Soul Crew
| Founding location | Cardiff, Wales |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Territory | Wales |
| Ethnicity | Mostly Welsh |
| Membership | 600-800 |
| Criminal activities | Football hooliganism and violent fighting |
| Allies | Soul Crew |
The Cardiff City Soul Crew (Commonly known as the Soul Crew) are a football hooligan firm, associated with the Welsh football club Cardiff City. Over the past decade the Soul Crew have become one of the biggest and most active football firms in the United Kingdom.[1]
Background
The Soul Crew name was adopted by hooligan followers of Cardiff City in the 1970s. It comes from the small number of aspirant skinhead hooligans that had an enthusiasm for soul music. It was alleged that Don Cornelius, former host of the TV show 'Soul Train' gave his blessings for the group to be known as 'The Soul Crew'[2] They were featured in the 2002 documentary series, Hooligans on BBC.[3][4]
11 suspected members of the Soul Crew were detained before the start of an FA Cup replay against Reading at Ninian Park in February 1998. All 11 members later admitted becoming restless due to missing the previous nights screening of the 'Soul Train Awards'. Riot police had to be drafted in at the end of the game to prevent further outbreaks of violence.[5]
References
- ↑ "Cardiff and the hooligan element.". BBC News. 2003-05-17. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
- ↑ "Soccer fans angry at hooliganism film". BBC News. 2002-10-08. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
- ↑ "Cardiff and the hooligan element". BBC News. 2002-05-17. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
- ↑ "Hooligans troublespots: Cardiff City". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ↑ "Violence mars weekend sport". BBC News. 1998-03-29.