Green Street Hooligans is a movie that depicts the lifestyle of many people all over Europe. Football based firms originated in England, but hooliganism takes place all over the world. I have seen that a group of fans out of Ohio tried to experience the thrill of hooliganism in the United States when their Major League Soccer team, the Columbus Crew, played West Ham United in 2008. Football firms are becoming a widespread phenomenon that fans everywhere are trying to associate themselves with.
Throughout this bog, I have learned that whether you are apart of a firm or not, the passion that these fans experience toward a particular team is endless. I have already stated that I love to play soccer, but I now understand why it is so important to these people. Football games and the violence surrounding it create a way to escape real life problems. Firms are about loyalty and establishing yourself as part of a devoted group of people, and this group of people becomes your family.
After conducting my research and interviews, I have discovered that hooligans are actually wealthy and have good jobs. They are able to purchase expensive clothing and attend football games every week, so why do they join firms and surround themselves with violence? The answer to this question is very simple; hooligans become involved in firms as a form of acceptance. Because as children their parents neglected them, firms give them a sense of belonging. Anthropologists study different cultures around the world, but I have learned that football is more than just a way of living to these people; attending these games, drinking beer, and fighting is how hooligans identify themselves.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Jed & the Naughty Forty
During my research, I came across an article that was written about a man named Jed who used to be a member of the Naughty Forty. He became a member of this firm in the early nineties and gave it up after six years. Jed now dedicates time to justifying football firms, and providing truth to the image that the media creates about hooliganism. The media creates the misconception that hooligans don’t like the actual sport, but only form firms for the violence.
He first heard about the firm through a friend who was a member. The two attended a football match together, and he recalls a particular situation before entering the match, saying, “"There was a big crowd outside the away end and he turned round to me and went 'I don't like it when there's big numbers like this. Why don't you come with me, we'll go into one of the side streets, see where we could find five or ten of them on their own." This is where he immediately realized that the notions of the media were not true, and that his friend was not a member of the firm because of violence alone.
After he decided to become a member of the firm, he discovered that it was not going to be an easy task. Because trust is one of the most important things to these people, it took a lot for them to completely earn an outsider’s trust. Once Jed was considered on the inside with the Naughty Forty, he found out what true firms were all about. The trust was endless among its members, and the older members looked after the younger ones. They did whatever it took to keep them out of trouble and away from drugs.
The firm is about respect and loyalty, and the author of the article states, “the football firm offers a kind of unquestioning acceptance that is difficult to find elsewhere.” This statement is true for Jed’s situation like many other hooligans; they join to be apart of something. Unlike the media’s perspective, Jed found that they are passionate about the game. According to him, some of the matches get really bad, so you have to love the sport in order to sit through the entire game. After leaving the life of hooliganism, Jed now does performances and writes poetry about his experiences with the Naughty Forty to prove that these images are false.2002 Running with the ‘Naughty Forty.’ BBC News: World Edition, May 2.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Interview
After interviewing a former member of a football firm, I have gotten a much better understanding as to why gangs are appealing to hooligans. The man that I interviewed is currently no longer associated with hooliganism, but wishes to remain anonymous. He is currently 48 years old and has a steady career. He was a member of the Red Army, a firm that follows Manchester United.
When I asked him what he remembers most about the guys in his firm, he said that he recalls their loyal, persistent, and reliable nature. He said that the firm was like their families. I then asked him why did they partake in violence and organize riots, and he said that at the time he would have answered it was just for the fun of it. Looking back, he says it was much more than that. The members of most gangs had money, lived in big houses, and were in schools receiving an education. The thing that many of the guys lacked was a parent who spent time with them. Parents were either divorced or had other problems, like workaholics or alcoholics. He says that the qualities that they lacked at home, they were able to find in each other. As a result, the violence and the riots were about proving your love for each other, coming back for somebody who was left behind, or standing strong next to your friends when thirty guys want to punch your face in. These are considered expressions of love for us, and that’s the reason for all the violence. He concludes by saying that he feels lucky to have so many friends that would be willing to jump in front of a train for him.
