Football Firms - Do they still exist?

[Offshore]

Just finished watching the movie "Green Street Hooligans" which was about a West Ham football firm. Thought it was a cracking movie but wondered if there are still football firms going strong today? Do Newcastle United Firms such as The Gremlins, The Bender Crew, and NME even exist? If so, has anymore had an encounter with such groups?

 

 

Used to work with a middle aged bloke who was well into this with Aberdeen, they were affiliated (if thats the right word) with Chelsea and they used to pop up every now and again when they used to play Rangers.

He helped run a website for casuals in general and used to say that due to the increase of security cameras & the police at games these days the firms/casuals/whatever were starting to attach themselves to lower & non-league teams as it was easier to arrange 'rumbles'.

 

Also, was working with a painter who was one of those Seaham lads who got locked up over the Gremlins?/Seaham knockabout by the ferry, he got done as he didn't delete his text messages from his phone before he got picked up, he went on the sick before going to court and was still getting paid while inside.

[Stevie]

Just finished watching the movie "Green Street Hooligans" which was about a West Ham football firm. Thought it was a cracking movie but wondered if there are still football firms going strong today? Do Newcastle United Firms such as The Gremlins, The Bender Crew, and NME even exist? If so, has anymore had an encounter with such groups?

 

 

Used to work with a middle aged bloke who was well into this with Aberdeen, they were affiliated (if thats the right word) with Chelsea and they used to pop up every now and again when they used to play Rangers.

He helped run a website for casuals in general and used to say that due to the increase of security cameras & the police at games these days the firms/casuals/whatever were starting to attach themselves to lower & non-league teams as it was easier to arrange 'rumbles'.

 

Also, was working with a painter who was one of those Seaham lads who got locked up over the Gremlins?/Seaham knockabout by the ferry, he got done as he didn't delete his text messages from his phone before he got picked up, he went on the sick before going to court and was still getting paid while inside.

No disrespect but what your mate has told you is total bollocks, in fact it couldn't be further from the truth.  Aberdeen have had a long long standing relationship with the "Yid Army", while Rangers and Chelsea's relationship is probably the strongest cross border firm relationship there is alongside Hibs and Man Utd.

[Offshore]

Just finished watching the movie "Green Street Hooligans" which was about a West Ham football firm. Thought it was a cracking movie but wondered if there are still football firms going strong today? Do Newcastle United Firms such as The Gremlins, The Bender Crew, and NME even exist? If so, has anymore had an encounter with such groups?

 

 

Used to work with a middle aged bloke who was well into this with Aberdeen, they were affiliated (if thats the right word) with Chelsea and they used to pop up every now and again when they used to play Rangers.

He helped run a website for casuals in general and used to say that due to the increase of security cameras & the police at games these days the firms/casuals/whatever were starting to attach themselves to lower & non-league teams as it was easier to arrange 'rumbles'.

 

Also, was working with a painter who was one of those Seaham lads who got locked up over the Gremlins?/Seaham knockabout by the ferry, he got done as he didn't delete his text messages from his phone before he got picked up, he went on the sick before going to court and was still getting paid while inside.

No disrespect but what your mate has told you is total bollocks, in fact it couldn't be further from the truth.  Aberdeen have had a long long standing relationship with the "Yid Army", while Rangers and Chelsea's relationship is probably the strongest cross border firm relationship there is alongside Hibs and Man Utd.

 

'EDITED'

 

My mistake, when he talked being a casual and travelling to london with his lads I presumed it was to link up with Chelsea, as he'd mentioned them, but on thinking I think it more in regards to the events below as this had occured not long before, its just early alkaseltzer setting in with me..........

 

copied & pasted from BBC news.....

 

Police have confirmed that English hooligans may have been involved in Saturday's crowd disturbance at Pittodrie on Saturday.

Rival Aberdeen and Rangers fans clashed during the weekend's league in some of the worst scenes witnessed at a Scottish ground in recent times.

