7 Most Dangerous British Soccer ‘Hooligan Firms’
They’re as British as Page 3 girls or fish and chips – but they’re far from tasty, except when it comes to a brutal scrap. In fact, gangs of vicious soccer thugs leave a decidedly bad taste in the mouth. And if, while wearing the wrong colors, you chanced upon a troop of these yobbos after an English football match, you might soon be savoring the taste of blood and a gob full of smashed teeth. Football hooliganism may not be the problem it once was, but the names of some of its firms are enough to strike fear into the hearts of opposing supporters and bystanders alike. Here’s our list of seven of the most notorious.
Millwall Bushwackers
The hooligan firm of infamous English football club Millwall, the Bushwackers take their (misspelled) name from the American Civil War ambushers, and no one would want to be attacked by these nasty Brits. They even had an improvised weapon named in their honor – the Millwall Brick, made of a newspaper and used to bash up rival fans. At the height of their activity in the 1980s, the Bushwackers stirred up serious ultra-violence during matches, and were responsible for some of the worst rioting and missile-throwing in British football. Not that they wouldn’t be proud of this. Although the firm is not the force it once was, in 2001 they slashed two of Wolverhampton’s firm in the face with stanley knives, while 2002 saw more bloodshed on the night of a Birmingham City play-off described by veteran police officers as the worst violence they had ever experienced. An unmatched rep for disorder.
Birmingham Zulus
Back in the late ’70s, the chant of “Zulu, Zulu!” on the streets of Birmingham could only have meant one thing: the Zulu Warriors, Birmingham City F.C.’s finest, spoiling for a fight. Known for having members of various ethnic backgrounds, this mob was one of the most feared of the ’80s – and they remain the cause of major ructions. Violent clashes with supporters of rival club Aston Villa are common on derby day, and the Zulus are known for fiercely defending their territory from invading firms. Amongst the many incidents the Zulus have triggered was a series of riots in Cardiff in 2001 which saw a pub smashed up, one person assaulted and nine more taken to hospital. Then in 2006, some 200 Birmingham fans tore down fencing separating them from Stoke fans after an FA Cup match, after which fighting broke out, and police were attacked in what a senior officer described as “extreme violence”.
Aston Villa Hardcore
The other notorious Birmingham based firm, the Aston Villa Hardcore are affiliated with the club otherwise known as The Villains. Although, like other firms, they have found themselves marginalized today, the Hardcore have a fierce reputation built on a foundation of causing major carnage. The “Battle of Rocky Lane” in 2002 witnessed some serious disorder in the Aston area after a match between Villa and Birmingham City which led to 15 arrests. Then in 2005, firm member, Steven Fowler, who had already been jailed for six months in the 2002 fight, was sent down for a further twelve for his part in organized bit of aggro between the Villa Hardcore and Chelsea’s Headhunters at London’s King’s Cross in 2004. Also in 2004, several Villa firms were involved in a running battle with QPR fans outside Villa Park in which a steward died. Dangerous to know; even more dangerous to cross.
Inter City Firm
A gang of hooligans mainly active from the 1970s to the 1990s, the feared Inter City Firm was tied to well known London club West Ham United. Named after the trains they traveled on for away matches, the Inter City Firm became identified by their habit of leaving a card on the prone bodies of those they attacked, reading: “Congratulations, you’ve just met the ICF.” Despite such practices, Cass Pennant, a black Londoner and former general of the Inter City Firm, maintains that, unlike many other groups of its kind, the ICF was neither racist nor neo-Nazi. Still, nice folks they most certainly were not. Numerous instances of their extreme violent behavior have been documented, often against rival London firms such as Millwall’s Bushwackers, with tear ups and attacks on pubs being the disorder of the day. Vicious thugs not to be crossed by anyone unless they happen to like hospitals.