Anonymous, Tara Caney, E-Mail, Norton, MA, 20 April 2010.
When I asked him what he remembers most about the guys in his firm, he said that he recalls their loyal, persistent, and reliable nature. He said that the firm was like their families. I then asked him why did they partake in violence and organize riots, and he said that at the time he would have answered it was just for the fun of it. Looking back, he says it was much more than that. The members of most gangs had money, lived in big houses, and were in schools receiving an education. The thing that many of the guys lacked was a parent who spent time with them. Parents were either divorced or had other problems, like workaholics or alcoholics. He says that the qualities that they lacked at home, they were able to find in each other. As a result, the violence and the riots were about proving your love for each other, coming back for somebody who was left behind, or standing strong next to your friends when thirty guys want to punch your face in. These are considered expressions of love for us, and that’s the reason for all the violence. He concludes by saying that he feels lucky to have so many friends that would be willing to jump in front of a train for him.
Anonymous, Tara Caney, E-Mail, Norton, MA, 20 April 2010.
Hillsborough Tragedy
Football is a very passionate topic in many countries around the world, and has an impact on many families. The effects of violence surrounding football can be either positive or negative, but usually succeed in bringing countries together. As a soccer player, I realize how important this sport can be to some people. It is a way to identify you as an athlete, but for fans as well. Although violence is not a positive thing, outcomes resulting from the violence surrounding football can sometimes be considered beneficial to a society.
Prior to choosing my topic of hooliganism, I had heard this story before. A woman was telling me that she saw a video of innocent people getting squished and trampled over, hopelessly trying to get away. She is an avid follower of European football clubs, and remembers being disgusted by what she had witnessed. She was extremely appalled by the fact that someone decided to video tape such a horrible event, failing to try and save anyone from death when they were pleading for help. I decided to research more into the incident following her story.
On April 30th, 1989, the FA Cup semi-finals were held at Hillsborough. The match featured Canada versus Liverpool, and the fans were crazy. This disaster was not a direct result of hooliganism, but a result of the intense passion that fans all over Europe felt for the game of football. In a video one of the announcers, Des Lyonum, recalls the events as they took place, first claiming that some fans were pulling others onto the higher areas of the stadium. People were on each other’s shoulders and the place was in chaos. Because of overcrowding, fans in the back trampled over people in the front who were crushed. He goes on to say that he saw two men weeping, and when he asked them what was wrong they claimed that, “There has been dying in there, dying.” Ninety-six people were killed that day. One man claims that it took him fifteen years to tell this story without crying.
Trevor and Jenni Hicks took their teenage daughters Sarah and Victoria to this game because they were Liverpool season ticket holders. They lived in North London and traveled to a game every couple of weeks. Trevor claimed that it is one of the few things that they did as a family, and they loved it. Sarah and Victoria were both killed at Hillsborough.
Hillsborough was a tragic day for Europe because of the large number of people that it affected. Wars are taking place around the world in which so many lives are taken every day, but this particular tragedy had an impact on more than just the families that lost a loved one. It sent a wave of shock throughout most of Europe because football is not just a sport but also a part of their culture. The 21st anniversary took place on April 15th, 2010. The F.A. Cup took place at Anfield, and 10,000 seats were available. People attended the game to commemorate the tragedy at Hillsborough, and even 21 years later it was still a very emotional day for many. The Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, states “It is our solemn responsibility to ensure that the memory of the 96, and all those whose lives were changed for ever by those terrible events, can never be forgotten” (article). The reason that this event continues to effect a large number of people are because of the meaning that the sport has to these people. This tragedy could have occurred at any stadium, and any one of these fans could have been killed.
