hooligans

Two drunks pick a fight with cross-dressing cage-fighters

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:55:18 +0200

This CCTV footage shows a couple of drunks picking fights on the streets of Swansea, Wales. Nothing unusual there then. Until they approach a pair of what they think are transvestites. In fact, the men, dressed in heels, wigs, and hot pants, are two professional cage fighters on their way to a fancy dress stag night.

The drunks notice the cross-dressers at 1:05. Before that we see them fighting with several others, including a man dressed as Spiderman.

The attackers were sentenced this week to a four-month community order, during which they will be electronically tagged. The footage, filmed on August 30, 2009, was shown in court. Meanwhile, the pair from the "Swansea Predators" cage fighting team have become local stars and a hit on YouTube; the footage of their feat has already received over 130,000 views in less than 24 hours.

Millwall vs West Ham carnage - “The police shouldn't have let it happen”

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:02:41 +0200

For the first time in four years, bitter football rivals West Ham and Millwall FC met for "England's most violent derby" on Tuesday. The result: ten arrests, one stabbing, and three invasions of the pitch. Two West Ham fans tell us why they think the police are at fault.

Violent outbursts erupted before, during, and after the Carling Cup match between the East End teams. Held at West Ham's modern Upton Park stadium, 25,000 people turned up for the 7.45pm kick-off. Fights broke out outside the stadium at 6pm and continued until midnight, leading to clashes with riot police, fires being lit and the hurling of bricks and bottles. Meanwhile, fans fought with security stewards inside the stadium and West Ham supporters stormed the pitch for each of the three goals scored by their team. (The end result was 3-1 to West Ham).

An investigation into the violence was launched by the Football Association today. The Football Supporters' Federation however, says that "hysterical reactions" should be avoided.

Russian football hooligans - worse than the English?

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:51:35 +0100

This was the result of a 1-1 draw between rival Russian football teams Spartak Moscow and UEFA cup holders Zenit St. Petersburg at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Sunday. The game was one of the opening matches of the new season. Our Observer Vladimir Pesnya was there.

Scenes from a civil war?

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:44:00 +0200

This amateur footage was shot in Oran on Monday. It's no civil war - these rioters are supporters of a local football club, Mouloudia, which just found out that their team will be relegated to the country's second division next season for the first time in 42 years. The chaos lasted for three days while the city's youth looted shops and vandalised public buildings and cars. Seventy police officers were injured in attempts to restrain the hooligans.

French football hooligans’ most offensive banners

Julien — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:36:26 +0200

The banner, displayed at the premier league final between Paris Saint-Germain and Lens reads

"Paedophiles, unemployed and inbred: Welcome up north"

A group of Parisian football supporters responsible for a banner that accused their opponents of being "paedophiles and inbred" has been ordered to disband by the French interior minister.

The banner that lead to the dissolution, announced last Thursday, was aimed at Paris Saint-Germain's opponents Lens, a northern city from the industrial region inhabited by "Ch'tis", the term for the residents of this poor and underdeveloped area of France, the subject of recent film called "Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis" (roughly translating to "Welcome to the Sticks"), which is becoming the highest-grossing French film in history. Reading "Paedophiles, unemployed and inbred: Welcome to the Sticks", the banner was displayed at the premier league final, of which Sarkozy was in attendance. As well as disbanding the "Boulogne Boys" - who are considered one of the oldest hooligan groups in France - an inquiry into finding and punishing those responsible is underway. Here, members' (who wish to remain anonymous) reactions and a pick of other offensive messages displayed across the pitch.