Dutch Hooligans
By Holland is one of the most tolerant and liberal countries in the world but has some of the most violent football hooligans. It all started back in the 1970’s where one of the earliest confrontations happened when Spurs met Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup.
Ever since then firms were formed and they became more organised and violent. The biggest four hooligan firms in Holland belong to Feyenoord from Rotterdam, Ajax from Amsterdam, FC Den Haag and FC Utrecht. The rivalry between these firms is intense, with the biggest hooligan elements belonging to Ajax and Feyenoord who have the largest following. Ajax’s F-Side and Feyenoord, who come from the second largest city in Holland, have been at the forefront of hooligan violence and have been at war for years.
Ajax Hooligans and Feyenoord Hooligans
In 1989 a match between Ajax and Feyenoord made world news after two homemade bombs exploded injuring nineteen, nine of them seriously. Ajax’s stadium was turned into a war zone and it was a miracle nobody was killed. The growing reputation of dutch hooligans went global and the authorities started to look at measures that could be introduced to contain them. All seater stadiums and CCTV was introduced but this didn’t change anything, the violence just went from the stadium into the streets.
In 1997 the top boy from Ajax was murdered when the F-Side clashed with hooligans from Feyenoord. They were not even playing each other on the day of the fight. They met on the side of the motorway just outside Amsterdam. Both firms were tooled up with stanley knives, baseball bats, hammers, bicycle chains and truncheons. Police seized an arsenal of weapons including molotov cocktails and electric stun guns. The F-Sides top boy was battered to death. The government conceded that hooliganism was out of control and called in the army to police football matches and help control the situation.
FC Den Haag Hooligans
FC Den Haag’s hooligans are called North Side, which comes from the end of the ground that they congregate in. Den Haag is an old fashioned football club. They have been dubbed the Millwall of Holland and there main rivals are Ajax. There hatred dates back to the late 1980’s where Den Haag through bombs and flares into the Ajax end. The game was stopped after 45 minutes as police fought running battles with fans in all four sides of the ground. It kicked off big time and footage show numerous motionless bodies being carted out of the stands.
Den Haag Vs Ajax F-Side Hooligans 1987
The hatred took a new twist in 2005 when Den Haag Hooligans set fire to Ajax’s supporters club in the middle of the night. A year later 70 of Ajax’s firm attacked Den Haag’s clubhouse, stabbed two of there firm as well as burning down there clubhouse they tried to set 2 of Den Haag’s firm on fire. This led the police to block the motorways between Den Haag and Amsterdam, the government declared a state of emergency.
FC Utrecht Hooligans
FC Utrecht firm is Bunnikzijde, again after the side of the ground they are situated. There younger firms members have been brought into the hooligan world in Holland at a time when weapons are used in every single fight. They don’t know any different but because of the security at matches today they are forced into pre arranged battles away from the stadiums. The viciousness of these battles has left the media repeatedly stating that more football related deaths are inevitable in Holland. Despite the governments attempt to stamp out football violence it doesn’t seem to be going away.