2010 Thousands Gather in Liverpool to Mark Hillsborough. BBC News: UK, April 15.
Prior to choosing my topic of hooliganism, I had heard this story before. A woman was telling me that she saw a video of innocent people getting squished and trampled over, hopelessly trying to get away. She is an avid follower of European football clubs, and remembers being disgusted by what she had witnessed. She was extremely appalled by the fact that someone decided to video tape such a horrible event, failing to try and save anyone from death when they were pleading for help. I decided to research more into the incident following her story.On April 30th, 1989, the FA Cup semi-finals were held at Hillsborough. The match featured Canada versus Liverpool, and the fans were crazy. This disaster was not a direct result of hooliganism, but a result of the intense passion that fans all over Europe felt for the game of football. In a video one of the announcers, Des Lyonum, recalls the events as they took place, first claiming that some fans were pulling others onto the higher areas of the stadium. People were on each other’s shoulders and the place was in chaos. Because of overcrowding, fans in the back trampled over people in the front who were crushed. He goes on to say that he saw two men weeping, and when he asked them what was wrong they claimed that, “There has been dying in there, dying.” Ninety-six people were killed that day. One man claims that it took him fifteen years to tell this story without crying.
Trevor and Jenni Hicks took their teenage daughters Sarah and Victoria to this game because they were Liverpool season ticket holders. They lived in North London and traveled to a game every couple of weeks. Trevor claimed that it is one of the few things that they did as a family, and they loved it. Sarah and Victoria were both killed at Hillsborough.
Hillsborough was a tragic day for Europe because of the large number of people that it affected. Wars are taking place around the world in which so many lives are taken every day, but this particular tragedy had an impact on more than just the families that lost a loved one. It sent a wave of shock throughout most of Europe because football is not just a sport but also a part of their culture. The 21st anniversary took place on April 15th, 2010. The F.A. Cup took place at Anfield, and 10,000 seats were available. People attended the game to commemorate the tragedy at Hillsborough, and even 21 years later it was still a very emotional day for many. The Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, states “It is our solemn responsibility to ensure that the memory of the 96, and all those whose lives were changed for ever by those terrible events, can never be forgotten” (article). The reason that this event continues to effect a large number of people are because of the meaning that the sport has to these people. This tragedy could have occurred at any stadium, and any one of these fans could have been killed.
2010 Thousands Gather in Liverpool to Mark Hillsborough. BBC News: UK, April 15.
Armstrong versus Archetti's View of Firms
An anthropologist by the name of Gary Armstrong did 14 years of participant observation with a football firm out of the United Kingdom, the Blades. This firm supported the club Sheffield United. In his effort to put an end to the myths around hooliganism,
he says, “To the outsider, violence is the raizon de’etre of a Blades gathering” (233). He claims that the level of violence surrounding hooliganism has decreased over time through increased policing at the stadiums. These gangs are a way for men to feel good about themselves, and loyalty is the basis for male hooligan culture.
Eduardo Archetti disagrees with Armstrong in his book Masculinities Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina, claiming that the basis for hooliganism is masculinity. It is a way for men to define themselves around their manhood. He also feels that it football is a tradition to these people, tracing back hundreds of years. Every game is a way to unite fans and the entire country in order to create a sense of national pride.
Armstrong and Archetti are in disagreement about the meaning of football firms and why one might join, but they both agree that hooliganism is a cultural issue. Armstrong believes that gangs are a way for a male to transition from school to finding a career, falling in love, and settling down. Archetti believes that hooligans join firms in order to create a sense of masculine identity and pride, and football creates a way for the country to unite. When anthropologists study athletes, they look at sports as a form of creating identity. Hooligans form their identities based on the sport that they watch, the main events that surround their everyday life. Hooligan activities allow them to create notions of cohesion, uniting based on a similar love for football.
Archetti, Eduardo P.
1991 Masculinities: Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina. New York: Berg.
Armstrong, Gary.