 

The Guardian reports that Aberdeen police have received reports that several fans in the Rangers section of the stadium, who had English accents and were wearing England football shirts, were involved in the violence.

 

Grampian police, using video footage, revealed a small number of supporters wearing the England national team tracksuit. A flag of St George was also on display.

 

However, English fans and banners at Rangers games is hardly anything new. There has long been a link between the supporters of Rangers several teams south of the border.

 

 

 

There is no doubt that people with connections to Chelsea and Crystal Palace were there in Paris when we played PSG

 

Rangers security chief Laurence McIntyre 

It is also the case that Scottish supporters of Rangers often sport English paraphernalia at games to underline their Unionist perspective.

The Guardian also goes on to claim that in the days leading up to the game there was heavy internet traffic between unofficial Rangers and Chelsea hooligan websites.

 

Rangers' Uefa Cup clash with Paris St Germain in December was marred by crowd trouble and Ibrox officials have since confirmed many of the trouble-makers were from London.

 

Rangers' security officer Laurence McIntyre told the Guardian: "There is no doubt that people with connections to Chelsea and Crystal Palace were there in Paris when we played PSG."

 

The Glasgow club's next foray in the Uefa Cup is against Feyenoord in February and, with a section of the Rotterdam club's support having a strong reputation for hooliganism, there must be major security concerns ahead of both legs of the tie.

 

[TêteDeMaure]

Serbia has pretty bad ones.

[Guest Gemmill]

On the train back from Birmingham away a couple of years ago, I got sat not too far away from a group of Newcastle fans.  There was a bloke with his young son, and a collection of other lads who had nowt to do with this bloke.  Anyway, all way home this bloke regaled the lads on the train and his young son with stories of what he used to get up to back in the day when he was a "proper" hooligan and how going to the match these days just doesn't compare.  The lads and his son (how proud he must have been of his dad) were engrossed in the stories, but I can honestly say I've never heard a more boring load of shit from a bigger dickhead.  I can't understand anyone who takes an interest in this shit tbh.

[The Bonk]

On the train back from Birmingham away a couple of years ago, I got sat not too far away from a group of Newcastle fans.  There was a bloke with his young son, and a collection of other lads who had nowt to do with this bloke.  Anyway, all way home this bloke regaled the lads on the train and his young son with stories of what he used to get up to back in the day when he was a "proper" hooligan and how going to the match these days just doesn't compare.  The lads and his son (how proud he must have been of his dad) were engrossed in the stories, but I can honestly say I've never heard a more boring load of shit from a bigger dickhead.  I can't understand anyone who takes an interest in this shit tbh.

 

It's an odd thing because the movies and history actually interest me, but at the same time I could never even think of joining a firm. 

The concept is ridiculous and most of the members are equally ridiculous.  I've read the books by Cass Pennant and I couldn't put them

down, thought they were great insight of the lifestyle.  He was a right mean bugger and told some harrowing tales. 

 

I suppose my interest mainly lies in why someone would want to join a firm?  Which is still beyond me even after reading the books. 

[Ally]

There was a massive riot in Sheffield the other month after the United/Wednesday match, the city centre got smashed up and the main central road with all the pubs on was shut as it was in such a state.

[nufcmichael]

I have a mate who once sat with a couple of guys from that Bender Crew, they had a few beers and he asked if it was possible to get into their firm, they nearly kicked the shit out of him, he said they were insane. I guess it was some of them fighting in Frankfurt also.

[The Bonk]

I have a mate who once sat with a couple of guys from that Bender Crew, they had a few beers and he asked if it was possible to get into their firm, they nearly kicked the shit out of him, he said they were insane. I guess it was some of them fighting in Frankfurt also.

 

Why on earth would he want to join them??? 

[Tooj]

Some shit kicked off not long ago in Birmingham I believe.

[nufcmichael]

I have a mate who once sat with a couple of guys from that Bender Crew, they had a few beers and he asked if it was possible to get into their firm, they nearly kicked the shit out of him, he said they were insane. I guess it was some of them fighting in Frankfurt also.

