Casuals

Casuals are a subculture of football support that developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United Kingdom, and is typified by football hooliganism and the wearing of expensive European designer clothing . The subculture originated when many hooligans started wearing designer labels and expensive sportswear in order to avoid the attention of police. They didn't wear club colours, so it was easier to infiltrate rival groups and to enter pubs.

History

British football support has had a strong fashion-led subculture element since the rise of the Teddy Boys in the mid 1950s, and the origins of the casual culture can be seen in the mod subculture of the early 1960s. Groups of youths who supported football clubs began to bring their fashions onto the football terraces, and certain clubs began to be known for their mod following (e.g. Chelsea F.C. and West Ham United). This continued with the mod spinoff subculture, the skinheads, in the late 1960s.

With the late 1970s mod revival, the casual subculture began to grow and change after Liverpool F.C. fans introduced the rest of England to European fashions that they acquired while following Liverpool at their European Cup quarter final against the French side St Etienne. Liverpool fans, who travelled all around Europe in the late 1970s supporting their team, began arriving in England wearing expensive Italian and French designer clothes, sometimes looted from stores during violent outbreaks that were commonplace when they travelled abroad. At the time, many police forces were still on the lookout for skinhead fans wearing Dr. Martens boots, and didn't pay attention to hooligans in expensive designer clothing.

Clothing labels associated with casuals in the 1980s include: Fila, Stone Island, Fiorucci, Pepe, Benetton, Sergio Tacchini, Ralph Lauren, Henri Lloyd, Lyle & Scott, Adidas, CP Company, Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Lacoste, Kappa, Pringle, Burberry and Slazenger. Fashion trends frequently changed, and the casual subculture reached its peak in the late 1980s. With the arrival of the acid house, rave and Madchester scenes, the violence in the casual subculture faded to some extent.

1990s and 2000s

In the mid-1990s, the casual subculture experienced a massive revival, but emphasis on style had changed slightly. Many football fans adopted the casual look as a kind of uniform, identifying them as different from the ordinary club supporters. Brands such as Stone Island, Aquascutum, Burberry and CP Company were seen at nearly every club, as well as classic favourites such as Lacoste and Paul & Shark. In the late 1990s, many football supporters began to move away from the brands that were considered the casual uniform, because of the police attention that the casual styles attracted; several designer labels also withdrew designs from sale after they became common casual uniforms.

Although some casuals have continued to wear Stone Island clothing in the 2000s, many have detached the compass badge so as to be less obvious. However, with the two buttons still attached, those in the know are still able to recognise other casuals. Some police forces have tried unsuccessfully to link Stone Island's compass logo with the neo-Nazi version of the Celtic cross. Because of this, new clothing labels began to gain popularity amongst casuals. As with any designer clothing a high amount of cheap counterfeit goods can also been seen. Prada, Façonnable, Hugo Boss, Fake London Genius, One True Saxon, Maharishi, Mandarina Duck, 6876, and Dupe have begun gaining widespread popularity. Casual fashion has experienced an increase in popularity in the 2000s, with British music acts such as The Streets and The Mitchell Brothers sporting casual outfits in their music videos. Casual culture has been highlighted by films and television programmes such as ID, The Firm, The Football Factory, Green Street and It's A Casual Life.

Culture

Casuals' music tastes are eclectic and generally reflect the cultural landscape of the time. The most commonly listened to music genres have included punk rock, mod revival, Oi!, ska, post-punk, acid house, techno, dub reggae, madchester, Britpop and indie rock. There was a strong crossover with rave culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with many ravers wearing football casual brands.Madchester bands sometimes wore casual clothing on stage and in publicity photographs, as did Britpop acts such as Blur in their video for "Parklife". In the 2000s, many football casuals listen to indie rock. People who influenced the fashions of the casual subculture include: Adi Dassler, John McEnroe, Sir Edmund Hillary and Arnold Palmer. Non-sporting icons include Ronnie Corbett and David Bowie. Films that have helped shape casual culture include Quadrophenia , A Clockwork Orange and Get Carter.

Football hooliganism

Football hooliganism such as brawls, vandalism, and intimidation carried out by Association football club supporters and fans. Fights between supporters of rival teams may take place before or after football matches at pre-arranged locations away from stadiums, in order to avoid arrests by the police, or they can erupt spontaneously at the stadium or in the surrounding streets. A football firm (also known as a hooligan firm) is a gang formed to fight with members supporters from other clubs. While some firms, especially in southern and eastern Europe, have been linked with far right politics or racism, other firms have been associated with leftist or anti-racist views. The firms' political views are not representative of all supporters of the teams.

The violent activity ranges from shouts and fistfights to riots in which opposing firms clash with bats, throw bottles or rocks, or even use knives and guns. In some cases, stadium brawls have caused fans to flee in panic, and fans have been killed when fences or walls have collapsed. In the most extreme cases, firm members, police, and bystanders have been killed in the violence, and riot police have intervened with tear gas, armoured vehicles and water cannons.

Football hooliganism has been depicted 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 Bushwackers). There are also many books about hooliganism, such as The Football Factory (also a film) and Among the Thugs. Some critics argue that these media representations glamourise violence and the hooligan lifestyle. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the casual culture transformed the British football hooliganism scene. Instead of wearing working class skinhead-style clothes, which readily identified firm members to the police, gang members began wearing designer clothes and expensive casual sportswea

Early history

Football and violence can be traced back to the Middle Ages in England. In 1314, Edward II banned football (which then was a violent free-for-all involving rival villages fly-hacking a pig's bladder across the local heath) because he believed the disorder surrounding matches might lead to social unrest or even treason. The first recorded instances of football hooliganism in the modern game took place in the 1880s in England, a period when gangs of supporters would intimidate neighbourhoods, as well as attack referees and opposing supporters and players. In 1885, after Preston North End beat Aston Villa 5-0 in a friendly match, the two teams were pelted with stones; attacked with sticks, punched, kicked and spat at. One Preston player was beaten so severely that he lost consciousness. Press reports of the time described the fans as "howling roughs". The following year, Preston fans fought Queen's Park fans in a railway station; the first recorded instance of football hooliganism away from a match. In 1905, several Preston fans were tried for hooliganism, including a "drunk and disorderly" 70 year old woman, following their match against Blackburn Rovers.