1998 Football Hooligans: Knowing the Score. New York: Berg.
he says, “To the outsider, violence is the raizon de’etre of a Blades gathering” (233). He claims that the level of violence surrounding hooliganism has decreased over time through increased policing at the stadiums. These gangs are a way for men to feel good about themselves, and loyalty is the basis for male hooligan culture. Eduardo Archetti disagrees with Armstrong in his book Masculinities Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina, claiming that the basis for hooliganism is masculinity. It is a way for men to define themselves around their manhood. He also feels that it football is a tradition to these people, tracing back hundreds of years. Every game is a way to unite fans and the entire country in order to create a sense of national pride.
Armstrong and Archetti are in disagreement about the meaning of football firms and why one might join, but they both agree that hooliganism is a cultural issue. Armstrong believes that gangs are a way for a male to transition from school to finding a career, falling in love, and settling down. Archetti believes that hooligans join firms in order to create a sense of masculine identity and pride, and football creates a way for the country to unite. When anthropologists study athletes, they look at sports as a form of creating identity. Hooligans form their identities based on the sport that they watch, the main events that surround their everyday life. Hooligan activities allow them to create notions of cohesion, uniting based on a similar love for football.
Archetti, Eduardo P.
1991 Masculinities: Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina. New York: Berg.
Armstrong, Gary.
1998 Football Hooligans: Knowing the Score. New York: Berg.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
America Experiences Hooliganism
In July of 20008, West Ham United played in a friendly match in America. It is believed that in the United States, supporters of the Major League Soccer teams tried to emulate the firm from the film Green Street Hooligans. One group that supported the Columbus Crew out of Ohio, the Hudson Street Hooligans, started a fight with some of the members of the Inter City Firm. A handful of members from the firm moved to the northeast corner of the stadium, where they provoked the Americans. The 
groups chanted at each other and ultimately a fistfight broke out in the stadium. It took the police large efforts to break up the fight, but ultimately only one arrest was made. This was the first time America experienced European football hooliganism.
After speaking with an anonymous woman who has attended football matches in England, I was surprised to find the level of violence that occurs within the stadiums. She recalls one particular game where a fight broke out. She attended the game with her husband, an avid follower of the Premier League in Europe, but she did not stay with him the entire time. A small fistfight broke out in the middle of the game, which turned into more of a riot. She remembers standing in one section of the stadium, watching the fight. She then stated that the pack of men grew larger and larger, until it was eventually reaching the place she was standing. Her husband was excited by the violence, but she became very nervous and a bit frightened. She decided to move to the lower part of the stadium, where the kids were playing. After telling the story, she laughed and said that she was happy to safely be with the children, and that’s where she will be standing from now on.
Leonard, Tom.
2008 West Ham Fans Brawl with Columbus Crew as Football Hooliganism Hits the US. Telegraph.co.uk: New York, July.
groups chanted at each other and ultimately a fistfight broke out in the stadium. It took the police large efforts to break up the fight, but ultimately only one arrest was made. This was the first time America experienced European football hooliganism.After speaking with an anonymous woman who has attended football matches in England, I was surprised to find the level of violence that occurs within the stadiums. She recalls one particular game where a fight broke out. She attended the game with her husband, an avid follower of the Premier League in Europe, but she did not stay with him the entire time. A small fistfight broke out in the middle of the game, which turned into more of a riot. She remembers standing in one section of the stadium, watching the fight. She then stated that the pack of men grew larger and larger, until it was eventually reaching the place she was standing. Her husband was excited by the violence, but she became very nervous and a bit frightened. She decided to move to the lower part of the stadium, where the kids were playing. After telling the story, she laughed and said that she was happy to safely be with the children, and that’s where she will be standing from now on.
Leonard, Tom.
