan shot dead by policeman
• German football hooligans jailed
• Monkey chants' force clampdown on Spain's racist
  football fans

10
Racism

• Although the racism issue has improved, several
  players of African descent have been subject to
  horrible racial slurs
• Bananas have been thrown at players coupled with
  monkey noises
• Relatively recent incidents of racism in the
  Spanish premier league involved well known
  players such as Samuel Etoo and Ronaldinho

11
Ties to Political Extremism

• The Muckers of Blackpool have consistenly backed
  the BNP
• Derby della Capitale
• United Force in Serbia
• 1992 Match between Red Star Belgrade and FK
  Partizan

12
Attempts to Curtail the Hooligan Problem

• A number of stadiums ban alcohol at specific
  games
• Police force and knowledge of such groups has
  grown significantly
• European Parliament and important govt officials
  have called for intense campaigns aimed at
  eliminating racism
• Certain leagues have suspended several games at a
  time due to excessive uncontrollable violence

13
The Role of the Media

• Mid 1960s media started to take particular
  interest in matches.
• Fights would often get more publicity than the
  outcome of the games
• Modern Cinema has also contributed to the current
  hooligan problem
• Use of the Internet

14
Uncivilising Influence

• Twenty years ago government initiatives in
  England sought to increase the attendance of
  Women at football matches.
• Believed that it would civilize the male
  spectators.
• Now it is not uncommon to see Women actively
  participating in these brawls
• Sociologist John Williams claims that recent
  female aggression is due to male chauvinism and a
  desire for female fans to prove that they are
  just as loyal and knowledgeable as male
  spectators.

15
Work Cited

• "BBC News Europe Fears of neo-Nazi return to
  World Cup." BBC NEWS News Front Page. 3 July
  1998. 27 Apr. 2009 lthttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/eur
  ope/126040.stmgt.
• "BBC NEWS Europe Paris fan shot dead by
  policeman." BBC NEWS News Front Page. 24 Nov.
  2006. BBC. 28 Apr. 2009 lthttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/h
  i/europe/6179418.stmgt.
• "Book glorifies hooligans say Pompey bosses -
  Portsmouth Today." Portsmouth Today. 18 Nov.
  2002. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 28 Apr.
  2009 lthttp//www.portsmouth.co.uk/spare455/Book-gl
  orifies-hooligans-say-Pompey.248035.jpgt.
• Carnibella, Giovanni, Anne Fox, Kate Fox, Joe
  McCann, James Marsh, and Peter Marsh. Football
  Violece In Europe. Rep. Oxford Social Issues
  Research Center, 1996.
• "Football, blood and war Sport The Observer."
  Observer Sport Monthly. 18 Jan. 2004. Guardian
  News and Media Limited. 28 Apr. 2009
  lthttp//observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,11231
  37,00.htmlgt.
• "German football hooligans jailed." BBC NEWS
  News Front Page. 9 Nov. 1999. BBC. 28 Apr. 2009
  lthttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/511306.stmgt.
• "Germany Cancels Soccer Schedule in Saxony in
  Response to Riots Sports Deutsche Welle
  14.02.2007." Home Deutsche Welle. 14 Feb. 2007.
  Deutshce Welle. 27 Apr. 2009 lthttp//www.dw-world.
  de/dw/article/0,2144,2347918,00.htmlgt.

16
Work Cited Continued

• Ingle, Sean, and Mark Hodgkinson. "When did
  football hooliganism start?" The Guardian. 13
  Dec. 2001. 27 Apr. 2009lthttp//www.guardian.co.uk/
  football/2001/dec/13/theknowledge.sportgt.
• Keeley, Graham. "'Monkey chants' force clampdown
  on Spain's racist football fans - Europe, World -
  The Independent." The Independent News UK and
  Worldwide News Newspaper. 29 Jan. 2006.
  Independent News and Media Limited. 28 Apr. 2009
  lthttp//www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mo
  nkey-chants-force-clampdown-on-spains-racist-footb
  all-fans-525020.htmlgt.
• Pearson, Geoff. "FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM."
  University of Liverpool. Football Industry Group.
  27 Apr. 2009 lthttp//www.liv.ac.uk/footballindustr
  y/hooligan.htmlgt.
• Wake, Katie. "Uncivilising influence." New
  Statesman 137.4900 (09 June 2008) 19-20.
  Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Library name,
  City, Stateabbreviation. 27 Apr. 2009
  lthttps//proxy.lib.muohio.edu/login?sourceebscou
  rlhttp//search.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.muohio.ed
  u/login.aspx?directtruedba9hAN32516740sitee
  host-livegt.
• Whiteside, Kelly. "USATODAY.com - Concerns raised
  over racism during Cup." News, Travel, Weather,
  Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. World -
  USATODAY.com. 2 June 2006. USA Today. 27 Apr.
  2009 lthttp//www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldc
  up/2006-06-01-intolerance-cup_x.htmgt.