6.57 Crew
Linked with English Premier League team Portsmouth F.C., and named after the 6.57am train they would take to London’s Waterloo Station on a Saturday, the 6.57 Crew were one of the major firms during the 1980s, causing mayhem across the country. Spoiling for fights has remained high on the agenda for this squad of south coast louts. In 2001, they fought with Coventry City fans at an away game, ripping up seats and throwing missiles at their rivals. In 2004, 93 were arrested – including a 10-year-old boy who became the UK’s youngest-ever convicted football hooligan – for their part in mass riots before and after a match against rivals Southampton, where police were attacked and shops looted. Over one hundred Portsmouth hooligans were banned from traveling to the 2006 World Cup in Germany because of convictions for football-related crime. Firm but far from friendly.
The Red Army
Just as Manchester United is one of the biggest football clubs in the beautiful game, so their fanatical firm, the Red Army, is said to have had the largest numbers at the height of Britain’s hooligan problem. While the name the Red Army is also used to refer to Man U’s fans in general, in the mid-’70s the name became synonymous with some of the defining incidents in British hooliganism, notoriously in 1974–75 when United had been relegated from the top flight of English football for one season and hordes of thugs wreaked havoc at stadiums up and down the country, sometimes outnumbering the home support. Their activities led to the introduction of crowd segregation and fencing at football grounds in England. Mass tear ups with other firms are well documented, with the 1985 documentary ‘Hooligan’ showing the Red Army clashing with West Ham’s Inter City Firm around Manchester. Mob rules.
Chelsea Headhunters
With a name like the Headhunters you know this gang of thugs mean business. Linked to famous London club Chelsea, these mean geezers are notorious for their racism, with links to far right groups like the National Front and the paramilitary Combat 18. In 1999 the Headhunters were infiltrated by an undercover BBC reporter who posed as a wannabe member but got the wrong lion tattoo – a risky mistake that raised eyebrows among the hardcore. Former firm dieharder Kevin Whitton was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1985 after an attack seen as one of England’s worst incidents of football hooliganism. After Chelsea had lost, Whitton and others stormed a pub chanting: “War, war, war.” When they left minutes later the American bar manager lay close to death, with one of the hooligans shouting: “You bloody Americans. Coming here taking our jobs.” Nuff said.
Written by Julian on July 8th, 2010 | Tagged as: Popular Culture
On July 9th 2010, Georges wrote:
Those hooligans are nothing less than fuckig Nazis. They don’t care about their team or their country… they just want to fight…
Fucking english PRICKS
On July 9th 2010, Her wrote:
I have one thing to say to the man who exclaimed “You bloody Americans. Coming here taking our jobs.” They only have it because they applied and you didn’t. Get a job loser. Better yet, don’t – you’ll save people the trouble of speaking with you. The Americans taking your jobs is hardly the problem in the UK – take a look at the amount of refugee workers you have you dolt.
On July 9th 2010, Biggy Mc Cocckus wrote:
The good old days on the terraces.
On July 9th 2010, Johnsen wrote:
So many things wrong with this article apart from attempting to glorify this long dead animal behaviour.
Portsmouth are no longer an FAPL team for a start but why even bother writing about these thugs?
On July 9th 2010, Andy wrote:
love how the first picture is of Valencia fans…………..good reporting popcrunch, you fail again
On July 9th 2010, Jules wrote:
Its this kind of woefully inaccurate article that incites people like ‘Georges’ to attempt to denounce pointless venomous behaviour by using… pointless venomous behaviour.
On September 15th 2010, Kadek wrote:
Yiddo yid army no.1 !!!
On October 11th 2010, MiGs wrote:
Luton MiGs. We’ve had Millwall. Wait till we play them again.
QPR, MILLWALL AND WATFORD ARE SCUM
E-E-EDL
On October 20th 2010, rovers wrote:
people seem to think its died out but its slowly becoming a problem again,millwall in 2 incidents in the past month,some wont and will not be avoided millwall vs qpr vs leeds vs cardiff which they forgot to mention the 3 biggest are cardiff soul crew,red army and leeds service crew all are which very active but it aint right that fine clubs for it…..you just cant beat a good old fashioned derby game……(we all hate leeds scum)
On December 10th 2010, red army wrote:
uniteds red army still have the numbers at away games and r still one of the biggest and best firms it still goes on and always will although the police make it harder these days.
On December 15th 2010, CCFCsnow wrote:
haha, i know it’s english, but tbh, the soul crew what kick your poncy fucking swedes in you dull cunts
On December 16th 2010, eddy shav wrote:
Looks like this has drawn the usual brave comments from the keyboard warriors !!
