I've often pondered this point on and off for a number of years but without putting my thoughts out there for public debate. I can't think of anywhere better to do this than on a Chelsea supporters Forum. From the late 19th Century, for around 100 years, football supporters in England went to follow their Club for the love of the game. They mixed well with opposing fans, behaved very well and generally there wasn't any large scale trouble. However, as the 1970's rolled around a new breed of "fan" came out of the woodwork and almost destroyed the English game at that time. These people had no real interest in football, just a desire for mayhem and wanton destruction. Funnily enough, a number of people I've spoken to down the years who went to football prior to and during that time all pretty much agreed that it was Chelsea fans who kicked it all off. Not only that but this Chelsea mob were distinct from subsequent hooligan elements from around the Country in that they weren't your average disadvantaged chavs from sink estates but were largely made up of the middle and even professional classes from the wealthy suburbs of Chelsea. What I want to know is, what made these successful, educated people turn into a pack of blood-lusting savages when Saturdays would roll around? What was it about Chelsea in particular, as opposed to other Clubs, that seemed to produce an endless supply of knob-heads who really should have known better? When people from other affluent parts of the Country were out in foreign fields or on the rundown streets of the nation's cities, engaging in altruistic activity and helping alleviate some of the suffering of the deprived and impoverished, why was the Chelsea toff getting pissed up and kicking people's heads in in his steel-capped docs and terrifying men, women and children who went for a family day out to watch some sport? Where did this underground, middle-class, subculture of depravity come from and why did it manifest itself in the environs of Chelsea FC more so than anywhere else in the UK? Were any of you one of these people and if so what motivated you to participate in such nefarious behaviour? Like I said, its a social curiosity that I've mulled over from time to time and I'd finally like to get a definitive answer to the question. Much obliged
Bit incendiary this Swords, however i will save the Chelsea lads the trouble of answering. You have hit on the problem yourself, it was a social fault of the times (every club had hooligans). For the poor of society it was tribal and a way of letting off steam, for the white collar workers it was a way out of their daily boredom, an adventure that wasn`t real life. Most have accepted that this is a poor substitute for a life but you still get the odd clash when alcohol is involved and rivalry`s are inflamed by chants designed to raise emotional responces
Too deep for me Swords. I first came to live in London in 1969 and stayed until 1975. I then returned in 1985 and stayed another 23 years. So Iv'e done 30 years, all lived in Chelsea. The football hooligans, as Maggie loved to call them, were not a great mob to run into on your way home, even if you supported their team ! The Chelsea ones were pretty serious dudes, but so too were Millwall I recall, and I just escaped a mother of a hiding once after a West Ham game, mainly because I could run very quickly in those days. There was all sorts going on socially, miners strikes, 3 day weeks, Maggie Thatcher etc, Kings Road was not nearly as much fun as my holiday in 1967! All love and peace and mini skirts up to here, seen through the haze of reefers that was ! So I don't think any one reason can be singled out. Surely someone has researched and written this up? If so, would love a reference.
Are you drunk? Arsenal West Ham and Millwall all more prevalent firms than Chelsea in mid-late 60s/early 70s. Who did you 'speak to' about this?
I spoke to many individuals who had direct experience of this phenomenon. I'm just wondering what exactly was it that drove these Chelsea Tory boys into a World of organised chaos? Was it the repression of fellings such as homosexual tendencies leading to all that pent up emotion exploding on the terraces? Was there a middle class epidemic of drug abuse in the area? Was there summat in the Chelsea water supply??? I don't fukkin' know, that's why I'm asking. All I know is there has to be a reason why Chelsea fans were so miserable in their lives that they took to wreaking havoc on communities around London and further afield. Another thing I've wondered is where are all those demented fruitcakes now? Is there a special wing in Broadmoor for ex-Chelsea hooligans? Is there a sealed off area out in the Cotswolds where scientists conduct experiments on these hapless creatures in an attempt to find the genome to the missing link? So many questions, so few answers
Pick one....who the **** knows Bunch of sad ****s if you ask me All that matters is they are gone All I can guess is that increased police presence at games combined with the invention of the internet allowing people fulfill their darker tendencies online contributed to the downfall of the ****tards. Football, globally, in the 70's and 80's was ****. Liverpool were pretty much dominating everything on a worldwide scale the likes of which hasn't been seen since i can only guess every other team thought "**** it, we'll never beat em so lets just **** **** up". Boredom, social depravity, whatever, football has gone completely the other way now, prawn sandwich munchers in suits own everything, I would wager that increased ticket prices have priced these doll claimers out of attending matches too in recent times, since I am pretty sure that with the intelligence those ****s had, a steady job was probably out of the question, whereas these days you need £200 to spend on a day out anyway, and thats just for a couple. Also increased TV coverage too, when you used to HAVE to buy a ticket to see the game. Nowadays most people think, why spend £1k per season to attend matches when I can pay £100 a year for Sky Sports and BT Sport and watch nearly ALL the matches.
What ever the reasons for thuggery and stupidity the loci and team association are not a factor. Just using Chelsea as an example, many Chelsea fans come from all over the South East of the UK and beyond and that was true of the 70's and 80's not just now. The South East though was the most affluent and decadent part of the UK then (still is). The politics of the time was split between collectivism and state controlled industry and which was ultimately killed off by a chaotic World economy due to a global oil crisis, and a rise of every man for himself attitude and that political control of business restricted profits which could then be 'trickled down' into society. Well the I'm all right jack attitude won, and the trickling down of profit was extremely limited as money was taken out of the country and put 'off shore' and spent abroad and usually by the politicians of the time who remarkably were made chairs and major shareholders of newly privatised state industries, which is now universally acknowledged as under priced. Football, already a sport where fans were pitted as rivals, became a focus of political and social divides. Else where religious differences also fuelled hate at matches. To put the source of football hooliganism squarely in the geographical area of Chelsea is to show naivety, and a Machiavellian attempt at a wind up clothed in pseudo intellectual debate and very disingenuous.
Very poor article. Inaccurate on so many levels. I don't know whether Swords Hoopster is really as uninformed as he pretends, or is just on a wind up. Probably the latter.
I find the accusations that I'm on a wind up insulting. Ealing, Bodanki and Bear, please withdraw those scurrilous accusations immediately or I will be forced to take this matter further.
That's a profound, insightful and deeply philosophical contribution there Hamzas. Any chance you could elaborate even further because I'm enthralled by your obvious inexhaustible wisdom? For fukk's sake
I'll some it up for him.. you posted a complete and utter load of bullshit and we are all lessened for reading it.
Nice to know that Chelsea fans have moved on from those nasty evil days when kicking the s**** out of all and sundry. Well done!!!!!! In response to the article, other clubs had their morons back then but Chelsea, Leeds and Millwall managed to get the headlines!!!!!
Hoops your word's.... "inexhaustible wisdom".... It's because of this that i wrote "Utter Codswallop". As I know of no other words that represents your post in a more sincere way. It is total fantasy and provocative, and you know it. everybody knows West Ham had the first "Firm" all others followed The Zulu's were amongst the first along with ICC.
