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The Red Army is a hooligan firm who follow English football club Manchester United. Although today the term Red Army is used mostly to refer to fans of the club in general, the hooligan firm have been one of the largest and most feared firms in British football.[1]
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Background
The Red army was the name given to Manchester United away support during the 1970s. Most notoriously in 1974–75 when United had been relegated from the top flight of English football and played one season in the Second Division and the Red Army caused mayhem at grounds up and down the country visiting stadiums where they would at times outnumber the home support. This together with a Bolton Wanderers fan stabbing a young Blackpool fan to death behind the Spion Kop at Bloomfield Road in Blackpool during a Second Division match on 24 August 1974, led to the introduction of crowd segregation and fencing at football grounds in England.[2][3]
The Red Army were featured in the 1985 documentary 'Hooligan' which was based around West Ham United's trip to Old Trafford in the FA Cup Sixth round and shows the Red Army fighting with the Inter City Firm (ICF) around Manchester. They were also featured in The Real Football Factories docmentary series. An episode of the BBC drama, Life on Mars centered around football hooliganism by Manchester United fans in the 1970s.
Tony O'Neill, a former member of the firm, has released two books about the firm, Red Army General in 2005 concentrating on the 1970s and early 1980s, and The Men in Black in 2006 which told the history from the mid-1980s until the present day.
Their activities have declined since the late 1980s as football hooliganism in general has become a less prolific problem than it was for more than a decade before that.
See also
References
- ^ O'Kane, John (10 June 2006). "No beef with United in my 21 years in Celtic hooligan firm". The Scotsman. http://news.scotsman.com/footballhooligans/No-beef-with-United-in.2809361.jp. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Nicholls, Andy (2005). Hooligans A-L. Milo Books. p. 63. ISBN 1-903854-41-5.
- ^ "Thirty Years Ago". Rothmans International plc. 1975. http://www.ynw62.dial.pipex.com/thirty43b.htm. Retrieved 2005-08-13.
Further reading
- Blaney, Colin (1 July 2004). Grafters. Milo Books. ISBN 1-903854-28-8.
- Buford, Bill (September 1992). Among the Thugs. Arrow Books Ltd. ISBN 0-09-941634-4.
- Hough, Ian (22 April 2007). Perry Boys. Milo Books. ISBN 1-903854-65-2.
- O'Neill, Tony (1 June 2005). Red Army General: Leading Britain's Biggest Hooligan Gang. Milo Books. ISBN 1-903854-45-8.
- O'Neill, Tony (30 June 2006). The Men in Black: Inside Manchester United's Football Hooligan Firm. Milo Books. ISBN 1-903854-52-0.
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