Aston Villa Hardcore

Aston Villa Hardcore (Villa Hardcore)
Founding location Birmingham, England
Years active 1993–present
Territory Birmingham, England
Ethnicity Mostly White British
Membership 160-300
Criminal activities Football hooliganism, public disorder, rioting, criminal damage

Aston Villa Hardcore (often shortened to Villa Hardcore or known as Villa Youth when referring to the younger element of the group) is a football hooligan firm associated with the Premier League club Aston Villa, based in Birmingham, England.

Background

The firm have been active since 1993, following on from previous Aston Villa hooligan firms the Steamers, C-Crew and Villa Youth. The Hardcore have been involved in some high-profile hooligan fights in Europe, while following Villa and England. The firm still exists today, but, like all hooligan firms, they have been marginalised. The Hardcore have clashed a number of times with the Birmingham Zulus, associated with Aston Villa's fiercest rivals Birmingham City.

Fifteen people were arrested in October 2002 in a series of dawn raids in connection with serious disorders committed in the Rocky Lane area of Aston before the game between Aston Villa and Birmingham City in September 2002,[1] in what was described as the "Battle of Rocky Lane". In 2004, Steven Fowler, a Category C hooligan and member of Villa Hardcore, was jailed for six months for his part in the fight in 2002. In 2005 he received a twelve-month jail sentence and was banned from attending football matches for ten years, for his part in an organised brawl between the Villa Hardcore and Chelsea Headhunters at King's Cross in London on 27 March 2004, while five other Villa fans were also jailed.[2] Fowler was jailed again in 2006 when he and 57 other people were found guilty of their involvement in a riot at a Handsworth pub on 22 August 2004 - the same day as Villa's Premier League clash with local rivals West Bromwich Albion.[3]

In November 2006, a planned launch of the book Villains about the various Aston Villa hooligan firms, which included details of clashes with the Birmingham Zulus, which was due to be held at Sensations Club in the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham, had to be cancelled due to threats that the Zulus would turn up and cause trouble at the event. The Zulus were said to have taken exception to the launch of the book and the presence of rivals on what they considered "their territory".[4]

In October 2008, Fowler, along with Michael Lutwyche released a book entitled Hardcore about the firm.

A younger wing of the firm has recently emerged under the banner "Hardcore Youth" with two members of the firm being banned in January 2010 from attending Aston Villa matches, being in the vicinity of Villa Park on match-days, and, when Villa are playing away from home, using trains to travel the country and from entering the relevant town-centre. The pair were branded as "ring-leaders" by police and also were made to pay a fine of £500 each in court.Also later on in the year another known Villa youth hooligan was handed a 3-year banning order at Warwick Crown Court whilst being held on remand after serving a 12-month prison sentence. He was handed the banning order after troubled flared outside Birmingham City's ground in 2009 after Villa won the game 1-2 with Gabriel Agbonlahor scoring a late winner. Police statistics claim that after the 3 leaders of the Youth faction of the Hardcore were all banned reports of violence and potential organised clashes fell by 75%.[5]

In October and December 2010, Aston Villa played Birmingham City, at Villa Park (Premier League, 31 October) and St Andrew's (League Cup, 1 December) and in both games violence between the two sets of supporters and hooligan firms occurred, with many fans being arrested. In the first game, there were scenes of violence outside Villa Park, with Villa fans throwing a flare into Birmingham fans leaving Villa Park, there were a small amount of arrests including a Birmingham City club chef.[6] In the second of the two games, after Birmingham had beaten Villa 2-1, Birmingham supporters invaded the pitch and confronted the visiting Villa fans. In retaliation, Villa fans ripped out seats and hurled them into the Birmingham supporters. Further, a flare was thrown from the Villa fans section into the Birmingham fans on the pitch. Villa fans have since been convicted following being picked out on CCTV after the game for offences, including the attack by Villa hooligans on a pub near St. Andrews frequented by Birmingham City supporters.[7] There were also flash points before and after the game, the events were described as a "warzone" by a supporter who attended the game.[8] As a result of these incidents, Birmingham City Council along with West Midlands Police decided to restrict Villa's ticket allocation for the return Premier League game at St. Andrews in January 2011.[9]

On 13 August 2011, the Birmingham Mail published an appeal for information after several Villa fans seriously vandalised a train taking Villa supporters to Birmingham New Street after Villa's friendly match away against Derby County on 3 August. The destruction included tray tables being ripped from the backs of seats, seat coverings being damaged and lights being smashed. The damage meant the train had to be taken out of service for 24 hours for repairs.[10]

On 30 October 2012, three Villa fans were arrested for violent disorder after a local derby with West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park which finished in a 1-1 draw. Flares were thrown at Albion supporters and a fourth Villa fan was arrested inside the stadium for throwing coins into the Albion fans.[11]