Between the two world wars, there were no recorded instance of football hooliganism, but it started attracting widespread media attention in the late 1950s due to its re-emergence in Latin America. In the 1955-56 English football season, Liverpool and Everton fans were involved in a number of train-wrecking incidents. By the 1960s, an average of 25 hooligan incidents were being reported each year in England.

South and Central America

In 1964 in Peru, more than 300 football fans died and another 500 were injured in Lima, Peru in a riot during an Olympic qualifying match between Argentina and Peru in 24 May. In Argentina, over 70 people died in 1968 when crowds attending a football match in Buenos Aires stampeded after youths threw burning paper on to the terraces. In 2002, the Argentine government announced emergency security measures because the football violence continued, with three people dead and hundreds injured in two weeks. The government announced stiffer penalties for offenders, including longer jail sentences for possession of firearms or fireworks at stadiums. In 2005, a footballer, Carlos Ezcurra, was shot and seriously wounded by a police officer, when rival fans were rioted during the Primera B match between local Mendoza rivals San Martin and Godoy Cruz.

A 2002 investigation into football hooliganism in Argentina stated that football violence had become a national crisis, with about 40 people murdered at football matches in the preceding ten years. In the 2002 season, there had been five deaths and dozens of knife and shotgun casualties. At one point the season was suspended and there was widespread social disorder in the country. Every major and minor football club in Argentina have Barra brava groups, some of whom are violent.

Football hooliganism in Brazil appears to be relatively low key compared to some countries. On 4 March, 1971, a fight broke out at a match in Salvador, killing four and injuring 1,500. In December 2000, fighting between rival supporters during the final of the 2000 Copa João Havelange between Vasco da Gama and São Caetano led to a fence collapsing and over 60 injuries at the Estádio São Januário in Rio de Janeiro. As well, fans of local rivals Ponte Preta and Guarani clashed and rioted at a match in Campinas in 2002.

El Salvador and Honduras had a six day military conflict in 1969 dubbed the "Football War", which arose when football hooliganism at three elimination matches for the 1970 FIFA World Cup escalated the already tense diplomatic relations between the two nations. Fights broke out during the first match in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The situation worsened though at the second match in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Fans from Honduras were attacked and Salvadorans were killed or injured. On 27 June 1969, Honduras broke diplomatic relations with El Salvador, and on 14 July 1969 a six day war broke out.

North America

Mexico

Football hooliganism in Mexico appears to be low key, but there have been some incidents, such as small-scale fighting between fans of Monterrey and Morelia at a Primera División match in Monterrey in 2003. In June 1998, one man died and several people were injured when Mexican football fans rioted after the Mexico national football team lost to Germany in the World Cup, a result that eliminated Mexico from the tournament. After the match, hundreds of riot police were brought in to restore order because fans were looting and rioting. Fans then clashed with the police, and many fans were injured or arrested. Mexican fans in the United States rioted after the match in Huntington Park, Los Angeles and 40 people were arrested.

United States

While soccer is traditionally viewed as a family friendly event, soccer related violence does occur in the United States. On July 20, 2008, in a friendly match between MLS side Columbus Crew and English Premier League side West Ham United held in Columbus, Ohio, a fight broke out between rival fans. Police estimated more than 100 people were involved. That same weekend, a riot situation was narrowly avoided at a packed Giants Stadium as members of the Empire Supporters Club (dressed in Frodo shirts), the supporters club of Red Bull NY, and members of the NJSEA security force clashed over what the ESC deemed to be unfair and repeated mistreatment. This clash resulted in the ejection and permanent ban of several key ESC members. Further clashes took place in the parking area around the stadium after the game causing the New Jersey State Police to be called to quell the situation.

Europe

Croatia

Football hooliganism in Croatia has seen riots over inter-ethnic resentments and the politics that were reignited by the breakup of the Yugoslav federation in the 1990s. Two of the most well known hooligan firms are Torcida (Hajduk Split) and Bad Blue Boys (Dinamo Zagreb). However, the groups are not just hooligan firms, in that they are more like the South American Torcida supporters groups and Ultras groups, with organised Tifos and so on. On 13 May 1990, and before the break up of Yugoslavia, Serbian club Red Star Belgrade was in Zagreb to play Dinamo Zagreb at the Maksimir Stadium. Red Star brought over 3,000 fans to the game with the late Željko Ražnatović (known as Arkan) a Serbian paramilitary leader being a prominent member. Before the match a number of small fights broke out. Police reinforcements soon arrived with armoured vehicles and water cannons. The fighting lasted for over an hour and hundreds of people were injured.

Ethnic tension between Croatians and Serbs has also seen fights at a football match in Australia. On 13 March 2005, about 50 fans clashed. Two police officers were injured, and five fans arrested, with two being charged with assault. On 13 June 2006, there were ethnic riots in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 2006 FIFA World Cup match between Croatia and Brazil in Germany. One person was shot, six police officers injured and 26 people arrested.

France

Football hooliganism in France is rooted in social conflicts and a rise in racism. In the 1990s, fans of Paris St. Germain (PSG) fought with supporters from Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Scotland. In 2000, the bitter rivalry between PSG and Marseille turned violent. On 24 May 2001, fifty people were injured when fighting broke out at a match between PSG and Turkish club, Galatasaray at the Parc des Princes stadium. PSG were initially given a record $571,000 fine, but it was reduced on appeal to $114,000 In May 2001, six PSG fans from the Supporters Club, were arrested and charged with assault, carrying weapons, throwing items on the pitch and racism. The six were banned from all football stadiums for the duration of their trial. Initial reports after the match reported that there had been 56 injuries, of which, 55 were French.

