[Archived] Football Hooligans

[MeanGreenMachine]

From my own (and short) experiances id say there is still plenty going off lower league, but it just doesn’t catch the medias attention.

Chesterfield's CBS was active when I knew a few lads who were in it (around 4/5 years ago now). Saltergate was a ###### hole, not obvious place to park and the train station was a decent walk away. Plenty of rucks went off around there. Espicially if stags were coming to town, the streets would be awash with plods. It has been very very quiet since they moved to the B2 net.

I will never forget going to Forest as a young lad and seeing opposing fans (generally dickheads) being thrown into the trent off the bridge .

[iamarover]

And I was there too.

An earlier thread with many tales of violence.

So was I. The bloke who did it used to got to St Marys College. He got sent down.

s

[AggyBlue]

Over 5000 of us travelled to the away game at Chesterfield in 1980 and at the following home game a letter from the Chesterfield Chief Superintendent of Police saying what a pleasure it was having us in the town.

1 - 0 to us, Andy Crawford was it.

This is true too - I actually climbed over the wall at the front during the second half unchallenged, walked round the side of the pitch to the home end and started singing to the home fans directly behind the nets.

[Sparky Marky]

I was there.

So was I Ossy.....

I also remember up at Boro one Boxing Day...when they played at Ayresome Park.(think we won - Garner)......Running street battles all over the town....twas the season to be jolly.

[trueblue]

For me, the worst fans in existance were the Leeds United fans of the 70's

[Gav]

Was also a smaller mob from around the hospital area called themselves the ICU - Intensive Care Unit.

The Youth also had a presence at New Order gigs - They 'represented' Blackburn there as well...

The ICU was a small group formed towards the end of the 80's, not really a football firm.

The football lads from that area were the H-Division, from this group came a number of Blackburn terrace legends, one of which isn't seen in such a good light today, but his football exploits are legendary.

Mill Hill also produced a large number of lads that used to follow the club, not members of Blackburn Youth but just lads from Mill Hill.

You’re spot on about New Order, the Youth lads used to follow the band all over the place, and are recognised by the band in a number of books/interviews from the early to mid 80’s.

[levi]

there was a new order interview in the nme that had the headline "blackburn flying the flag for new order" or something along them lines and the band talked about youth following them around the country

great band

[john.leigh]

I was at a lot of those games that people have been mentioning and have been all over watchng us. I think the main message that anybody from overseas should take from reading this thread is that really the Rovers fans weren't(and mainly still aren't)a bad lot - IMHO we certainly wouldn't rate in a hooligan top 10, but when push came to shove there was some 'handy lads'!

Not turning this into a p!ssing contest but I was at Turd Moor on the day when the Dingles were playing the final game of the season to stay in the football league - it was rumoured that there was going to be loads of Rovers fans there - turns out dingles won, stayed up & the Rovers fans just sloped off....

I was also there at the Turd, stood with the Torquay fans, when the "Staying down forever" plane went over

Now that was funny & nothing will ever top it!!!!!!!!!

And I think this type of 'comedic hooliganism' is one that we've excelled at more than the physical stuff -

"bananas with their feet" is a classic song but our near neighbours still just drone on with a vile stream of obscenities about us...

The Dingles nick name is another hilarious example - their witty retort is to persist in calling us @#/?s

I do miss that Rovers terrace humour - bumley have just missed it. full stop.

[thenodrog]

I went to the Chelsea game which all the away fans were banned from. Got the Harrods ticketing department to get the seat for me.

When Howard Gayle bagged the winner, he sprinted to the empty away terracing (in those days it was a semi-circle a long way from the goal) to celebrate. Some stewards spotted me and I simply sat in my seat behind the directors' seats smiling broadly from ear to ear and they did nothing.

Well why on earth would they when you were sat completely on your own behind the directors Philip?

Might have provoked more of a reaction from the steward if you'd jumped up yelling, cheering and chanting alternately toward the Chelsea Directors 'you're sh1t and you know you are' and 'come and av ago if you think your ard enough'. But I suppose you missed the moment.

[1864roverite]

The suggestion that "Blackburn Youth" were a "firm" and "could look after themselves" is a load of rubbish.

I am Mill Hill born and bred and Im like many others, have travelled all over watching Rovers. I have only ever seen "the youth" run, run and run some more.

Examples - sunderland, newcastle, boro, leeds,norwich,ipswich,stockport,man city,everton,cardiff the list is endless. this so called youth lived on the coat tails of some real hard nuts associated with our club, the likes of Mill Hillers, Intack and Ossie. The youth never caught on and is now represented by drunken idiots who feel it appropriate to abuse women and their own fans.

Thats the reality.

[Gav]

The suggestion that "Blackburn Youth" were a "firm" and "could look after themselves" is a load of rubbish.

I am Mill Hill born and bred and Im like many others, have travelled all over watching Rovers. I have only ever seen "the youth" run, run and run some more.

Examples - sunderland, newcastle, boro, leeds,norwich,ipswich,stockport,man city,everton,cardiff the list is endless. this so called youth lived on the coat tails of some real hard nuts associated with our club, the likes of Mill Hillers, Intack and Ossie. The youth never caught on and is now represented by drunken idiots who feel it appropriate to abuse women and their own fans.

Thats the reality.

Not sure where you’re coming from with those comment 1864roverite, Mill Hill hardly had a significant lad presence at Ewood after the mid 80’s, but where very active in the 70’s, and with Bburn Youth starting in about 1981 the 2 groups hardly crossed paths at football in the main.