2008 West Ham Fans Brawl with Columbus Crew as Football Hooliganism Hits the US. Telegraph.co.uk: New York, July.
Lexi Alexander
Lexi Alexander was the writer and director of Green Street Hooligans. Dougie Brimson was a former hooligan who helped develop the story and screenplay for the movie. Lexi Alexander was five years old when she attended her first football match. She was from Germany, where she supported a small local team. In her statement about the film, Alexander explains the nature of the matches. As a child, she would attend the games and sit in the F-stand (family stand) with her brother. This area has comfortable seating and is the safe place to watch, opposed to the D-stands, which stand for damage. This area is invitation only and it is where the hooligans would stand to watch the games. Alexander describes them as, “some kind of dangerous animal species” (Alexander) because they are fenced in cages.
Ten years after attending her first match, Alexander became involved with martial arts. After earning a black belt, she began to teach karate. Most of the boys in her class were members of the notorious Mannheim firm, City Boys. Eventually, they invited her to watch a game with them in the D-stand. Before she knew it, Alexander actually became a member of the firm, and the boys didn’t have to worry about her during riots due to her background in martial arts. She states that, “For three years, my life was my football firm. We had a pub that was our pub and on any given day of the week, you would find a member of the City Boys in there” (Alexander). On match days, the members of her firm would meet at the pub no matter what. She claims that regardless of the violence that surrounded her, the firm was like her family.
Alexander, Lexi.
A Statement from Lexi Alexander. Green Street Hooligans. Warner Brothers Entertainment: 2006.
Hooliganism
Through basic research via Wikipedia, I have found that football hooliganism consists of destructive behavior, including brawls, vandalism, and intimidation by association of football club fans. Fights break out between the supporters of rival teams before or after matches, spontaneously during matches, or they take place at pre-arranged locations in order to avoid arrest by the police. The first recorded instances of violence that occurred away from the actual matches occurred when the Preston fans fought Queen’s Park fans in a railway station in 1886. Fights range from shouting to fistfights to riots. Some riots can get out of hand and include bats, bottles, rocks, knives or even guns.
Some firms are linked to politics or racism and are representative of all the supporters of their teams. Some examples of firms that are associated with political groups are the Headhunters that follow Chelsea, the Fine Young Casuals that support Oldham Athletics, and the Ultra Sur who follow Real Madrid. Some firms also consist of multicultural makeup’s, including Arsenal’s Gooners, West ham United’s Inter-City Firm (ICF), and Feyenoord Rotterdam’s SCF. Cass pennant is a well-known figure that came out of the ICF. As a black man he was able to climb to the top, and he eventually became one of the generals of the ICF. This is a remarkable achievement during the 1970s and 1980s, during a time when racism was very prevalent in Great Britain. Following his engagement in the ICF, he became an author to record his story. In his autobiography, he talks about his own stories of imprisonment. He also includes a fight that he started that occurred at a nightclub, where he was shot 3 times. It is interesting to see that despite racism among society, Pennant was able to find success among the Inter-City Firm.
The ICF supports West Ham United, was the inspiration for the movie Green Street Hooligans. West Ham’s home stadium is called Boleyn Ground and they are a football club out of East London. The main firm in Green Street Hooligans was the Green Street Elite, who also followed West Ham. West Ham firms began in the 1960s with the Mile End Mob, which were a group of supporters that thrived on the intimidation of their own fans as well as rival fans. The West Ham firms were some of the first to begin wearing casual clothing in order to avoid arrest. The ICF was the first to travel to inter city matches on regular trains opposed to tightly policed, football-based charters. Like in the movie, Millwall is West Ham’s strongest and oldest rivalry.
Pennant, Cass.
2000 Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF. London: Pennant Books.
History of Firms
The history of hooliganism remains unclear in terms of when the first football firms began. Although the beginning of established firms is unknown, they can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages in England. Edward II banned football because he felt that the violence and disorder surrounding matches led to social unrest and tension. The first recorded instances of gangs in England occurred in the 1880s. In order to establish themselves, gangs would intimidate neighborhoods and referees.