On 24 November 2006 a PSG fan was shot and killed by police and another seriously injured during fighting between PSG fans and the police PSG fans chased a French fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv, shouting racist and anti-semitic slogans. A black plainclothes police officer who tried to protect the Hapoel fan was attacked, and in the chaos, one fan was shot dead and another seriously injured. The French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy held a meeting with the president of the French Football League, Frederic Thiriez to discuss racism and violence in football. The director-general of the French police, Michel Gaudin, insisted that measures against football hooliganism had reduced racist incidents to six that season from nineteen in the previous season. Gaudin also stated that 300 known hooligans could be banned from matches. French President Jacques Chirac condemned violence that led up to the shooting, stating that he was horrified by the reports of racism and anti-Semitism. And French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin called for new, tougher measures to deal with football hooligans. Prosecutors opened an inquiry into the incident, to determine whether the officer involved should face criminal charges.

Before a home match against Sochaux on 4 January 2006, two Arab youths were punched and kicked by white fans outside the entrance to the KOB. During the match racist insults were aimed at black players and a PSG player of Indian origin, Vikash Dhorasoo was told to "go sell peanuts in the metro". On 7 March 2006, three PSG supporters were convicted for unfurling a racist banner at a match in February 2005, that was being held as part of an anti-racism campaign. The fans were banned from the stadium for three years, and fined between US$90 and $1,200. Prior to the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany, concerns were raised that the competition would attract far-right groups and racist thugs. In February 2007 Lille OSC fans were involved in disturbances with Manchester United fans at their UEFA Champions League match in Lille. Both clubs were fined by UEFA.

Germany

Some football hooliganism in Germany has been linked to neo-Nazism and far right groups In June 1998, after a FIFA World Cup match in France a French policeman was beaten to the point of brain damage by German fans. Following the incident in Lens, German police contacted many of the known 2,000+ German hooligans to warn them they would be arrested if they travelled upcoming matches in France. A German fan was arrested in 1998 and charged with attempted murderand in 1999, four more Germans were convicted in the attack In 2001, Markus Warnecke, the German fan who was accused of leading the attack, was found guilty and jailed for five years and banned from France for ten years, and from all sports facilities for five years.

In March 2005, German football fans fought with police and rival fans at an friendly match between Germany and Slovenia in Celje, Slovenia, fighting police and rival fans, damaging cars and shops, shoutingracist slogans. The German Football Association (DFB) apologised for the behaviour. As a result, 52 people were arrested; 40 Germans and 12 Slovenians. Following a 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in Bratislava, Slovakia, German hooligans fought with the local police, and six people were injured and two were taken into custody. The DFB again apologised for fans who chanted racist slogans.

In June 2006, Germany beat Poland in a World Cup Finals match in Dortmund, which led to violent clashes. The police detained over 300 people in Dortmund and German fans threw chairs, bottles and fireworks at the police. Of the 300 arrested, 120 were known hooligans. In October 2006, a task force was established to deal with violence and racism in German football stadiums. The worst incident took place at a Third division (North) match between the Hertha BSC Berlin B-team and Dynamo Dresden, in which 23 policemen were injured. In February 2007 in Saxony, all German lower league matches, from the fifth division downward were cancelled after about 800 fans attacked 300 police officers (injuring 39 of them) after a match between Lokomotive Leipzig and Erzgebirge Aue II.

Greece

In April 2007 all sports stadiums were closed down in Greece for two weeks following the death of a fan in a pre-arranged fight between hooligans in Athens on 29 March. The fight involved 500 fans of rival Super League Greece clubs Panathinaikos who are based in Athens and Olympiacos who are based in nearby Piraeus. The Greek government immediately suspended all team sports in Greece and severed the ties between teams and their Supporters Clubs. After a Second Division match on 15 April 2007, between Kallithea and Messiniakos, about fifty fans attacked the Messiniakos coach, Eduardo Amorin and other members of the teams coaching staff. On the same day a Third Division between Panetolikos and Ilioupoli was stopped for thirty minutes when players and fans clashed following a Panetolikos disallowed goal. Two players and a coach were sent to hospital. On 18 April rival fans clashed with each other and riot police in Ioannina during and after a Greek Cup semi final match between local rivals PAS Giannina and Larissa. There was trouble during the game which Larissa won 2-0, and after fans set fire to rubbish bins and smashed shop windows with police firing tear gas in order to disperse them. At a Second Division match on 27 January, 2008 between Ethnikos Piraeus and Panserraikos, about 50 fans of Ethnikos invaded the pitch after the final whistle.

Italy

Hooliganism in Italy started in the 1970s, and increased in the 1980s and in subsequent decades. In Italian football, the ultras have well-organized groups that fight with knives and baseball bats, often driven by parochial and political tensions. Clubs associated with hooliganism include Atalanta B.C., Brescia Calcio, Hellas Verona F.C., A.S. Livorno Calcio, AS Roma, S.S. Lazio, S.S.C. Napoli, Salernitana Calcio 1919, S.S. Cavese 1919, Taranto Sport, Calcio Catania, U.S. Città di Palermo, Internazionale, F.C. Messina. Italian fans have done pitch invasions and the thrown objects onto the field, including stones and traffic signs. Italian hooligans usually hold flags and sing football chants that encourage violence and riots, and some songs are racist against black players and include ethnic slurs. In 1999, four supporters of Salernitana Calcio 1919 died on a train in a fire caused by fireworks and in 2001, a scooter was thrown down in San Siro Stadium, Milan. On February 2, 2007, a police officer was killed during a match between Calcio Catania and U.S. Città di Palermo (see 2007 Catania football violence) and 120 people were wounded.

In February 2001, AS Romas fans fought with police and with Liverpool fans, and five English supporters were stabbed. In December 2001, police tear gassed brawlers at a Champions League match between AS Roma and Liverpool, in which four Liverpool fans were stabbed. In March 2006 three fans of English club Middlesbrough were stabbed before the club's UEFA Cup clash against AS Roma in Rome in an attack blamed on Roman ultras.