 

Why on earth would he want to join them??? 

 

Dunno, he's in the danish casual invironment as well, not for the fighting, just the social thing.

[The Bonk]

I have a mate who once sat with a couple of guys from that Bender Crew, they had a few beers and he asked if it was possible to get into their firm, they nearly kicked the shit out of him, he said they were insane. I guess it was some of them fighting in Frankfurt also.

 

Why on earth would he want to join them??? 

 

Dunno, he's in the danish casual invironment as well, not for the fighting, just the social thing.

 

Hahaha..  is the environment that you provide as a friend not good enough?  (Sorry mate)

[madras]

On the train back from Birmingham away a couple of years ago, I got sat not too far away from a group of Newcastle fans.  There was a bloke with his young son, and a collection of other lads who had nowt to do with this bloke.  Anyway, all way home this bloke regaled the lads on the train and his young son with stories of what he used to get up to back in the day when he was a "proper" hooligan and how going to the match these days just doesn't compare.  The lads and his son (how proud he must have been of his dad) were engrossed in the stories, but I can honestly say I've never heard a more boring load of shit from a bigger dickhead.  I can't understand anyone who takes an interest in this shit tbh.

 

It's an odd thing because the movies and history actually interest me, but at the same time I could never even think of joining a firm. 

The concept is ridiculous and most of the members are equally ridiculous.  I've read the books by Cass Pennant and I couldn't put them

down, thought they were great insight of the lifestyle.  He was a right mean bugger and told some harrowing tales. 

 

I suppose my interest mainly lies in why someone would want to join a firm?  Which is still beyond me even after reading the books. 

it's quite simple how it starts....when you were younger did you ever snap when someone beat you at something and they rubbed it in.....it starts off like that then breeds.

 

as for those books they are hilarious,they were all in the hardest gangs,all have stories of going away and being outnumbered 5 to 1 but sending the other lot running.

 

away from the casuals etc there was a bunch of toon fans we knew as "the geezers"(we called them that,they didn't have a name for themselves as they werent a gang as such)whom i first came across about 1980,really 70's relics,never went looking for trouble but were quite active in defending themselves.,kept away from the buisier bars but a harder group of blokes would be hard to imagine

[nufcmichael]

I have a mate who once sat with a couple of guys from that Bender Crew, they had a few beers and he asked if it was possible to get into their firm, they nearly kicked the shit out of him, he said they were insane. I guess it was some of them fighting in Frankfurt also.

 

Why on earth would he want to join them??? 

 

Dunno, he's in the danish casual invironment as well, not for the fighting, just the social thing.

 

Hahaha..  is the environment that you provide as a friend not good enough?  (Sorry mate)

 

Hehe it's alright, well yeah it is, we're usually having a good time. We saw Green Street Hooligans, so he just told me that he once talked to them.

[nazza06]

I actually think the police have done a good job at stamping out football violence, as someonebody already said, the firms are now fighting away from the grounds which is good as it is kept as far apart from the football as possible. England seems to have this real bad image that they have loads of football hooligans but i think the problem at the moment isn't that great here and is increasing over central europe. Poland seems to have alot of trouvlw with it all and after being in Italy for the Palermo game it was obvious that the problem was big, aswell as seeing various videos related to Italian soccer violence on youtube. The police over there seem to actually join in witht he trouble rather than prevent it.

[Guest rosstoon]

Yep they still exist and like its been mentioned its mainly lower league.  It still exists in Newcastle. You only need to go to a few of the pubs when certain teams come up to see that. I met up with a good bunch of lads who go to the away games normally bout 50-70 off them on a bus and minibus. If it goes off then they are ok with it but they go to  the games to have a day out supporting the toon and get away from their lasses. But they are all old skool lads. Some stories that they have come out with are outrageous certain storieds bout west brom bunged bricks at the last coach as they were leaving the ground. Just happened to be these lot any other bus and it would have bee all nippers and families. WBA got a pasting. Just a case of picking on the wrong bus.

 

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