Arsenal firm
There are two Arsenal hooligan firms, The Gooners (a mutation of the club's nickname, The Gunners) and The Herd.
| Founding location | Holloway, London |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Territory | Islington |
| Ethnicity | White, White Irish, Greek Cypriots, Asian and Black British |
| Membership (est.) | 120-160 |
| Criminal activities | Football hooliganism, riots and fighting |
| Allies | The Gooners |
The Gooners were a violent football hooligan firm mainly active in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the name is now used by most non-hooligan Arsenal supporters.
The Herd was mainly active between the late 1970s and early 1990s, it still exists but prefers to stay undercover.[1] The Herd are a violent football hooligan firm and have the distinctive war-cry E-I-E. The main rivals of The Herd in the 1980s and in the present day are West Ham's I.C.F., Tottenham Hotspur's Yid Army, Chelsea's Headhunters and Millwall's F-Troop (later known as the Millwall Bushwackers). Although The Herd was mainly considered to be a violent firm, a few members were not physically violent. Dainton Connell (aka Dainton "The Bear" Cornnell) was considered a folk hero by many Arsenal fans, but died in a car crash in 2007, with 3,000 mourners attending his funeral including several ex players.[2] The Herd's two most notorious clashes were with Millwall fans at Highbury in 1988 and with Galatasaray fans in City Hall Square, Copenhagen in 2000.[3][4][5]
References
- Jackson, Jamie (22 August 2010). "The hooligan problem and football violence that just won't go away". The Observer. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- "Thousands attend funeral of legendary Arsenal fan". The Times. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- Millwall versus the mob
- "Surprise attack by Arsenal fans seeking revenge sparked battle". The Guardian. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- "Arsenal fans fear more violence". BBC News. 17 May 2000. Retrieved 2011-04-13.