After a weekend of violence in January 2007, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) threatened to halt all league football. An official of amateur club Sammartinese died when he was caught up in a fight between players and fans in Luzzi and in Florence, a Livorno fan needed 20 stitches in his head after being attacked by Fiorentina fans. About 100 Atalanta fans tried to attack coaches carrying Catania fans and fought with police and at a Serie D game, a linesman was hit by a metal drum thrown from the stands. In February 2007 the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) suspended all football matches after a policeman was killed at the Serie A match between Catania and Palermo. The policeman, Officer Filippo Raciti, died when he was struck in the face by a small explosive as the police were trying to deal with the fighting outside the ground. On 4 April 2007 AS Roma and Manchester United fans fought during UEFA Champions League match. A Manchester United fan was stabbed and eleven fans taken to hospital. Two Roma fans also received hospital treatment. T, The head of Rome police, Achille Serra, claimed that the police action was justified and that there would be no inquiry.

Netherlands

Football hooliganism in the Netherlands began after rioting between supporters of Feyenoord and English club Tottenham Hotspur at the 1974 UEFA Cup Final. Since then, several Dutch clubs have been associated with hooliganism, such as AFC Ajax, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht and Ado Den Haag. The biggest rivalry is between Ajax and Feyenoord. On 16 June, 1990, English fans were arrested for brawling in Amsterdam before a friendly match. The most violent football hooligan encounter has been the Battle of Beverwijk on 23 March, 1997, in which several people were seriously injured and Carlo Picornie was killed. On 26 April, 1999, 80 football fans were arrested when Feyenoord supporters rioted after a cup match with NAC Breda. The 2002-03 season was marked by continued fighting between fans of Ajax and FC Utrecht, and between fans of Ajax and Feyenoord. In 2006, a riot broke out between Dutch (Feyenoord) and French (AS Nancy) football fans.

Poland

Arranged football hooligan fights in Poland are known as ustawka. They became common in Poland in the late 1990s.. On 30 March 2003, it was reported that Polish police arrested 120 people because rival football supporters fought during a match between Śląsk Wrocław and Arka Gdynia. During the riot, hooligans pelted police officers with stones and fought a running battle with knives and axes. One victim was found lying seriously injured at the scene, and later died in hospital. During the UEFA Cup 1998-99, Italian footballer Dino Baggio, from Parma F.C. was hit with a knife in the head by Wisła Kraków supporters.

Serbia

Football hooligans associated with the former Yugoslav states rioted over the inter-ethnic resentments that were re-ignited by the breakup of the Yugoslav federation in the 1990s. The most prominent groups of hooligans are associated with Belgrade and Serbia's two main clubs, FK Partizan and Red Star Belgrade. They are known as the Grobari (Undertakers) and Delije (Heroes) , respectively. These two terms also refer to the supporters of the two clubs. FK Rad is a less-successful Belgrade club, whose associated hooligans, known locally as "United Force", have notoriously been involved in many violent incidents. This group is also known as supporters of Nazi ideas.

On 2 December 2007, a plainclothes police officer was seriously injured when he was attacked during a Serbian Superliga match between Red Star Belgrade and Hajduk Kula. On April 14, 2008 a football fan was killed near Novi Sad after clashes between FK Partizan's Grobari and fans of FK Vojvodina. That same week, after a Red Star Belgrade-Partizan cup match, three people were injured and a bus destroyed by hooligans.

On September 19, 2008 a Serbian football hooligan was sentenced to ten years in jail for an attack against a police officer at a Red Star Belgrade-Hajduk Kula game.

Scandanavian countries

Hooliganism in Denmark appears to be low level, with some football-related violence, but on a smaller scale than in some countries. In Denmark, the non-violent roligan fan culture has grown, which has led to a reduction in hooligan activity. A study on football in Denmark by H Eichberg, in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, included a section analyzing the differences between roligans and hooligans.

Brawling is a rare phenomenon in Norway. Teams such as Vålerenga I.F., Lillestrøm S.K., Hamarkameratene, Tønsberg, S.K. Brann, Viking F.K. and Fredrikstad F.K. are said to have some form of hooligan firms or casuals. In Oslo, there are sometimes incidents of hooliganism related to inter-city matches (Vålerenga, FC Lyn Oslo, Stabæk I.F. and Lillestrøm S.K.) and matches between Vålerenga and Brann. There have been incidents of racism, such as when the black American player, Robbie Russell, was spat at by angry Brann fans, while playing for Sogndal in a Norwegian Premier League match.

Hooliganism began in Sweden in 1970 when fans of IFK Göteborg invaded the pitch, destroyed the goalposts and fought the police at the end of a match that relegated Göteborg from the Allsvenskan, although fans of AIK and Djurgården have been reported fighting after games since the beginning of the 20th century in Stockholm. Hooliganism in Sweden became a growing problem in the 1980s, but pitch invasions and violence at football grounds decreased in the late 1990s; when hooligan firms started pre-arranging their fights away from the grounds and the regular supporters. Five clubs that have large organised hooligans firms are AIK (Firman Boys), IFK Göteborg (Wisemen) Djurgårdens IF (DFG) Hammarby IF (KGB) Helsingborgs IF (Frontline). But several other football and ice hockey clubs have active hooligan followings. In July 2002, a member of Wisemen was killed after a pre-arranged fight against Firman Boys.In November 2002, 12 members of the Wisemen stood trial for inflicting life-threatening injuries on a Hammarby fan in 2001.

Spain

Football hooliganism in Spain is sometimes linked to racism, and some black players have been victims of ethnic slurs. Samuel Eto'o, an FC Barcelona player from Cameroon, has denounced the problem. The strong rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has led to hooliganism, During the next appearance of former Barcelona player Luís Figo (who transferred from Barça to Real Madrid) in Barcelona's Nou Camp Stadium the crowd threw bottles, mobile phones and other things (for a example: a pig's head). Although nobody was injured the match was followed by a large discussion on fan violence in the Spanish Primera División (fan fights, attacks on team buses or attacks on players during the match or during training sessions).

