Hooliganism and Violence Maine Road 80's/early 90's

[beermusic]

by all accounts Cambridge took a firm that day including a few of their old school lot and got rounded up and sent home having played up earlier in the day. The victim was a Liverpool fan who had adopted Cambridge - tragically sad and a reminder to all wannabes and cyber warriors that all too often it’s innocent stragglers who get picked off as a result of what may have gone on elsewhere. The victim‘s attackers should pay a heavy price but everyone involved in stirring trouble that day should be ashamed also

 

[paulchapo]

I mostly remember violence at derby matches as a kid. On one occasion we were stood on the kippax with my Dad and half way through the game a load of Rags got in the back of the stand and it all kicked of.
Also remember walking back to the car in Mosside when we saw a United fan in a garden with about 4 or 5 blues kicking the shit out of him. Could be a frightening place for a kid.

You had to have your wits about you all the time even well away from the ground and sometimes a few hours after the game. Small groups would often stay in towns and drink there, usually resulting in a punch up in a local pub. I wrote earlier about nearly getting a kicking from a group of Chelsea on Altrincham road a good two hours after their game finished at the swamp. Later in the night they smashed up the Royal Thorn pub. One game against Newcastle at Maine Road I missed the specials by the side of Princess road bus depot due to skirmishes with their fans. I turned the corner onto the main road and walked straight into a mob of about 500 Geordies. I don't know who was more shocked me or them. It turned out they had parked some of their coaches inside the depot. They shit it at first until they realised there was only about six of us and we had to get on our toes, it was a close shave.

 

[Kippax77]

Although Operation Omega was heralded as success for the police, it was pretty much a dire failure. The morning of the dawn raids over 100 houses were raided, which culminated in only about 20 arrests. This pretty much says it all.

i was told about the proposed raids probably a good 6 months prior to them happening, whilst waiting outside Huddersfield train station for the train home after our saturday game with them. This really dodgy looking City fan off his tits, came up to me and my mate and asked 'do you battle lads'.
After a few nervous glances between us, he says 'its alright lads, just letting you know theres gonna be dawn raids soon, so if you battle, get rid of any scrapbooks or photos of yourselves battling, ....my scrapbook is hid in my grandads shed!!!'

The thing was, me and my mate were 16 at the time, and i was probably 9st wet through and probably looked less like any type of 'hooligan' or belonging to a firm.

So I'm pretty sure that if i knew about the raids, then all the main players, and nearly every man and his dog knew the raids were coming.

I also think the majority of those arrested & charged, were those that were identifiable from CCTV footage, and without the scrapbooks & photos the police expected to find during the raids to use as evidence, a lot of lads got away with it.

I was at the Huddersfield game that day and I had a feeling the old bill were getting close. Big trials had collapsed previously through lack pf evidence, chelsea headhunters millwall bushwhackers wolves subway army etc. They were filming us at huddersfield that day, their was a vibe something was coming but I think everyone thought fuck it football trials are easy to get off with

 

[WestGorton]

Went to Millwall in 87. Everyone just charged at London Bridge after match. Not sure any of them were there!!

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

You had to have your wits about you all the time even well away from the ground and sometimes a few hours after the game. Small groups would often stay in towns and drink there, usually resulting in a punch up in a local pub. I wrote earlier about nearly getting a kicking from a group of Chelsea on Altrincham road a good two hours after their game finished at the swamp. Later in the night they smashed up the Royal Thorn pub. One game against Newcastle at Maine Road I missed the specials by the side of Princess road bus depot due to skirmishes with their fans. I turned the corner onto the main road and walked straight into a mob of about 500 Geordies. I don't know who was more shocked me or them. It turned out they had parked some of their coaches inside the depot. They shit it at first until they realised there was only about six of us and we had to get on our toes, it was a close shave.

Going to games then gave you a sixth sense I believe, I could smell trouble a mile off and not just at games.

I remember me and two mates going to a gig in Blackpool late 80's, on a Saturday night, we stayed over in digs and met some girls Sunday dinner in the Manchester pub, who we'd met the night before. Just having a drink and noticed these lads coming in, a few at a time until about 50 were in, I sussed them as Zulu's and said drink up were leaving it's going to kick off. The others looked at me like I'm mad but followed me out and we went to another boozer. About an hour later we walked back past the Manchester, windows smashed loads of old bill, and a couple of ambulance's outside.

 

[EL APACHE TEVEZ]

Sickening ....

