I am neither condoning nor condemning what, from the late 1960's onwards, became known as 'football hooliganism'. I'm not an expert on the subject but, whether you like it or not, it was part and parcel of the game. Certainly to a much larger extent in the 70's and 80's than now but it does remain, albeit to a considerably lesser extent and it probably always will.

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This section will not be about glorifying it nor making it out to be a bigger problem than it ever was, or is. It purely will be based around some of the Forest matches down the years that I have been at where, as they say, "It all kicked off"  ... just my recolletions and what I saw. To ignore the subject completely therefore would not have been appropriate.

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Recollections:

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In my 1st few years of going to games, I do remember there being crowd disorder at games, although let's say up to the age of 11, I cannot really pinpoint any flashpoint games.

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In 72/3, I went up to my Comprehensive School & Forest had just been relegated to Division 2. The 1st memories I have of real crowd trouble came near the start of that season as Forest played Aston Villa twice, once in the league & the other in the league cup within the space of 3 weeks. In both games, Forest fans in the Trent End battled inside the Ground with Villa fans in the old East Stand. Further battles took place outside the Ground and on the banks of the River Trent. To a then totally safe 11 year old, it all looked good fun although I remember hearing on various news programmes what the public in general felt towards these "hooligans" as 'they' became known. There is some footage on 'you tube' of the league game as the match was televised (highlights only of course) for ATV's Sunday programme Star Soccer & commentator Hugh Johns spends as much time commentating on what is going on on the terraces as he does the game! Unfortunately, so far I have not been able to relocate it, but if I do, I will add it. 

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We grew up on quite a nice estate, full of young families and a few of the older lads would tell the younger ones how they had been involved on the Saturday; true or otherwise the stories were at least intriguing. The only other 2 games that season that I remember seeing trouble at. were against Sheffield Wednesday.

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The problems escalated the following season, especially in the Newcastle Cup games but again I think it is true to say, I was probably told more stories than things I actually saw, but by the mid 70's, the 'problem' was becoming more amd more widespread. In 74/5 Man Utd spent one season in the 2nd Division and took thousands of fans with them everywhere. Forest, with an ever increasing reputation were certainly ready for them when they came to town. The Police had allocated them the Trent End, much to the anger of the home fans, as they felt it was the only way at that time that they could segregate fans. It did not work and there was sporadic fighting all afternoon.

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That same season and just 2 weeks before the United game, there was again serious crowd disorder  against Aston Villa. I remember pitched battles on Radcliffe Road, with fans jumping up on car bonnets, bottles and more flying all over the place and general chaos. I subsequently remember, on the Monday morning in our School Assembly, our old headmaster going balistic at the behaviour he had witnessed himself at the game. Again, around the same period, Forest fans caused trouble a- plenty even at the likes of Oxford and York. In our match day programmes of the time, there were regular rants from officials at the club about all the problems Forest fans were causing home and away. Brian Clough was not impressed, although he had at least missed the battles that took place when Spurs were in town for the FACup tie in Jan 75 at the CG a couple of days before he took over. There was an article in the Forest programme, written by B.C ahead of our 1st league game at home v Orient on the 18th Jan 1975, where he essentially introduces himself, set out what he intended to do & then stated "outside of Man Utd, Forest's yobs have got one of the worst reputations in football" & then how he intended to change all that, which over the years he tried to do. (We'll overlook when he 'clipped the ears' of a few when they invaded the pitch after we had betaen QPR 5-2 at the CG in the Quarter-Final of the League Cup in 1989).     

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1975/6 started very much where the previous season had ended with fans battling on the terraces and on the pitch in the 1st game of the season at home to Plymouth. Cloughie himself helped to calm things down but there would be many many more problems over the season and coming seasons.