On December 17th 2010, Blue in Brum wrote:
Used to love it. The myth of drinking ? Never before a meet. Nazis? No way.
On January 27th 2011, me wrote:
Red Army !!!!!!!!!!!!
On March 20th 2011, DANNY K wrote:
Luton never took millwall, i was there when they beat up 3 old guys outside the tube station and run on to the tube. Wankers…..
On March 20th 2011, DANNY K wrote:
You mug luton fan, Your not playing us again…
On March 24th 2011, Madhatter wrote:
The BOLTS (Luton’s first active firm in the 70′s & 80′s & the MIGS late 80′s) were probably the most under-rated and best tight fit and well organised firms in the country – that’s why Millwall and other clubs were after Luton’s fast growing reputation hence the riot that took place in the Cup against Millwall. And how many of the extra hooligans who turned up were genuine Millwall fans – they were from other firms all wanting to dismantle Luton’s reputation. Everyone harpers on about the Zulu’s from Birmingham and Aston Villa Hardcore as having the first multi-cultural hooligan firms but no-one ever mentions the other Luton firm who had many Asians & Jamaicans (The Park Youth Possee).
On March 29th 2011, billy wrote:
zulus from handsworth lozells and winson green made the zulus as a treat that why chelsea headcunters millwall brushwankers inter city fools and portmouths 6.57 could never come to those areas and cause trouble they get shot and they know it that 6.57 caused problems in derby black area never handsworth because they can’t simple
On March 30th 2011, david wrote:
that fag in the chelsea photo were was he when the national front tried to march in aston and handsworth in 89 if these pricks were that bad how comes they have’nt march through handsworth aston and newtown yet because they know what would happen to them just hype just like millwall they ain’t shit they just racist bunch of pussy’s who got the zulu beating many times as for villa they firm are full of grassers like black danny they should named vile hardcore not villa just like leeds service crew they were never the same when we turn them over in 85 black white and blue run this motherfucking thing not portsmouth 6.66 they firm is full of devil worshippers because 6+5+7 equals 18 divide by 3 equal 6 bunch of pussy’s
On March 31st 2011, david wrote:
manchester dead army millwall bedwetters cuntdiff soul crew fleas service crew punksmouth 6.57
On April 11th 2011, villahater wrote:
i would’nt rate villa hardcore they are shit firm if you talk about a serious midlands firm other than the zulus it’s better you put down wolves subway rather than villa hardcore at least they feat in the real football factory with danny dyer and in the film Cass i don’t recall villa have ever been in the real football factory or a film i know the stoke naughty 40 and the zulus twice in films like the original firm and green street and in the real football factory as well as barrington patterson was in britain hardest men no one from villa ever appear in that show stephen fowler is one of the leaders of villa hardcore is not only a member of combat 18 he looks like the guy who got fuck in the ass in the film america history X because some neo nazi’s are infact gay google gay ayran resistance and you see they are website talking about them i would’nt be surprised if fowler is a member he just a wannabe and he knows it also he used to be a blues fan as for black danny i have no respect for that wanker he a grasser he should be on a show called britain biggest grass how can you have a mixed race firm and you have a racist in your firm as for millwall they have to hire or you used other firms to join up with them bunch of pussies west ham respect due to them and yid army as well man u red army
On May 22nd 2011, cacaman wrote:
you got something worng about the zulu warriors, they say ”zulu’s gonna get ya!” not ”zulu zulu”
HOOLIGANS FOOTBALL ARMY
ALWAYS ANTIFASCIST ALWAYS ANTIRACIST!
On June 7th 2011, Lulu aka zulu bs wrote:
Bluesnoses have gone down down down ha ha ha ha
On July 14th 2011, hammers wrote:
green street…..
On July 17th 2011, David wrote:
Hammers got hammered at st andrews in the carling cup on and off the pitch come with better firm inter city fags you had to make yourself look good in sime bullshit film called green street in real life you got battered that why carol pennant wrote a book with one eyed baz because he carol respects the zulus
On July 27th 2011, edward wrote:
its not a nazi thing