Says on here 25 of the Southend shite ambushed the small group of Cambridge fans from behind ...the Cambridge fans were just on their way for a post match drink apparently, but never made it ..... it's got photos of some of the the scumbags who were involved and jailed.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjv04HjhsnsAhVDtnEKHXE3B-IQFjAEegQIAhAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.essexlive.news%2Fnews%2Fessex-news%2Fsimon-dobbin-full-story-brutal-3244018&usg=AOvVaw2PJ40_2EyqGEBRTlPOvMU9

Absolute fuckin shithouses

 

[paulchapo]

Going to games then gave you a sixth sense I believe, I could smell trouble a mile off and not just at games.

I remember me and two mates going to a gig in Blackpool late 80's, on a Saturday night, we stayed over in digs and met some girls Sunday dinner in the Manchester pub, who we'd met the night before. Just having a drink and noticed these lads coming in, a few at a time until about 50 were in, I sussed them as Zulu's and said drink up were leaving it's going to kick off. The others looked at me like I'm mad but followed me out and we went to another boozer. About an hour later we walked back past the Manchester, windows smashed loads of old bill, and a couple of ambulance's outside.

Yes you did often spot things others were oblivious to. Years of kick offs and ambushes made you aware. I was in Friday's nightclub one night,me a mate and two girls. I'd noticed a bit of an argument and a push a bit away from us. Two of these lads then came and stood near us and in the distance I could see an agitated lad talking to others. I said, " Hurry up move over here" and started to walk away from the two lads, who'd now been joined by a couple more. I got the usual dumb looks and questions but almost shoved them right to the other end. Sure enough a couple of minutes later the other lads arrived where the lads who stood near us were standing. Bang! Off it went, big scrap, bouncers running in the works. The look on my friend and the two girls faces was priceless, they thought I was physic, lol.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Yes you did often spot things others were oblivious to. Years of kick offs and ambushes made you aware. I was in Friday's nightclub one night,me a mate and two girls. I'd noticed a bit of an argument and a push a bit away from us. Two of these lads then came and stood near us and in the distance I could see an agitated lad talking to others. I said, " Hurry up move over here" and started to walk away from the two lads, who'd now been joined by a couple more. I got the usual dumb looks and questions but almost shoved them right to the other end. Sure enough a couple of minutes later the other lads arrived where the lads who stood near us were standing. Bang! Off it went, big scrap, bouncers running in the works. The look on my friend and the two girls faces was priceless, they thought I was physic, lol.

Yeah as we walked back past the Manchester I said told you so lol, non or them had a clue haha.

 

[paulchapo]

Yeah as we walked back past the Manchester I said told you so lol, non or them had a clue haha.

If a fairly large brawl is in the offing the atmosphere changes. Hard to define but you can just feel it, the energy vibe goes up.

Funnily enough I was in Yates's pub on my own one night in Blackpool a few years ago. My parents had a caravan in Staining and I fancied a night in Blackpool but they stayed there. The bouncer was a small stocky guy with a bald head, when I say small he was about five feet tops. I mentally nicknamed him uncle fester, he was small but looked rough and ready. There was a boisterous mixed group trying to get in and after some debate he relented. Anyone who's done any door work knows this is a big mistake. If they are a nuisance outside, once they get inside they are a nightmare. I watched them perform from a safe distance and said to some older guy stood near me, " It will kick off in a minute." He kind of looked at me like, oh yeah what do you know? I was about to drink up and leave when I heard a glass smash and sure enough it was the idiots involved. I turned to the older guy to see him running....and I mean running, out of the door like the devil was after him lol. Fester and some staff then had a nightmare trying to get them out.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

If a fairly large brawl is in the offing the atmosphere changes. Hard to define but you can just feel it, the energy vibe goes up.

Funnily enough I was in Yates's pub on my own one night in Blackpool a few years ago. My parents had a caravan in Staining and I fancied a night in Blackpool but they stayed there. The bouncer was a small stocky guy with a bald head, when I say small he was about five feet tops. I mentally nicknamed him uncle fester, he was small but looked rough and ready. There was a boisterous mixed group trying to get in and after some debate he relented. Anyone who's done any door work knows this is a big mistake. If they are a nuisance outside, once they get inside they are a nightmare. I watched them perform from a safe distance and said to some older guy stood near me, " It will kick off in a minute." He kind of looked at me like, oh yeah what do you know? I was about to drink up and leave when I heard a glass smash and sure enough it was the idiots involved. I turned to the older guy to see him running....and I mean running, out of the door like the devil was after him lol. Fester and some staff then had a nightmare trying to get them out.

After the gig we met some lads from Burnage, who one of my mates worked with, one of the lads got a kicking outside off the bouncers. When we found out, we charged the door later, and the till went missing ;) haha.