A specific example of early gang activity in 1885 includes Preston North End and Aston Villa. After a friendly match in which Preston defeated Aston Villa 5-0, the two teams were pelted with stones and spat at. One player was actually beaten so severely that he almost lost consciousness. In 1905, Preston fans were tried for hooliganism. There was no recorded firm activity between the two world wars, but it received widespread media attention in the late 1950s. By the 1960s there was an average of 25 hooligan incidents reported in England each year.
Football firm violence replaced unorganized violence in relation to sports, however both groups are considered to be hooligans. Today, football firms are also referred to as casuals. Beginning in the 1970s, members of firms began to dress differently. Instead of wearing clothing associated with the club that they represented, they would dress in designer clothes and expensive sportswear. Popular designers associated with UK football firms include Pringle, Fred Perry, Burberry, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Stone Island. By dressing in a more casual manner, firms no longer stood out to police, and it became a mechanism to avoid arrest.
NationMaster.com
2005 Football Hooliganism, The Free Encyclopedia.
A specific example of early gang activity in 1885 includes Preston North End and Aston Villa. After a friendly match in which Preston defeated Aston Villa 5-0, the two teams were pelted with stones and spat at. One player was actually beaten so severely that he almost lost consciousness. In 1905, Preston fans were tried for hooliganism. There was no recorded firm activity between the two world wars, but it received widespread media attention in the late 1950s. By the 1960s there was an average of 25 hooligan incidents reported in England each year.
Football firm violence replaced unorganized violence in relation to sports, however both groups are considered to be hooligans. Today, football firms are also referred to as casuals. Beginning in the 1970s, members of firms began to dress differently. Instead of wearing clothing associated with the club that they represented, they would dress in designer clothes and expensive sportswear. Popular designers associated with UK football firms include Pringle, Fred Perry, Burberry, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Stone Island. By dressing in a more casual manner, firms no longer stood out to police, and it became a mechanism to avoid arrest.
NationMaster.com
2005 Football Hooliganism, The Free Encyclopedia.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
"Green Street Hooligans"
Ever since I was a child, I have been crazy about the game of soccer. It has been more than a sport to me, creating an escape from the pressures of every day life. Regardless of my unconditional passion for this game, I have a hard time getting a handle on the movie “Green Street Hooligans.” Soccer is not just a sport that these people play or watch, but it is a way of life to them. The hooligans in this movie are representative of the firms across Europe, which are organized groups similar to gangs in the United States. In the movie, there is one firm for every team in the European premier league in the United Kingdom. Firms not only provoke fights with each other, but they also plan fights after particular games. The movie portrays the Green Street Elite, a West Ham firm in the United Kingdom, as a group of men that is absolutely crazy. In some scenes, they are completely outnumbered by other firms, but they never back down because it is all about reputation to hooligans. Although there has been some controversy over the amount of violence portrayed in the film opposed to the actual amount that exists in firms, I expect real members of such firms to be just as passionate about what they do.
The study of anthropology is the investigation of differences between cultures, which can be viewed as making sense of the unfamiliar. I feel that many people in the United States would have a difficult time understanding these firms because soccer is not very big in our country. For starters, the name of this sport is different in our country than in any other. We refer to the game as soccer, whereas every other country calls it football. Baseball is considered an American sport, which the main characters even reference in the movie. There is a scene where an American argues with the leader of the Green Street Elite, claiming that baseball is the best sport. He states that a pitcher from the Red Sox can throw at over 90 MPH, but the firm’s leader is far from impressed, laughing in his face.
Throughout this blog, I plan to establish the history of firms around the world and establish what they are like outside the film. I will research news stories about firms, and conduct an interview of a person who has witnessed the fighting. Ultimately, I hope to understand why one would want to become a hooligan.
Alexander, Lexi, dir.
2004 Green Street Hooligans. 108 min. Warner Bros. Entertainment. Hollywood.
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