In 1998, a supporter of Real Sociedad was killed by an Atlético Madrid fan who was linked to a neo-Nazi group, just before a match between these two teams. In 2003, a supporter of Deportivo La Coruña was killed in riots by Deportivo hooligans, when he tried to protect a supporter of the opposing team, SD Compostela. Since then, authorities have made attempts to bring hooliganism more under control. In 2007, there were acts of hooliganism before a match between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, with several cars being destroyed and policemen injured by flares and bottles which where thrown at them. Many black foreign players have been racially abused, such as at a recent friendly match between Spain and England, in which black England players such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole endured monkey chants Spain supporters. There also have been local disputes between rival teams, for example between Cádiz Club de Fútbol and Xerez CD. In 2008, after a hooligan incident versus Espanyol, FC Barcelona very publicly took a stand on violence, saying it hoped to stamp out violence for good

Switzerland

Football hooliganism is relatively new in Switzerland. One incident, dubbed the 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident, 13 May 2006, occurred on the last day of the 2005-06 season, when FC Zürich defeated FC Basel at St. Jakob Park to win the Swiss championship with a last-minute goal. After the final whistle, angry Basel hooligans stormed the field and attacked Zürich players. The Zürich team were forced to celebrate in the upper deck of the stands while the fighting continued. There was similar chaos in the streets that night.

Turkey

According to the Turkish Daily News, hooligan groups are well organised, have their own "leaders", and often consist of organised street fighters. These groups have a "racon" (code of conduct), which states that the intention must be to injure rather than kill and that a stab must be made below the waist. Other hooligans have fired firearms into the air to celebrate their team's victory, which has been known to accidentally kill innocent people watching the celebrations on their balconies.

Trouble has arisen during matches between Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. However, the Turkish Football Federation has tightened security to try and contain the hooliganism. During the 2005 Turkish cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, 8,000 police, stewards and officials were employed to prevent violence. In 2006, the Turkish Football Federation introduced new measures to combat the threat of hooliganism and have made new regulations that allow the Professional Football Disciplinary Board to fine clubs up to YTL 250,000 for their fans behavior. Repeat offenders could be fined up to YTL 500,000. Despite reports from the Turkish Football Federation, the Turkish police believe that football hooliganism is not a major threat and are "isolated incidents".

Before Galatasaray's semi-final UEFA Cup match with Leeds United A.F.C. in 2000, two Leeds fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, were stabbed to death in Istanbul following street fights between Turkish and British hooligans. UEFA allowed the game to proceed and Galatasaray won 2-0. Leeds complained because home fans jeered while a message of condolence was read for the victims. Galatasaray's players refused to wear black arm bands. The Leeds chairman at the time, Peter Ridsdale, accused Galatasaray of "showing a lack of respect". He also revealed that his teams' players had received death threats before the match.

Ali Umit Demi was arrested and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the stabbing, but the sentence was reduced to 5 years on the basis of heavy provocation, while five others were given lesser sentences of under four months. The families of those accused of attacking with knives are reported to have defended their actions and approved of their children punishing the "rude British people". Galatasaray fans were banned from traveling to the return match to try and avoid further clashes between fans, although there were reports of attacks by Leeds fans on Turkish television crews and the police. However the Assistant Chief Constable in charge of policing the game believed that the number of arrests was "no worse than a normal high category game". Hakan Şükür was hit with projectiles from Leeds United supporters and the Galatasaray team bus was stoned after driving through an underpass. The game saw Emre Belözoğlu and Harry Kewell sent off and Galatasaray sealed their way to the final with a 2-2 score.

Violence also occurred between Arsenal fans and Galatasaray fans before the Final in Copenhagen in which a Galatasary fan, an Arsenal fan and a Dane were said to have been stabbed. Galatasaray later won the match after a penalty shoot-out.

Hooliganism in Turkey is also a problem in Ankara, İzmir, Eskişehir, Bursa and Adana. During the 2003-2004 season, a Second League Category A, match between Karşıyaka and Göztepe in February 8, involved rival Karşıyaka and Göztepe supporters clashing and the match was subsequently stopped for 33 minutes. This was due to Karşıyaka leading 5-2 after coming back from a 2-0 deficit. After the match, eGöztepe fans clashed with the police and 7 policemen were wounded and 15 Göztepe fans were arrested.. Also, Bursaspor fans clash with policemen at Bursaspor-Samsunspor match, which was final one of 34th Round matches of Turkcell Super League in Adapazarı in 2003-2004 season.

The match played in Adapazarı due to undesirable events in Bursapor - Çaykur Rizespor match at 32nd Round and was resulted 4-2 for Bursaspor. Bursaspor competed for avoiding from relegation with Akçaabat Sebatspor, Çaykur Rizespor and İstanbulspor. Bursaspor 1-0 won the match but relegated to Category A after rivals' winnings. Ankaragücü, who are sister club for them, were defeated by Akçaabat Sebatspor at an away match as 3-2. Also, İstanbulspor 2-0 beat Konyaspor at the away match and Çaykur Rizespor 1-0 beat Beşiktaş. Bursaspor fans dismantled and fired seats of Sakarya Atatürk Stadium after relegation of their team . They also fought with craftsmen of Gölcük during taking journey to Adapazarı.. Bursaspor fans blamed Beşiktaş about their relegation in 2003-2004 season and hostility supporters among Beşiktaş and Bursaspor have begun.