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There were distubances again on our travels,  for some reason again at Oxford, then the seaside at Blackpool and then at Hull City. Chelsea brought chaos to Nottingham in January (but nothing compared to what would happen the following season) & then more trouble when Sunderland came to town in March. Another bucket load of trouble followed in our 3rd Round FACup replay, which we lost 1-0 at Peterborough, where some Forest fans chanted inside the Ground their intentions ..."We're gona smash your fucking houses in" ... there certainly was a degree of chaos in the streets that night.

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76/77 saw more and more trouble, and in the 1st Saturday home match of the season, Forest and Wolves fans clashed on the terraces, in the streets and on the pitch and if my memory serves me correct, whilst the game was in progress. The worst violence I had seen to date, by far occured on the 20th November when Chelsea were in town. Like they had done against Man Utd a couple of seasons ago,the Police again allocated the Trent End to 7,000 travelling Chelsea fans in an attempt to segregate the fans. Again it did not work and vicious fighting took place all around the Ground, before during and after the match. Further mass brawls took place outside the Ground too and whilst I don't know the exact number, I believe over 100 arrests were made. The football match itself, a top of the table clash, was almost a sideshow for the BBC camera's for that night's MOTD show.   

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Our last match that season saw Millwall in town and whilst I have had a few nervous trips down there, I cannot recall any trouble that day as Forest secured a 1-0 win and we then had to wait to see if Bolton could catch us, which of course they didn't ... and we were back in the big time.

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Back in Division 1 meant bigger matches, bigger crowds and more and more crowd disorder. Trouble became the norm: games without disorder were 'exceptions to the rule'. The Police & a few alterations on the terraces improved segregation inside the ground before the start of the 1st season back in 77/78 & then especially so for the 78/79 season. The 1st game of the 78/79 season had seen Tottenham come to the CG for the 1st match of the season & with a capacity 41,223 packed inside, including some 8,000 travelling Spurs fans (they had been promoted back to Division 1, after 1 season in Div 2 & had signed 2 Argentine World Cup winners, Ardiles & Villa), double what was expected. Trouble flared all afternoon, inside and outside the ground, on the banks of the River Trent again and fans also spilled onto the pitch.

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By the next home game, the vile perimeter fencing had also been errected in front of the Trent End, East Stand & Bridgford Ends. I do not think that this was necessarily as a direct result of the Spurs game, but more because we were now competing in Europe.

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In our '3 most glorious seasons', the football was fantastic but as I have said, there was regular crowd trouble. The improved segregation of fans at the CG and elsewhere, amongst other measures, did reduce problems inside grounds but did not eradicate the problem as fans looked to 'take ends' of opposing fans.

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Outside some grounds, at times, you literally did take your life into your own hands.  In this 'glorious' period on the pitch, I was in my late teens &  especially loved the away games.  I am certainly not any kind of tough guy but we certainly had some 'lads' on our Newark coach who were not phased by anything or anyone! Most of them very nice people but who loved a brawl, simple as that really.

At times, I was probably a little 'gobby' from the safety of the segregation fences & occasionally got the odd battering or two, but no permanent or serious 'damage'.     

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Some stopped going to games as a result of the ever escalating violence. No way on earth would I have ever contemplated that. In all honesty, I would be lying if I pretended I did not want  it to happen, as it did actually add to the 'fun' of the day.

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In those 3 seasons there was so much trouble, I am not going to run through all the games but certainly against the likes of Derby, Leeds & Liverpool, there seemed to be added trouble.

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Abroad, in the 2 European Cup runs, the behaviour of the fans was for the most part excellent. I saw lots of trouble at Liverpool (just for a change) & in Madrid. I know there were big problems in Amsterdam against Ajax in 1980, but I did not go to that game.

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As we entered a new decade, the 80's, I believe the 'scene' became more sinister, more organised and crowds continued to drop & if you look back at attendances all over the country, probably by 84/85 & 85/86 were the lowest since the end the 2nd World War.   

