Leeds United Service Crew
Encyclopedia
The Leeds United Service Crew are a football hooligan
firm linked to the English
Football League team, Leeds United A.F.C.
The Service Crew were formed in 1974, and named after the ordinary public service trains that the hooligans would travel on to away matches, rather than the, heavily policed, organised football special
trains. The Service Crew have a reputation for being one of the most notorious hooligan firms in English football.
In 1985 when football hooliganism
was rife in England, the BBC Six O'Clock News
had a special report in which they listed the worst football hooligan gangs creating mayhem across England and Leeds United were listed amongst the worst five clubs.
The first high profile incident that Leeds hooligans were involved in came on 28 May 1975 at the European Cup final
against Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes
in Paris
, France
. When striker Peter Lorimer
had a goal disallowed in a game which ended in a 2-0 defeat to the West German
side, and having already seen their team have two penalty appeals rejected by French referee Michel Kitabdjian
, scores of Leeds fans ripped seats from the stands and threw them onto the pitch. Some of them clashed with the French police as they invaded the pitch. As a result of this incident, Leeds were banned from European competitions for four years - although this was later reduced to two years on appeal. Due to their on-the-field decline, however, it would be another 17 years before they tasted European action again.
In the 1982–83 season, in the club's first game in the Second Division
after relegation, some Leeds fans went on what was described in The Sun
newspaper as "an orgy of drinking, looting and fighting" in Cleethorpes
, where 600 Leeds fans had stayed the night before the match. In October, two Newcastle United
players were hit by missiles at Elland Road
and the FA ordered another enquiry.
By January 1987, the club's reputation for hooliganism was so bad that when they were drawn with non-league Telford United in an FA Cup
third round tie, the Shropshire
club refused to host the game at their Bucks Head ground; it was instead played some 30 miles away at the stadium of West Bromwich Albion
.
On 5 May 1990, Leeds travelled to AFC Bournemouth on the South Coast for the final game of the 1989-90
Second Division season. Victory in the game would give them the Second Division title and promotion back to the top flight after eight years away. Leeds achieved this with a 1-0 win, but the success was marred by a string of vandalism on town centre pubs and shops as well as a series of battles between hooligans and police officers. 104 people were arrested and 12 police officers were injured.
Modern day crackdowns on football hooliganism and the heavy use of CCTV
at grounds have, as with other firms, largely curtailed the activities of the Service Crew. While hooliganism continues at Leeds United, the nature of it has changed since the 1970s and 1980s. Improvements to security in Elland Road as with all grounds in England have led to confrontations more usually taking place away from stadiums.
On 28 April 2007, during the Championship
game at Elland Road with Ipswich Town
, about 200 home fans spilled on to the pitch and forced a 30-minute delay after a late Ipswich equaliser all but sealed Leeds' relegation to League One
. Around 100 of them ran toward the South East stand where the away supporters were located. In January 2008 thirteen Leeds United fans were handed football banning orders totalling 45 years after they pleaded guilty to affray in connection with the pitch invasion.
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
firm linked to the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Football League team, Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
The Service Crew were formed in 1974, and named after the ordinary public service trains that the hooligans would travel on to away matches, rather than the, heavily policed, organised football special
Football Specials
Football Specials were chartered trains operated by British Rail in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s for football fans to travel to away games.-Background:...
trains. The Service Crew have a reputation for being one of the most notorious hooligan firms in English football.
In 1985 when football hooliganism
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
was rife in England, the BBC Six O'Clock News
BBC Six O'Clock News
The BBC News at Six is the evening news programme broadcast each night on British television channel BBC One and the BBC News channel at 18:00. For a long period the News at Six was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been over taken by the BBC News at Ten...
had a special report in which they listed the worst football hooligan gangs creating mayhem across England and Leeds United were listed amongst the worst five clubs.
History
The club distances itself from any activities the Service Crew are involved in. During the height of the hooliganism, the Service Crew become one of the most notorious firms in European football, and in doing so nearly brought the club to its knees.The first high profile incident that Leeds hooligans were involved in came on 28 May 1975 at the European Cup final
1975 European Cup Final
The 1975 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Parc des Princes, Paris, on 28 May 1975 between Leeds United and Bayern Munich.-Background:...
against Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. When striker Peter Lorimer
Peter Lorimer
Peter Patrick Lorimer is a former footballer who formed part of the much-admired and feared Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s....
had a goal disallowed in a game which ended in a 2-0 defeat to the West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
side, and having already seen their team have two penalty appeals rejected by French referee Michel Kitabdjian
Michel Kitabdjian
Michel Kitabdjian was the French referee who officiated the infamous 1975 European Cup Final between Leeds United and Bayern Munich in which he had disallowed a goal by Peter Lorimer for offside and denied Leeds two penalty appeals as Beckenbauer first handled the ball in the box, and then brought...
, scores of Leeds fans ripped seats from the stands and threw them onto the pitch. Some of them clashed with the French police as they invaded the pitch. As a result of this incident, Leeds were banned from European competitions for four years - although this was later reduced to two years on appeal. Due to their on-the-field decline, however, it would be another 17 years before they tasted European action again.
In the 1982–83 season, in the club's first game in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
after relegation, some Leeds fans went on what was described in The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper as "an orgy of drinking, looting and fighting" in Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
, where 600 Leeds fans had stayed the night before the match. In October, two Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
players were hit by missiles at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
and the FA ordered another enquiry.
By January 1987, the club's reputation for hooliganism was so bad that when they were drawn with non-league Telford United in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round tie, the Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
club refused to host the game at their Bucks Head ground; it was instead played some 30 miles away at the stadium of West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
.
On 5 May 1990, Leeds travelled to AFC Bournemouth on the South Coast for the final game of the 1989-90
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
Second Division season. Victory in the game would give them the Second Division title and promotion back to the top flight after eight years away. Leeds achieved this with a 1-0 win, but the success was marred by a string of vandalism on town centre pubs and shops as well as a series of battles between hooligans and police officers. 104 people were arrested and 12 police officers were injured.
Modern day crackdowns on football hooliganism and the heavy use of CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
at grounds have, as with other firms, largely curtailed the activities of the Service Crew. While hooliganism continues at Leeds United, the nature of it has changed since the 1970s and 1980s. Improvements to security in Elland Road as with all grounds in England have led to confrontations more usually taking place away from stadiums.
On 28 April 2007, during the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
game at Elland Road with Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, about 200 home fans spilled on to the pitch and forced a 30-minute delay after a late Ipswich equaliser all but sealed Leeds' relegation to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Around 100 of them ran toward the South East stand where the away supporters were located. In January 2008 thirteen Leeds United fans were handed football banning orders totalling 45 years after they pleaded guilty to affray in connection with the pitch invasion.
See also
- Casuals
- Football hooliganismFootball hooliganismFootball hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
- List of hooligan firms
- HooliganismHooliganismHooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....