United Kingdom

England

Football hooliganism in England dates back to the 1880s, when what were termed as roughs caused trouble at football matches. Local derby matches would usually have the worst trouble, but in an era when travelling fans were not common, roughs would sometimes attack the referees and the away team's players. Between the two World Wars, football hooliganism diminished to a great extent, and it started to attract media attention in the early 1960s. A moral panic developed because of increased crime rates among juveniles, and because of the mods and rockers conflict. Football matches started to feature regular fights among fans, and the emergence of more organised hooliganism. Fans started to form themselves into groups, mostly drawn from local working class areas. They tended to all stand together, usually at the goal-end terrace of their home football ground, which they began to identify as their territory. The development of these ends helped bring about national gang rivalries, focused primarily around football clubs. With the growth of fans travelling to watch their local club play away matches, these gangs became known as hooligan firms, and during matches they focused their attentions on intimidating opposing fans. Some hooligans travelled to games on the Football Specials train services.

Starting in the late 1960s in the United Kingdom, the skinhead and suedehead styles were popular among football hooligans. Eventually, 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. This led to the development of the casual subculture. Clothing lines popular with British casuals have included: Pringle, Fred Perry, Le Coq Sportif, Aquascutum, Burberry, Lacoste, Timberland, Henri Lloyd, Lonsdale, Ralph Lauren and Stone Island.

During the 1970s, organised hooligan firms started to emerge with clubs such as Birmingham City (Zulus), Chelsea (Headhunters), Leeds United A.F.C. (Leeds Service Crew), Manchester United (Red Army), Millwall (F-Troop), Sheffield United (Blades Business Crew) Manchester City (The Guvnors) and West Ham United (Inter City Firm). To a lesser extent, lower league clubs also had firms, such as Blackpool's (Rammy Arms Crew) and Chester City FC (Chester 192). Two main events in 1973 led to introduction of crowd segregation and fencing at football grounds in England. Manchester United were relegated to the Second Division, and the Red Army caused mayhem at grounds up and down the country, and a Bolton Wanderers fan stabbed a young Blackpool fan to death behind the Kop at Bloomfield Road during a Second Division match.

In March 1985, hooligans who had attached themselves to Millwall were involved in large-scale rioting at Luton when Millwall played Luton Town in the quarter final of the FA Cup. Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher's immediate response was to set up a "War Cabinet" to combat football hooliganism. On 29 May 1985, 39 Juventus fans were crushed to death during the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus at Heysel Stadium in Brussels; an event that became known as the Heysel Stadium disaster. Just before kick-off, Liverpool fans broke through a line of police officers and ran toward the Juventus supporters in a section of the ground containing both English and Italian fans. When a fence separating them from the Juventus fans was broken through, the english supporters attacked the Italian fans, the majority of whom were families rather than ultras who were situated in the other end of the ground. Many Italians tried to escape the fighting, and a wall collapsed on them. As a result of the Heysel Stadium disaster, English clubs were banned from all European competitions until 1990, with Liverpool banned for an additional year. To this day, Juventus supporters refer to liverpool fans as "Murderers" and "English Animals" and famously turned their backs on an offer of friendship made by the liverpool "kop" in 2005 which they deemed to be offensive and nothing more than a token gesture after twenty years of denial.

On 11 May, 1985 a 15-year-old died when a wall collapsed at St Andrews stadium when fans rioted at a match between Birmingham City and Leeds United. The fighting that day was described by Justice Popplewell, during the Popplewell Committee investigation into football in 1985 as more like "the Battle of Agincourt than a football match". Because of the other events in 1986 and the growing rise in football hooliganism during the early 1980s, an interim report from the committee stated that "football may not be able to continue in its present form much longer" unless hooliganism was reduced, perhaps by excluding "away" fans.

The government acted after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 fans died, bringing in the Football Spectators Act 1989 in the wake of the Taylor Report. However, the Hillsborough Justice Campaign states: "the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster". On 15 February 1995, England played Ireland. English fans started to throw items down into the stand below and rip up seats; after battles broke out between police and fans, 50 people were injured.

English and German fans have a rivalry dating back to the late 1980s. Other occasional clashes have occurred with a few other teams since the mid 1980s. France 98 was marred by violence as English fans clashed with the North African locals of Marseille, which led to up to 100 fans being arrested.

In the 2000s, English football hooligans often wear either clothing styles that are stereotypically associated with the "chav" subculture, such as items made by Shark and Burberry. Prada and Burberry withdrew certain garments over fears that their brands were becoming linked with hooliganism. English hooligans have begun using Internet forums, mobile phones and text messages to set up fight meetings or provoke rival gangs into brawls. Sometimes fight participants post live commentaries on the Internet.

Football violence in British stadiums declined after the introduction of the Football Spectators Act, and in the 2000s much of the trouble occurred away from stadiums or away at major international tournaments. At Euro 2000, the England team was threatened with expulsion from the tournament, due to the poor behaviour of the fans. Following good behaviour in the Korea-Japan 2002 and Portugal 2004, the English reputation has improved. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, there were limited incidences of violence, with over 200 preventative arrests in Stuttgart (with only three people being charged with criminal offences) 400 others taken into preventative custody. During that day, Police believe that on average each rioter consumed or threw 17 litres of beer.

Despite hooliganism declining domestically, death threats by English hooligans have become more common in the 2000s. Rio Ferdinand was the target of death threats from Leeds United fans, as was Peter Ridsdale. Swedish referee Anders Frisk quit his position after receiving death threats from Chelsea F.C. fans. Reading players Ibrahima Sonko and Stephen Hunt also received death threats from Chelsea fans in 2006. A steward died after serious clashes between firms from Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers after a Carling Cup game in September 2004. It has been documented that most English hooligans are in their late teens or early twenties, although it is not uncommon for older hooligans to take part, usually as leaders. They usually come from working class backgrounds, mainly employed in manual or lower clerical occupations, or (to a lesser extent) are working in the grey market or are unemployed.

Scotland

While the Scotland national team's travelling supporters, the Tartan Army, are generally not violent, hooliganism does occur in Scottish football. Pre-arranged fights between firms on match days sometimes take place away from the football grounds. Most Scottish football fans are against this behaviour, and authorities have taken several measures to reduce football hooliganism. Celtic and Rangers are the two biggest teams in Glasgow, and the Old Firm rivalry is one of the most heated football rivalries in the world. The Old Firm rivalry is largely motivated by religious sectarianism, and is related to the conflict between Loyalists and Republicans in Northern Ireland. In May 2008, Rangers fans were involved in a serious civil disturbance in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, following the technical failure of a big screen showing of the UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg.

