Hooliganism

The word first appeared in print in London police-court reports in 1894 referring to the name of a gang of youths in the Lambeth area of London—the Hooligan Boys,[4] and later—the O'Hooligan Boys.[5]

In August 1898 the murder of Henry Mappin in Lambeth committed by a member of the gang drew further attention to the word which was immediately popularised by the press.[6] The London newspaper The Daily Graphic wrote in an article on 22 August 1898, "The avalanche of brutality which, under the name of 'Hooliganism' ... has cast such a dire slur on the social records of South London."[2][7]

The inquest was carried out by Mr Braxton Hicks who "remarked that the activity of the gang he referred to was not confined to Lambeth, but extended to numerous other districts. It was composed of young fellows who scorned to do a stroke of work, and obtained a living by blackmailing. It was a common practice for three or four of these men to walk into a shop and offer the shopman the alternative of giving them a dollar for drink or having his shop wrecked. In connection with the Oakley-street tragedy intimidation had reached an unexampled case. Witnesses had been warned that it would be as much as their life was worth to give evidence against John Darcy. On Wednesday plain-clothes men escorted the witnesses from the court singly. He himself had been warned – not by anonymous letter but through a mysterious personal medium – that if seen in a certain neighbourhood he would be done for. A magistrate had also told him that he had been the recipient of a like indignity."[8][9]

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in his 1904 short story "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons", "It seemed to be one of those senseless acts of Hooliganism which occur from time to time, and it was reported to the constable on the beat as such." H. G. Wells wrote in his 1909 semi-autobiographical novel Tono-Bungay, "Three energetic young men of the hooligan type, in neck-wraps and caps, were packing wooden cases with papered-up bottles, amidst much straw and confusion."[7]

According to Life magazine (30 July 1941), the comic strip artist and political cartoonist Frederick Burr Opper introduced a character called Happy Hooligan in 1900; "hapless Happy appeared regularly in U.S. newspapers for more than 30 years", a "naive, skinny, baboon-faced tramp who invariably wore a tomato can for a hat." Life brought this up by way of criticizing the Soviet U.N. delegate Yakov A. Malik for misusing the word. Malik had indignantly referred to anti-Soviet demonstrators in New York as "hooligans". Happy Hooligan, Life reminded its readers, "became a national hero, not by making trouble, which Mr. Malik understands is the function of a hooligan, but by getting himself help."

Later, as the meaning of the word shifted slightly, none of the possible alternatives had precisely the same undertones of a person, usually young, who belongs to an informal group and commits acts of vandalism or criminal damage, starts fights, and who causes disturbances but is not a thief.[7] Hooliganism is now predominately related to sport.[10]