Everyone knows the 2 groups didn’t get on, no idea why they both had a common interest, the football, but used to kick off at weekends in town?

Bburn Youth took up the reigns long after most Mill Hillers had packed it for the family life, so you’re being a little harsh I’d say.

Saw in the paper last week that ‘Joker’ from Mill Hill had died, you from his era?

[ABBEY]

Saw in the paper last week that ‘Joker’ from Mill Hill had died, you from his era?

###### DIDNT KNOW THAT knew him and his brother very well.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The original 'old heads' from the BBY of the 80's were totally different from the scrotes you see today,that said, many were simply 'dressers' and tagged along with the crowd.It was fashionable to be in with the football mob scene at the time.

They never could deal with other clubs large mobs that came to town though,Man City being one in the mid 80's!

[Gav]

###### DIDNT KNOW THAT knew him and his brother very well.

Joker

[ABBEY]

What a disrespectful reporter..######

[1864roverite]

Its always sad when a person dies.

Joker is from a group slightly older than me however he crossed swords with the WHEELTON Lads (all Rovers) on a few occasions, mixing us up with Chorley Rovers fans. I remember 1 night at the Howard Arms when 40 of his lot came to "sort" the villagers out and got a short sharp shock as did they all. They found out that a mix of Wheelton, Brinscall, Higher Wheelton and Withnell Rovers fans were way out their league. The problems extended down to Stoke, Bristol and beyond as the fued continued. Eventually it petered out to nothing but a few verbal threats on the train to Carlisle when it broke down and we yomped to the football ground.

I disagree about the Mill Hill lads of the 70's and early 80's. I moved to Wheelton in 1979 but still remained in touch (through football) with a lot of them. There were always issues with Mill Hill and others, it was just the way it was back then. The Livesey gang of lads (Si Morgan and the lot) were just as bad when they went away. Perhaps I was fortunate to join up with a more sedate group that included Ozzie Jones because all we ever wanted was a Rovers win, the hooliganism didnt really bother us noir did it interest us. In any case, you gain a better perspective watching from afar and at no time ever have I witnessed the youth take on and succeed against any group of opposition supporters. Home and away !

[Ozz]

As a young lad I was really excited by the all the fighting-I never actively went looking for it (well maybe once or twice after some shocking matches, Palace etc) but a lot of the time you could not really avoid it as it was so common place. But make no mistake, nobody, not even the big teams,pushed the Rovers around-there was a small hardcore that went to all the away games that would take on anybody you can name. But usually in self defence I would say.

But I would not seek to glamorise any of it, that one death at Carlisle was more than enough to make it all seem tremendously pathetic. It was a big enough challenge staying safe at some grounds just because of the state of the stadiums back then without having to fight your way home afterwards.

[Iceman]

Were the police helpless in those days? From what i have heard, the police to avoid being pummeled themselves, would stand back. Seems crazy, but very interesting stories from those around at that time.

[philipl]

Sad to say, the Police weren't beyond starting a few fights in those days. Saw it happen at Bolton ad Man City.

Thankfully the world has moved on and the large crowds if anything have had a lot to do with it. When a few thousand are rattling round a stadium that has held tens of thousands, there is space for those who want trouble to find it.

[SouthAussieRover]

Were the police helpless in those days? From what i have heard, the police to avoid being pummeled themselves, would stand back. Seems crazy, but very interesting stories from those around at that time.

The police were actually allowed to police in those days.

I'm not sure where or who you are getting your info/stories from but I'd stop listening to them Mr Abrahams.

[USABlue]

Not sure where you’re coming from with those comment 1864roverite, Mill Hill hardly had a significant lad presence at Ewood after the mid 80’s, but where very active in the 70’s, and with Bburn Youth starting in about 1981 the 2 groups hardly crossed paths at football in the main.

Everyone knows the 2 groups didn’t get on, no idea why they both had a common interest, the football, but used to kick off at weekends in town?

Bburn Youth took up the reigns long after most Mill Hillers had packed it for the family life, so you’re being a little harsh I’d say.

Saw in the paper last week that ‘Joker’ from Mill Hill had died, you from his era?

Not sure about BBY it seems they must have come about after I left. But I do remember Mill Hill being a rough lot. Can't remember who, maybe Millwall, thought they'd be clever and do a sneak attack by getting off at Mill Hill, SURPRISE. If I recall they took quite a beating.

There was no real mob or firm stuff back then I do recall lots of do's. It seemed like a lot of games we went to in the old third fans of other local big clubs would show just because Blackburn came. City fans at Oldham, Leeds fans at Halifax. I remember a lot of the smaller grounds and teams we visited it kicked off. Oldham, Port Vale, York, Rochdale, Southport Blackpool,Halifax are just a few/ No organisation that I knew of but just a genmerally high adrenaline day out. Bother all the time I think just because we often took decent numbers.

[Iceman]

was football just a disguise, for these types of fighting to happen?

[SouthAussieRover]

was football just a disguise, for these types of fighting to happen?

It was all peace and love Mr Abrahams.

[Iceman]

It was all peace and love Mr Abrahams.

, im sure it was. It seems it was more peaceful then, that what it is on this message board

[USRoverME]

, im sure it was. It seems it was more peaceful then, that what it is on this message board

aye, but slamming someone with aggressively arranged electrons via a messageboard, while likely less life threatining than slamming someone with your fists and boots, may be just as mentally damaging.