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Whilst, for the most part, fans of most 'mobs' only fought with fans of a like mind, the violence could be indiscriminate. I remember, as one example, in 1984 after we had just beaten Man Utd 3-2 (Metgod last minute winner), my mate's dad who would have been in his ealy 50's at the time got hit just above the eye with a coin and literally was covered in blood. Those type of things were not uncommon.

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The 'problems' remained throught the 80's although as we ended the decade, the Police were getting 'on top' and Hillsborough changed attitudes massively.

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As I have said, I am not an expert on the subject but I do know some who were involved in the fighting for years. Forest's if you like 'notorious' element started out initially in the Trent End, back in the late 60s/early 70's, then in later years we had the likes of the Mad Squad, Forest Executive Crew, A Block etc.

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There is a very good book written on the FEC by Gary 'Boatsie' Clarke. I don't know Gary personally but he certainly can and does capture the period really well & it's a very amusing & entertaining read. I have tried to encourage Jez Cook to write his memoirs: that too would make for an interesting read!

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For the last 25 years or so there are still problems sometimes, but rarely inside grounds and usually if anyone wants to avoid trouble they can do so. There are exceptions to the rule, for example time warps like Millwall, whether you travel on the coaches or the train. London Bridge station is not the most pleasant place to be on matchdays as an away fan, and the 3-3 trip down there back in Oct 2001 stands out as probably the nastiest. It was featured on  BBC's Panorama programme at the time.

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The 'nastiest' grounds, off the top of my head, to visit down the years, in my experience have been: Millwall, Cardiff, Stoke, Bristol City, Liverpool, Leeds & Wolves.

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Of all the games I have been to where there has been lots of trouble, I would say the 'worst' I ever saw was away at Derby in 1983 in the FACup. Other games that 'stand out' for the same  reasons were Birmingham away in the FAcup in 1988 & Man Utd in the 1992 League Cup Final, also featured in an ITV World n Action Programme. Abroad, Madrid had its moments; some serious clashes with the Spanish Police, more so than with our 'German' friends from Hamburg & Anderlecht where you felt it was almost justifiable, in hindsight.

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So, that's just my take on the subject on the so called 'football hooliganism". Is it really any different or worse than say the Mods v the Rockers? I know it is not ideal 'example setting' behaviour but for the most part, isn't it just reflective of society in general? That does not necessarily make it acceptable and I am not condoning it, but I do believe that some, down the years have certainly made it out to be a much bigger problem than it ever was or is.  For the most part, it has only taken place between rival 'mobs' who wish to fight each other for whatever reason and occasionally others have been caught up in it when they had not wanted to be, but like most things in life there is usually a bit of risk attached.

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Finally, I have added a few links below which I consider good well made programmes :

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRy5qG4kXMQ Football's fight club (part 1)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKShQPn4lfM Footballs fight club (part 2)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=i80lqoJ5Md0 Forest Executive Crew

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW2Gn_2z94U Real Football factories - East Midlands

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=huEoT346hUA London Programme

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOp9d9iTeq0 As above

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUVtdKsc8ww Further documentary

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7kOYUMmg2o As above

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3I7AlpT1Yo Panorama

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eax9XehVtI Further documentary

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=duyqm9n2t5A As above

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-1pvudO7hY As above

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Obviously 'you tube' searches will reveal much more. The above will provide a wide enough variety to much that has happened over the last 45 years or so.

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http://www.trentsidetales.com/?zpbw_compId=TPWdgt0&zpbw_postKey=G9PnzZVMn29bG9m1yTkkcA   Some of our older fans may remember this day well, click on  this link for how the 'Forest Review' reported the scenes from the Chelsea game ( 20/11/76 ) in the next home game ( v Bristol Rovers - 4/12/76 ). I was 15 at the time & it certainly was an 'interesting' afternoon.

 

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20/10/13 - Remember this from 12 years ago today (20/10/01) - Millwall (a) - always a 'joy' ...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6C441swvA  - For all the trouble, it was a cracking game ... 3-3.

 

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