In the mid-1980s, the British government, under Margaret Thatcher, established a 'war cabinet' to deal with the issue head on and it was one of the most talked-about topics in British society. Yearįootball hooliganism in the United Kingdomĭuring the 1970s and 1980s, football hooliganism developed into a prominent issue in the United Kingdom to such an extent that it became widely referred to as ' the English disease' or ' the British disease'.įirms, crews, squads and gangs regularly caused disturbances at games around the country, leading to the implementation of crowd segregation, as well as the erection of fences at stadiums in an effort to minimise clashes. (1995), Awaydays (2009) and The Guvnors (2014).Ī number of the films from the genre have been positively received, earning a cult following, but in many cases they have been criticised for seeming to glorify hooliganism.īelow is a selection of films based on or related to football hooliganism, which is by no means exhaustive. Some of the more well known films that followed include The Football Factory (2004), starring Danny Dyer, Green Street Hooligans (2005), which starred Elijah Wood and Cass (2008).
The 1989 film The Firm, featuring Gary Oldman, is considered to be one of the main forerunners of a genre of sports dramas that became increasingly popular in the 2000s.
The phenomenon of football hooliganism has been creatively explored in film, particularly in the 21st century. There were instances of this at Euro 2016 in France and there are fears that it could re-surface during the World Cup in Russia.īelow is a list of some football hooligan groups across the world and the clubs they are linked with. Some groups allude to violence in their names (see Chelsea Headhunters), while others simply identify themselves according to the area of the stadium they occupy.Īs well as identifying themselves with specific clubs, hooligans sometimes come together during international games to fight with gangs supporting other countries. The term 'casuals' is also used after a subculture emerged in the 1980s where gangs wore plain or designer clothes rather than club colours.Įlsewhere across the globe, terms such as 'Ultras' and 'Boys' are widely used, while barra brava, literally meaning 'wild bunch', is used to describe hooligans or ultras in South America. In the United Kingdom gangs of hooligans often use quasi-militaristic terms such as 'firm', 'crew' and 'squad' to describe themselves. These gangs adopt different monikers to establish a facade of notoriety and mark them out against their rivals. There are a number of theories regarding its etymology and it is commonly associated with the Irish surname Hoolihan due to the similarity in pronunciation.įootball hooligans tend to form gangs in order to perpetrate acts of disorder and violence. The word 'hooligan' itself is of British origin and it is used to describe a young man who engages in noisy or violent behaviour, usually as part of a gang. Hooligan gangs do not necessarily adhere to any sort of politics, but a large number do identify themselves with extremist ideologies, both on the right and left wings of the spectrum. Violence and destruction among football hooligans can sometimes break out inside stadiums during games, but, due to the unlawful nature of the acts, the gangs often attempt to stage skirmishes in discrete locations, so as to avoid detection by police. They normally operate in gangs and tend to seek out conflict with groups who identify with the opposing team. These strands of football fan are commonly known as football hooligans, but what does that mean exactly?Ī football hooligan is, essentially, a spectator at football events who engages in violence and all-round disorderly behaviour, generally described as 'hooliganism'.