Hooliganism Not Just an English Problem

Hooliganism has been the subject of both controversy and praise. It's been the focus of movies, books, newspaper articles and countless police investigations. There are dark corners and silver linings surrounding what many call a "disease of football" and what others call "ultimate loyalty". Ultimately, though, hooliganism has somehow become as much a part of football as the ball itself. Every club now has a firm attached to it. Hooligan firms claim to be groups of devout supporters defending their team's honour and their town's property from rival hooligan firms. They claim to inflict pain only on members of rival firms and to cause damage only to rival firms' hangouts, but this is not always the case. The discussed football hooliganism does not involve drunken arguments or fights between fans during a match but rather an organised plan carried out by gangs against one another in a deliberate and violent manner. Some firms are more active and more violent than others. In England, The Inter City Firm (ICF), The Millwall Bushwackers, The Leeds United Service Crew, The Chelsea Headhunters, The Red Army and The Subway Army are known as some of the most violent and most disruptive firms. But England is not alone with their problems with hooligan firms. Russia, Italy , Spain , Norway and many countries in South America have very violent and prominent hooligan firms as well. In Israel, Beitar Jerusalem is followed by a hooligan firm known as La Familia that is reported to make up 20% of its fan base.