Hiya Guys! So how did you get into football and when?
We were about 13/14 when we first started watching the Wolves. We weren’t altogether to start with and we used to all congregate in and around our town. Back then you couldn’t just walk into the firm, you had to put work in and be vouched for. So we began to hang around on the fringe of the Yam Yam Army (the older lot) getting involved in disorders with police and away supporters.
What was your first memory of trouble at a football match?
The first involvement as a firm was against Luton in the early 2000s outside the Molineux by The Wanderer pub. It was a night game. The Luton youth was situated in the south bank in SL1 where away supporters were allocated for low attendance. This was good as you could talk over the mesh divide to one another. Towards the last five minutes of the game, we signalled towards the Luton youth to come outside in which they responded by getting up and making their way to the exit. By the time we had got to The Wanderer, there was a few of our youth outside unaware that Luton was coming up the steps. As this happened wolves scored and some of the other lads ran back inside the pub to watch the replay and left us with fewer numbers than Luton. As it was the end of the game, the general fans began to leave the ground and make their way past The Wanderer where we were having a standoff against Luton. One of ours then said “fuck this” and then clattered two of their lads. Chaos followed and Luton retreated back down the steps shortly followed by the stewards linking arms creating a human barrier between the two groups. This was the time we first got it together and was accepted by the older lot.
When did you become a football casual?
Look at us, do we look like casuals? I would say it was around 2005 when we started to be proper active as a firm. Nowadays casual and football lads are two different things. Casuals tend to be dressers these days, they’re for the game. We’ve been to places when we’ve bumped into groups of lads wearing stone island, fila and all that. Then when you put it on them they ain’t on it. Wherewith the lads it’s totally different we’re organised, out the way, our attire is low key and we’re trying to get it on with the other firms. Don’t get us wrong we’ll wear the gear on social occasions but not when we’re on the job. It doesn’t make sense.
Who are your main rivals?
Our main Black Country rival is West Brom and it’ll always be them, but to get a guaranteed row we will always travel to blues.
What was your biggest battle with them?
We’ve had a proper battle with West Brom offside and we were outnumbered. We did the business that night and they know it. We will leave this one there.
Who else did you have a big battle with?
Which one? Haha. The thing is with us we’ll come offside anywhere so over the years we’ve built up rivalries with firms from up north and down south. We’ve had numerous battles with all the firms in the midlands but one that springs to mind was Preston’s foot patrol. In the earlier years, we would let them know we were coming and they would be waiting. No messing about in and out jobs. All organised no one got nicked. This happened home and away a few years in a row as we built up a trust with each other.
Who have you come unstuck against?
In the early years, we came unstuck against the villa hardcore because we were young and mad, purely outnumbered on their manor on a match day, and we weren’t even playing there. We phoned them up and said we had 15. They give us a pub and we landed there (their main boozer) and the pub emptied. It was all their older lot with their youth but they told us it was just them with equal numbers. When they piled out the pub they threw pool balls, had snooker cues and planks of wood. So we come unstuck there. But we give it to them back since, coming out on top on two separate occasions and they know that.
Name 5 firms you rate and why?
In no particular order:
Millwall – they’ve been going since day one and they’re still at. They’ve had a firm since the early 70s and still moving with the time like us. We’ve recently had runnings abroad with them, fuckin mad that was. They’ve even got that little mob now, The Berserkers doing that forest fighting, that’s the way to go these days.
Everton – They say they’re coming and they come. How can you not rate that?
Zulu’s – Every time we turn up there it goes off even if it’s not with there main lot. Always bods there for a row. Once we sorted a minibus, we bumped into them in a back street in Brum when we weren’t playing. They were playing man united and had a top mob out. It went off with them and we bumped into them again at the market and that was fucking proper.
Yids/Migs – Very well organised by our lot. We told them we were coming and was told where to go. It was pure violence for 10 minutes with no old bill, no one around, it was just top lads all at it. Big ratings!!
It’s hard to mention just five because we’ve had it with so many. We could mention personal battles between West Brom, Villa Hardcore, Preston Foot Patrol, Suicide Squad, Soul Crew, Stoke, Man United, there’s fucking loads mate! We had a good run in Europe and came out on top. That’s for another day though. We’ve now heard good things about Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday’s I.T.I and those Tottenham Llamas.
Name 5 firms you don’t rate and why?
Not going to mention names. If you’ve turned up we rate you. Anybody can be done on their day and we’ve become unstuck on a few occasions. So if you’ve gone toe to toe with someone how can you not rate them if they’ve turned up. We ain’t got no time in slagging other firms because it’s pointless.
What clobber do you wear down the match?
Black! Simple, it doesn’t stand out. We’re not there to look flash we are there to do a job. We’ve also got our own brand stand1877 it’s on Instagram, the hoodies and tees are becoming popular with the lads down the matches.
What was your music scene on your awayday?
We’re a diverse firm. We listen to all genres of music. We’ve been on coaches when we’ve had lads playing Robert miles children and it’s been bouncing. On other awaydays, you know, we’ve had Bob Marley don’t worry blaring. We play grime and drill, we’ve had drum and bass, we’ve had your classic football away tunes like the jam. It’s fuckin crazy on our minibus mate. Everything goes!
Can you tell us about the book/s you have written?
Currently, we’re looking into finishing a book but we’ve still got some more recent chapters that we may or may not release depending on what we decide on as a collective. Some are going back 15 years and we’re all still bang at it so there is always chapters to add.
And lastly, tell us what you enjoyed about being a football casual?
It’s not really casual, it’s a murky lifestyle. Modern-day football violence is totally different. It’s underground. There’s a lot to it, this ain’t the 80’s, we don’t want the general public involved in it. It’s a brotherhood there’s camaraderie, loyalty, pride and honour. We have stories and memories that will never leave us. People have said to us why don’t you quit? But they will never understand the firm. We’ve had some fun times and we’ve had some bad times. We’ve lost close friends. We’ve had lads go to prison. It’s ups and downs but at the end of it this has become our family and we’ve been brought up to never quit on our family.
Thanks, Wolfpack for your time and Interview on Awayday Radio much appreciated.