On 8 January 2013, known Villa hooligans were involved in scuffles with the police and rival supporters in and around The Queen pub in Bradford city centre before Villa's League Cup semi-final first leg against Bradford City in which one Bradford fan claims he was headbutted by a Villa supporter.[12]

On 28 August 2013, a group of Villa fans clashed with supporters of Rotherham United at Birmingham New Street station after the two teams met in the second round of the League Cup at Villa Park.[13]

On 25 November 2013, several Villa fans were arrested after clashes with rival fans of West Bromwich Albion at the Rose Villa Tavern in the Jewellery Quarter area of Birmingham before the two sides met in the Premier League at The Hawthorns which was later the subject of an episode of the BBC's Inside Out series.[14]

On 28 December 2013, during a match between Villa and Swansea City at Villa Park in the Premier League, three Villa hooligans were arrested by West Midlands Police after organised violence broke out between Villa and Swansea supporters near to the stadium. The violence was reported to have been similar to a scene from the film The Football Factory and at least 25 people were involved. One onlooker said her children were traumatised after seeing rival fans fight with bottles and sticks.[15]

On 10 January 2015, 11 Aston Villa supporters were arrested after clashing with rival fans in a Leicester street before a Premier League match against Leicester City F.C. at the King Power Stadium. There was widespread disorder before, during and after the match as police officers were also called to the Richard III pub on Highcross Street. It is understood that an ashtray was thrown at a group of supporters by another gang and a fight erupted, eyewitnesses said the men were hurling insults and threats at each other as the dispute spilled over into the road near the stadium, it is alleged they threw bins and cones in the violent clash before the ill-tempered game, which saw Villa’s Ciaran Clark and Leicester’s Matty James sent off. Footage of the violence was later released online.[16]

On 7th March 2015, against West Bromwich Albion Scott Sinclairs second goal was the catalyst for West Bromwich Albion fans to start ripping apart their seats and throwing them at the Villa fans. Villa fans started to invade the pitch. Briefly stewards were taken by surprise but eventually took control of the fans and there were a number of arrests. The game ended in the 96th minute and fans from all 4 corners spilled out of their seats and invaded the pitch, many mocking WBA players. Fabian Delph claims that he was kissed and bitten numerous times by fans as he made his way to the tunnel. Villa are now facing a huge fine for this incident. Recently West Ham were given a £115000 fine for a similar incident.

In popular culture

On Sunday, 10 April 2011, an episode of Police Academy UK, a TV show aired on BBC Three, which documents 4 overseas police officers introduction to British crime and policing, was set in Birmingham and covered the violence that occurred at the game between Birmingham City and Aston Villa on 1 December 2010.[17]

In April 2011, a DVD was released with the title Aston Villa Hardcore Lads, the 70 minute long DVD shows footage of the Hardcore involved in violence with rival hooligan firms, for example fans of Oxford United, West Bromwich Albion and various clashes with fans of Birmingham City. The DVD also includes pictures of Aston Villa hooligans and sections where Villa's rivals are ridiculed.[18]

In February 2014, an episode of the BBC series Inside Out followed officers from West Midlands Police as they attempted to combat football hooliganism at a West Bromwich Albion v Villa game in November 2013.[19]

References

  1. "Dawn raids in football violence inquiry". BBC News. 10 October 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  2. Cowan, Mark (5 August 2005). "Jail for top Villa hooligan". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  3. Cowan, Mark; Authi, Jasbir (5 December 2006). "The thugs who shamed a city". Birmingham Mail.
  4. "Trouble halts hooligan book event". BBC News. 18 November 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  5. Hurst, Ben (22 January 2010). "Aston Villa hooligans banned from attending matches". Birmingham Mail.
  6. "Birmingham City chef in court over Aston Villa v Birmingham City hooliganism". Birmingham Mail. 22 December 2010.
  7. "Aston Villa fans jailed for attack on Man Utd fans". Birmingham Mail. 22 March 2011.
  8. "Birmingham v Aston Villa fan violence 'like a warzone'". BBC News. 2 December 2010.
  9. "Appeal for information after Villa thugs smash up train". Birmingham Mail. 13 August 2011.
  10. Bradley, Steve (30 September 2012). "Fans arrested after fireworks thrown at Aston Villa v West Brom match". Birmingham Mail.
  11. Thomas, Rhys (8 January 2013). "Bradford City fan claims he was headbutted ahead of Aston Villa clash". Bradford: Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  12. Hallam, Katy (29 August 2013). Birmingham: Birmingham Mail http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/aston-villa-fans-clash-rivals-5810469/. Retrieved 31 August 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. . Express & Star. 26 November 2013 http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2013/11/26/arrests-as-villa-fans-pelted-with-missiles-in-pub/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. . Birmingham Mail. 30 December 2013 http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/three-arrested-after-football-factory-6453313/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. . Mirror Online. 12 January 2015 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/aston-villa-leicester-fans-brawl-4965542. Missing or empty |title= (help)