Wales

Cardiff City's hooligan firm are known as the Soul Crew. In January 2002, Leeds United and Cardiff City fans, players, and Cardiff chairman Sam Hammam were hit by missiles during a match, and hundreds of Cardiff fans invaded the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate knocking the then leaders of the Premier League out of the FA Cup. Media reports dubbed the game "The Battle Of Ninian Park". In May 2002, Cardiff City were fined £40,000 by the Football Association of Wales for the events that day. Hammam was criticised by the head of the English Police Spotting teams, for his comment preceding the game, which were deemed to be encouraging hooligans. Hammam had said, "It's better for us to play them at Ninian because the intimidatory factor will be so big... It's a bit like the old Den at Millwall except ten times more." Hammam at first blamed what he called a "racist English media" for exaggerating the trouble at the Leeds game. However, he then launched "a war on hooliganism." In October 2004 a BBC report stated that Cardiff had more fans banned than any other Football League club, with 160 banning orders against its fans, more than double any other Welsh club. Cardiff City and Swansea City A.F.C. also have a long standing rivalry that has erupted into violence many times since the early 1980s, including instances of Cardiff supporters being chased into the sea in 1988, then vandalising parts of Swansea City centre in 1991. In December 1993, after a large scale riot at Ninian Park involved thousands of Swansea and Cardiff fans, where seats were ripped out and thrown, as well as numerous pitch invasions, away fans were banned from the derby games until 1997. Since then a limited number of away fans have been allowed to attend via bus only, and under a heavy police presence.

Blood on the terraces

From Glasgow to Derby to Leeds to Wales and back up again, every week of my life I've traveled the country on trains and coaches looking for other gangs of like-minded young men to punch, kick, and stab. I'm violent. I know it's wrong, and on the one hand, I want people to know the truth about how bad things are getting with hooliganism. But when I get my fist into some poor bastard's face, I think, aw fuck it, this is war!

Being a respected member of West Ham Utd.'s Inter City Firm for more than 20 years has given me the opportunity to experience the amazing diversity of the British Isles in all kinds of exciting situations. Sadly, our firm is nowhere near as strong as it used to be. We had ten years in the Premiership, where clubs don't have the same level of enthusiasm for hooliganism as the lower First Division clubs. This is mainly because there's less bitterness and desperation among the Premiership fans and the clubs can afford to spend more money on security measures. I'm sad to say it, but the Premiership makes you soft.

Now that we've been relegated to the good old First Division, it's nice to see so many old faces come out of the woodwork. We're starting to get a new firm together, and we're slowly but surely getting back to our best. A lot of young lads are starting to get into hooliganism again, so that's helped us out as well. Young men are attracted to it now that rave culture has died and cocaine is back. Happy pills killed things a bit, but Charlie keeps you on your toes. Believe me, there's a lot of coke going around on the trains and coaches when the football fans travel to games. A lot of people aren't drinking—they're just doing coke so they're all hyper and ready to murder.

The Old Bill, the government, and the FA are suppressing information about the new surge in hooliganism because if the public knew how many lads were traveling up and down every weekend to bash each other in, then they'd want something done about it. That would mean money would have to come out of the pockets of the players and the TV companies, and that's never going to happen. In my opinion, hooliganism is just going to grow and grow—all around the country—until people start getting killed again. That's the beauty of this whole resurgence, really: things have become way more violent than they ever were but nobody dares report on it. If the television crews capture a row, we smash their cameras and batter the crew into the ground. If anyone asks the teams or anyone else with a financial interest, the company line is "Everything's fine." The truth is, everything is not fine. It's covered in blood. And you don't even know how far we're willing to take this.

The UK is trying get the Olympics in 2012, and the bid for European championships also. News that young lads are cutting each other up every weekend and that pubs are being wrecked all the time wouldn't go down very well with the Olympics committee. So nobody's going to find out. Right? I said nobody's going to find out, right?

This magazine can run whatever it wants, because it's not like it's going to change the state of UK football violence. The important news sources, the mainstream media and the like, are the ones that drive the revenue of the football industry, and they will tell you that hooliganism died with all-seater stadiums. I am happy to say that's total and utter bollocks. It's just as bad as it ever was. And judging by some of these new lads, things are much, much worse (or better—I don't even know anymore).



MILLWALL
Because we came down to the First Division, our firm is like the fucking Man Utd. of the hooligan league. Millwall's been anticipating us coming down to the First Division for years, because to scalp an ICF is the best you can do. We're the most glamorous, good-looking football fans in the world.

Last time we got the train to London Bridge, there was Old Bill fucking everywhere. We hardly got a chance. I think all the Bushwackers were still wincing from the last time we paid them a visit. The next time we play them, I fully expect there to be murder.




CARDIFF
Last time we played Cardiff, in the early '80s, we kicked the fuck out of them, cut them to pieces. They was all big men, but we was all like 16 and 17. We cut them to fucking pieces with Stanley knives. All their big blokes had never had a fucking kicking before but they did this time and it was from a load of little Herberts from Canning Town.
At Upton Park in the early '80s, we got in the away end and stuck out like sore thumbs, all casual, dressed up to the nines. They were in big boots and donkey jackets, but we still kicked the fuck out of them.




LEEDS
The first time I went to Leeds, we got bushwacked by the Leeds Service crew. About a hundred of us chased some of their boys into a car park but what we didn't realize is that there were a hundred of them waiting for us there. They were everywhere. It was proper Zulu. Everywhere you looked, there was a geezer with a lump of wood, a brick, a blade, or something. Fuck, it was scary, but one of the big boys steamed into them, a gap opened up, and we had it on our toes.