• On 4 June 1974, Ten Cent Beer Night occurred at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Intoxicated Cleveland hooligans jumped onto the field and attacked Texas Rangers outfielder Jeff Burroughs with the score tied 5–5 in the ninth inning. This led to a riot in which the drunken and rowdy hooligans—armed with an array of debris including chunks of the stadium seating—brawled with players from both teams as well as with staff members. The umpires forfeited the game to Texas.[14]
• On 12 July 1979, Disco Demolition Night occurred at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many of those in attendance had come to see the explosion rather than the games and thus hooligans rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was damaged both by the explosion and by the rowdy fans to the point where the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader to the Tigers.[15]
• On 14 October 1984, serious disturbances took place in Detroit following the Detroit Tigers' victory over the San Diego Padres in the 1984 World Series. One person died, eighty were injured and eight rapes were reported. Millions of dollars in property damage were reported.[16]
• On 10 August 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave out baseballs to paying customers as they entered the Dodger Stadium gates for a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, hooligans interrupted the game in the seventh inning when they threw these baseballs onto the field. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cardinals were leading the game 2–1. The first batter, Raúl Mondesí, was called out on strikes and then ejected by home plate umpire Jim Quick for arguing, as was Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda moments later. Dodger hooligans, fueled by a series of close calls and a few rounds of alcohol, again threw their souvenir baseballs onto the field. The Cardinals left the field due to safety concerns and the field was cleaned up so play could resume. However, when the Cardinals returned to the field, at least one ball sailed out of the center field bleachers and the umpires immediately forfeited the game to St. Louis.[17]
• In a 2001 NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, hooligans protested a questionable call by the referees by throwing plastic beer bottles onto the field. The game would end prematurely, though the NFL ruled the last minute had to be played out.[18]
• In September 2002, in an MLB game between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field in Chicago, Royals first base coach, Tom Gamboa was attacked by two drunk White Sox hooligans, who were father and son.[19]
• In a 2004 NBA game, the Pacers–Pistons brawl occurred. With less than a minute left in the game, a fight broke out between players on the court. After the fight was broken up, a fan threw a drink from the stands at Pacers player Ron Artest while he was lying on the scorer's table. Artest then entered the crowd and sparked a brawl between players and fans. Hooligans had entered the court and threw drinks and food at the Pacers.[20]
• On 20 August 2011, in an NFL preseason game between the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, multiple brawls and shootings broke out between hooligans from both rival teams. The league ended the annual preseason game between the two teams as a result of the hooliganism.[21]
• On 20 October 2011, in an NCAA Football game between the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona, a hooligan entered the field during the game and ignited a brawl between the two teams. The hooligan, Jace Lankow faced felony charges for his actions.[22]
• On 5 October 2012, in the Wild Card playoff game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in Atlanta, after a questionable call on an infield fly rule on a hit by Brave Andrelton Simmons, hooligans protested the call by throwing several drinks and trash onto the field. The game had to be delayed by 19 minutes.[23]
• On 21 November 2015, after an NCAA Football game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, several hooligans threw snowballs at the referees as they were leaving the field. This was in protest over a few questionable calls which negated Badger touchdowns.[24]
• On 9 January 2016, in an NFL playoff game between rivals Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was being carted off with a shoulder injury. Cincinnati hooligans repeatedly pelted him with beer and garbage.[25]
• In January 2017, an NCAA Division II basketball game between Lane College and LeMoyne-Owen College descended into a full-scale donnybrook. During the brawl a hooligan had entered the court, took a folding chair and struck a Lane player.[26]
• On 10 December 2017, in an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, Jaguar hooligans threw trash at the visiting Seahawk players. Seahawk player Quinton Jefferson had to be restrained from climbing into the stands and confronting the hooligans.[27]
• In the aftermath of Super Bowl LII, after the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl, there were several incidents in Philadelphia of hooliganism in the streets, including at City Hall.[28]
• On 27 September 2018, in an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, a brawl broke out between hooligans of both teams, which included a Rams hooligan being thrown a couple of rows down.[29]
• On 21 November 2018, after an NHL game between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers, an Islander hooligan slashed a Ranger fan outside the arena. A Rangers fan had said that several fights broke out between hooligans of the teams.[30]
• On 2 December 2018, during an NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Steeler hooligans fought with one another. One hooligan headbutted the other and they threw punches at one another.[31]
• On 6 February 2019, during the New England Patriots parade after winning Super Bowl LIII in Boston, a brawl broke out between several Patriot hooligans. Several punches and kicks occurred during the brawl.[32]
• On 6 February 2021, during an NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, several hooligans brawled and threw punches during the game.[33]
• On 16 April 2021, during a game against the rival Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Yankee hooligans threw several baseballs onto the field during the game, who were upset with how the team was performing.[34]
• On 12 May 2021, during a game between NL West rivals the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, a Padres hooligan punched a Rockies fan, and had to be restrained until the police showed up.[35]
• On 15 May 2021, during UFC 262 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas a few hooligans fought in the stands during the event, before security had to intervene.[36]
• On 24 May 2021, during an MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, hooligans, which happened to be mostly female, brawled in the bleachers during the game. Security stepped in to eject the hooligans from the game.[37]
• On 26 May 2021, during an NBA playoff game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, a 76ers hooligan dumped popcorn on Wizards star Russell Westbrook after he was leaving the game with an ankle injury. The hooligan was ejected and Westbrook called on the NBA to better handle hooligan behavior like that.[38]
• On 30 May 2021, during an NBA playoff game between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, a Celtic hooligan threw a water bottle at Nets star Kyrie Irving, nearly missing his head. The hooligan did it after Irving stomped on the team's logo at midcourt, and is facing a lifetime ban for his actions.[39]
• On 11 June 2021, during an NBA playoff game between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, a Suns hooligan fought a Nuggets hooligan. The Suns hooligan threw several punches at the Nuggets hooligan and left him with a bloody nose. Security got the Suns hooligan away, and a Nuggets fan threw a drink on him.[40]
• On 22 June 2021, during an MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California, a Dodger hooligan started a fight with a Padre hooligan. The Dodger hooligan struggled and more Padre hooligans beat up the Dodger hooligan.[41]
• On 14 August 2021, during an NFL preseason game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, a Rams hooligan was angry at a Charger hooligan, and while they were arguing, a woman threw a soda on the Rams hooligan, which ignited several brawls.[42]
• On 3 September 2021, during an NCAA football game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, a North Carolina hooligan attacked the student section of Virginia Tech at threw punches. Security stepped in to restrain the hooligan.[43]
• On 4 September 2021, during an NCAA football game between the Nicholls State Colonels and Memphis Tigers at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, several hooligans threw punches at another. The brawl was ignited by one hooligan who first threw several punches before other hooligans jumped in with more punches to subdue him. Blood was splattered amongst the end zone seats at the stadium.[44]
• On 25 September 2021. during an NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, several fights broke out among the Chief hooligans. One hooligan was on the ground motionless after being pummeled and kicked in the face by other hooligans. Another hooligan got blindsided with a sucker punch by another hooligan.[45]
• On 14 October 2021, during an NHL game between the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, several Kraken and Predator hooligans brawled during the game. Security broke up the fight, but afterward no side wanted to press charges and no arrests were made of any hooligans.[46]
• On 16 October 2021, during an NCAA football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tennessee hooligans caused the game to descend into chaos. As Lane Kiffin spoke with a referee following a critical fourth-down review for the Volunteers, a golf ball came flying at the Rebels head coach from the stands. It missed him, but then came a cascade of debris was launched by Tennessee hooligans at their former head coach and the Ole Miss sideline—a mustard bottle, water bottles, beer cans, pizza boxes and much more. Ole Miss had to move onto the field to avoid the debris, and Tennessee's dance team had to leave the field as well. The hooliganism caused a 20 minute delay with about a minute to go in the game.[47]
• On 17 October 2021, during an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, a Viking hooligan talked trash to a group of Panther hooligans, initiating a brawl. The Viking hooligan got knocked out and winded up on the ground thanks to the brawl.[48]
• On 7 November 2021, during an NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, fights broke amongst hooligans of both teams. A Rams hooligan punched a Titans hooligan, then knocked out a fellow Rams hooligan. The knocked out hooligan was additionally stepped on my another Ram hooligan.[49]