Hooligan firm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A hooligan firm (or a simply a firm) is an organized gang that supports a football team (or in some cases another type of sports club) and engages in fights with supporters of other clubs.
Fights mostly take place far away from the sports grounds, to make it as hard as possible for police and other authorities to interrupt. In many countries, hooligan firm violence has replaced the more unorganized violence related to sports,[citation needed] though in the public eye both forms of violence are considered hooliganism.
Some football firms, especially in southern and eastern Europe, have been linked with extreme right political groups, but other firms have been associated with leftist or anti-racist views. It should be noted that the firms' political views are not representative of all supporters of the teams.
Football hooliganism has been featured in films such as I.D., The Firm and Green Street (the latter featuring fictional firms based on West Ham's' Inter City Firm (ICF) and Millwall's The Treatment). There are also many books about hooliganism, such as The Football Factory (also a film) and Among the Thugs. Some contend that such media representations glamorise violence and the hooligan lifestyle.
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[edit] Clothing
In 1960s Britain (and to some extent in subsequent decades and in other countries), the skinhead style was popular among football hooligans. The police started cracking down on people wearing typical skinhead clothing styles, so some hooligans changed their image. In the late 1970s, many British hooligans started wearing expensive European designer clothing, to avoid attracting the attention of authorities,. The subculture revolving around this clothing style became known as casual.
Clothing lines popular with British football casuals have included: Pringle, Fred Perry, Le Coq Sportif, Aquascutum, Burberry, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren. A BBC report in 2002 suggested that the most popular label among casuals was Stone Island.
[edit] List of hooligan firms
[edit] England
- Birmingham City F.C. – Zulus<ref name="zulus">Gall, Carolin (2005). Zulus: A Football Hooligan Gang. Lytham: Milo. ISBN 1-903854-48-2.</ref>
- Blackpool F.C. – The Muckers<ref name="blackpoolgazette061123">Stocks, Rob. "Hooligans not welcome here", Blackpool Gazette, 2006-11-23. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.</ref>
- Chelsea F.C. – Headhunters<ref name="headhunters">Ward, Colin, Hickmott, Steve (2000). Armed for the Match: The Troubles and Trials of the Chelsea Headhunters. London: Headline. ISBN 0747262926.</ref>
- Hull City F.C. – City Psychos<ref name="citypsychos">Tordoff, Shaun (2002). City Psychos: From the Monte Carlo Mob to the Silver Cod Squad, Four Decades of Terrace Terror. Ramsbottom: Milo. ISBN 1-903854-13-X.</ref>
- Leeds United A.F.C. – Service Crew<ref name="independent050716">Brown, Jonathan, Garner, Richard. "London Bombings: Muslim fears of revenge attacks grow", The Independent, 2005-07-16. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
- Manchester United F.C. – Red Army<ref name="redarmy">O'Neill, Tony (2004). Red Army General: The Inside Story of the World's Most Infamous Football Firm. Lytham: Milo. ISBN 1-903854-32-6.</ref>
- Millwall F.C. – Bushwackers<ref name="sundayherald040516">Crichton, Torcuil. "Casual Reacquaintance", Sunday Herald, 2004-05-16. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. – Owls Crime Squad<ref name="flyingwithocs">Allen, Paul, Naylor, Douglas (2005). Flying with the Owls Crime Squad. London: John Blake. ISBN 1-84454-093-6.</ref>
- West Ham United F.C. – Inter City Firm<ref name="sundayherald040516" />
Leicester City F.C.-The Baby Squad
[edit] France
- Paris Saint-Germain – Commando Pirate,<ref name="l'Express09nov03">Thiolay, Boris. "Moi Fred hooligan du PSG", l'Express, 2003-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.</ref> Casual Firm<ref name="Bay State Banner20av06">Pugmire, Jerome. "Racist insults infiltrate French soccer stadium", The Boston - Bay State Banner, 2006-04-20. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.</ref>
[edit] Poland
- Cracovia Kraków – Jude Gang,<ref name="gazeta.plhool">Smoleński, Paweł. "Na stadionie jest przecież spokojnie", Gazeta Wyborcza, 2006-04-15. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref> Antywisła<ref name="gazeta.plhool" />
- Wisła Kraków – Sharks,<ref name="gazeta.plhool" /> Devils<ref name="gazeta.plhool" />
[edit] Scotland
- Aberdeen F.C. – Aberdeen Soccer Casuals<ref name="sundayherald050508">Didcock, Barry. "Casuals: The Lost Tribe of Britain", Sunday Herald, 2005-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.</ref>
- Dundee F.C./Dundee United F.C. – The Utility<ref name="sundayherald050508" />
- Hibernian F.C. – Capital City Service<ref name="sundayherald050508" />
- Motherwell F.C. – Saturday Service<ref name="sundayherald050508" />
[edit] Sweden
- AIK – Firman Boys,<ref name="enavgrabbarna">Höglund, Johan (2005). En av grabbarna. Stockholm: MMG Books. ISBN 91-975367-1-7.</ref>, Young Boys,<ref name="enavgrabbarna" /> Baby Boys,<ref name="expressen060903">Orrenius, Johan. "Enorma slagsmål och droger", Expressen, 2006-09-03. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref> Yngre Yngre Yngre<ref name="worshipunderground">Worship Redaktionen (2006-05-09). Intervju med En av grabbarna i brödraskapet Firman Boys. Worship Underground. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref>
- BS BolticGöta/Degerfors IF – Värmlandsalliansen<ref name="expressen061113">Karlsson, Emil. ""Kicken är obeskrivlig"", Expressen, 2006-11-13. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.</ref>
- Djurgårdens IF – Djurgårdens Fina Grabbar,<ref name="enavgrabbarna" /> Djurgårdens Yngre Grabbar,<ref name="enavgrabbarna" /> Djurgårdens Mindre Grabbar<ref name="enavgrabbarna" />
- GAIS – Gärningsmännen,<ref name="gp051022">Askerup, Fredrik. "Huliganlivet: Våld, droger och dyra märkeskläder", Göteborgs-Posten, 2005-10-22. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref> GAIS Yngre<ref name="gp051022" />
- IFK Göteborg – Wisemen,<ref name="enavgrabbarna" /> Gothenburg Youth Division<ref name="enavgrabbarna" />
- Kalmar FF – Kalmarfamiljen<ref name="sr050720">"Våldet närmar sig Kalmar FF", Sveriges Radio, 2005-10-22. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref>
- Hammarby IF – Kompisgänget Bajen,<ref name="enavgrabbarna" /> Bajen Baby Squad<ref name="expressen060903" />
- Helsingborgs IF – Frontline,<ref name="expressen060903" /> Hbg Yngre<ref name="expressen060903" />
- Linköpings HC – Cluben Casuals<ref name="corren060110">"Ny "firma" bakom våld vid LHC-matcher", Östgöta Correspondenten, 2006-01-10. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref>
- Malmö FF – Sky Blue Crew<ref name="expressen060903" />
- Västerås SK – VSK Casuals<ref name="svt050714">"Vissa VSK-supportrar bara ute för att slåss", Sveriges Television, 2005-07-14. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref>
[edit] Wales
- Cardiff City F.C. – Soul Crew<ref name="sundayherald040516" />
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
<references />
[edit] External links
- Three-part BBC2 investigation on football firms from 2002
- Running with the 'Naughty Forty', part of the BBC2 2002 investigationsv:Huliganfirma