SOUTHAMPTON
I lost our mob and I was wandering around on my own. But I heard an Old Bill car fly by, so I followed that, walked round the corner, and there was a geezer who'd been hit so hard that his eye had popped out and it was resting on his cheek. He was covered in claret and that, and there was a couple of screaming girls around him and his fucking eye was on his fucking cheek. It just made me feel sick.




ARSENAL
We always used to give Arsenal a slap, and in the old days it would go off anywhere. Once we were at a disco in Camden and we got spotted by a load of goners. I glassed this geezer pretty bad. I got a pint glass in the bloke's face––it was fucking horrible.




TOTTENHAM
Everyone thinks our main rivals are Millwall, but over the last 15 years it's been Tottenham. They're the closest team to us. And whenever we go to visit them it's always a lovely day out.
We meet their firm at Liverpool Street, bash 'em, and go up to Northumberland Park to mob 'em up again. We generally walk up the ground, take the pub near the ground, go in the ground, take the piss out of them, and get home in time to watch Casualty on TV.




BRADFORD CITY
These Northern cunts were quite a force to be reckoned with in the '80s, but I can't say they've ever made a show with us. They turned over Cardiff late last season and always have a tear-up with other Yorkshire clubs, like Sheffield and Leeds, so I suppose they've got something about them.




WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
They're so shit they don't belong in the Premiership, so they've had a well-respected mob called The Subway Crew for years. We had it with them in the cup last week, there were loads of blades everywhere and we were throwing bottles and bricks over the fat blue line (a.k.a. the Old Bill). Traditionally, Wolves are some of the worst dressers in the country. I had to go to court up there once, and me and my mates were approached by some oik who asked us if we were solicitors. As if they'd never seen a defendant dressed in a suit. Actually, that reminds me of one my favorite jokes: What do you call a Scouser in a suit? The defendant. What do you call a Scouser in a three-bedroom house? A burglar.




NORWICH CITY
The tractor boys have never had a proper firm, but I have had the honor of being run by their mob. Me and four mates drove up there and I had to get back early for a do. As we left the ground, about five or six nippers started mouthing off on the other side of the road. We just give 'em the "fuck off" mugs, but one ran over and kicked a mate up the arse, so we chased them up the hill, where about 50 of their mates swarmed us. There was a quick turnaround as I watched my mates in the distance. I stopped up against a wall and they came in round me so we could all discuss the merits of the 4/4/2 system. I explained as there were only four of us, we weren't ‘Football' or a firm, and this confused the bumpkins. Hooligan law states that you can't lay into anybody else if they're not up for it, so we got away.

Bad Blue Boys

Bad Blue Boys (abbreviation BBB) are supporters and the firm of the Zagreb football club NK Dinamo.

BBB were founded on March 17, 1986. Their mascot is bulldog and their official anthem is "Dinamo ja volim" (I love Dinamo), sung by Croatian pop-rock band Pips, Chips & Videoclips. BBB are organized in two supporters unions: Udruga navijača Dinama (Dinamo supporters union) and Klub navijača Bad Blue Boys (Bad Blue Boys supporters club).

BBB also publish magazines (fanzines) concerning their club and ultras subculture. First one, now defunct, was called Ajmo plavi (Go Blues) and second one, started in 2006, is called Dinamov sjever (Dinamo's North (stand)).

Most passionate BBB support Dinamo from northern stand of Maksimir Stadium and older generations of BBB gather on eastern stand

Ultras

Ultras are a sanctioned form of sports team supporters renowned for their violent conduct. They are predominantly European and South American followers of football teams. The behavioral tendency of ultras groups includes the use of flares—primarily in tifo choreography—, vocal support in large groups, defiance against police officers and the display of intimidating banners at football stadiums. Consistently rivals with opposing supporters, ultras groups are often identified with their respective team. The actions of ultra fan groups are influenced by racial violence, cross-town derbys between clubs from the same city, and even from poor performances by the teams.

This particular fan subgroup appeared strongly in Italy during the late 1960s when football teams reduced ticket prices in certain areas of the stadiums. Since the early 1990s, the ultras subculture has increasingly become similar in style to the hooligan firm and casual cultures. Violent acts of hooliganism by groups of ultras have led to some deaths, as have police reprisals.

The existence of ultras groups originates from the initial firm formed in the former state of Yugoslavia in 1950. During the tensional period of the Yugoslav wars, patriotic supporters of Hajduk Split—now playing football in Croatia—formed a group known as Torcida Split; this name still recognises the same firm. The second longest standing ultra group is said to be Milan's Fossa dei Leoni (the Lion's Den) which was founded in 1968, which takes the name of the black-and-red's old ground and finds home in the stadium's cheaper sectors at ramp 17. The "Fedelissimi Granata" were founded in Turin in 1951, and still present in the ultra line-up on the Maratona curve. The Sampdoria Ultras appeared in 1969 (the first to call themselves "Ultras"), followed by "The Boys" from Inter."

Ultra groups are usually based around a core group (who tend to have executive control over the whole group), with smaller subgroups organized by location, friendship or political stance. Ultras tend to use various styles and sizes of banners and flags with the name and symbols of the group. Some ultra groups sell their own merchandise such as scarves, hats and jackets. The ultra culture is a mix of several supporting styles, such as scarf-waving and chanting. An ultra group can number from a handful of fans to hundreds, and often claim entire sections of a stadium for themselves.

The four core points of the ultra mentality are:

• never stop singing or chanting during a match, no matter what the result
• never sit down during a match
• attend as many games as possible (home and away), regardless of cost or distance
• loyalty to the stand in which the group is located (also known as the Curva or Kop).

Ultra groups usually have a representative who liaises with the club owners on a regular basis, mostly regarding tickets, seat allocations and storage facilities. Some clubs provide the groups cheaper tickets, storage rooms for flags and banners, and early access to the stadium before matches in order to prepare the displays. Some non-ultras have criticized these types of favoured relationship. Some spectators criticize ultras for never sitting during matches and for displaying banners and flags, which hinder the view of those sitting behind. Others criticize ultras for physical assaults or intimidation of non-ultra fans.