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Although football hooliganism has only attracted widespread media attention in the last 50 years or so, it has its roots as far back as the early days of the game in the late 1800s, when gangs of supporters would intimidate neighbourhoods, attack opposing supporters, or players and referees. FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM IN ENGLAND Football hooliganism, as it is currently recognised in England, has its roots in the 1960s, when levels of violence at, before and after matches rose sharply. The government of the day responded with the Public Order Act (1968) , which, amongst other provisions, allowed for the courts to ban offenders from football grounds. This however did little to staunch the waves of violence that erupted on match-days. In 1985 the Heysel Stadium Disaster , in which 39 people died in a pitched battle between Liverpool and Juventus supporters, marked a new and dismal nadir for English football. The spotlight was turned sharply on football hooliganism, with English clubs banned from European competitions until 1990. It was not however until the tragedy of the Hillsborough Disaster that the Thatcher government acted, bringing in the Football Spectators Act (1989) in the wake of the Taylor Report . FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM IN SCOTLAND Scottish football hooligans are commonly known as 'Casuals'. Hooliganism is more closely associated with the 'second tier' of clubs such as Aberdeen , Hibernian and Hearts , than with the Glasgow-based Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers . Some contend that the Glasgow teams fans have close links with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, and perhaps the most serious violence associated with supporters of these clubs occurs here, though media reports in Scotland inlight of Old Firm games often claim no trouble related to the matches, only trouble in the stadium and surrounding area is taken into account, fights and stabbings are common. It is not advisable to be in Glasgow city-centre, especially not in the colours of either team after, an old-firm match, particularly if the match has been ill tempered or one sided. It should be noted that the National Team's traveling supporters, the Tartan Army , are world-renowned for their friendliness and general aversion to violence. Recent years have seen a revival of "Casual" culture in Scottish football, with many groups now recruiting via the internet. Though these efforts seem doomed to failure because most Scottish football fans are against these types, an interesting quote from the former Celtic Soccer Casuals website was they got into more fights with other Celtic fans than other clubs. See article here for anti-casual measures being taken in Scotland. FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM IN SCANDINAVIA Hooliganism in Scandinavia became a growing problem in the 1980s , but pitch invasions and violence on, or in direct connection to the football grounds lessened in the later years of the 1990s , instead, organized Football Firm s took on the role as the troublemakers in Scandinavian football, moving the problem relatively far away from the grounds and the regular supporters. Hooliganism is said to have made the entrance in Sweden when supporters of IFK Göteborg invaded the pitch, destroyed the goals and fought the police in the end of the football match in 1970 that destined the club to be relegated from the highest league. In the end of the 1970s , inspired by the English football culture, many unruly supporter groups were created, including AIK 's Black Army and Hammarby IF 's Bajen Fans . The word ''huliganism'' was established in the Swedish Language as a description of violence in connection with sport events, mainly football, in the early 1980s . Hooliganism in Denmark is almost exclusively a domestic affair; the traveling supporters of the National Team , known as Roligans , are as renowned as the Scottish supporters (the Tartan Army) for their peaceful nature. However, there are a few hooligan groups, of which some occasionally engage in violence abroad, mainly in the Swedish part of the Oresund Region . FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM IN BRAZIL What are often referred as the Brazilian hooligans are the organized units of supporters "Torcidas Organizadas" which follow each club. Originally pacifist local supporters club or "charangas"; types of marching bands that played music in the stadiums, since the 1980´s the movement has become increasingly armed and violent resulting in tragic deaths in various types of confrontations between rival clubs. The origins of the "organizadas" was influenced by American youth movements such as the Black Panthers . The names "Jovem" - youth in Portuguese became common in most organizadas that flourished in the period between 1969 and 1975. Members of such organized crowds hail from diverse backgrounds, being that the culture is fueled by male dominated sexism, opposed to racism which is most common with similar ultra movements in Argentina and Europe. In Brazil, the footbal firms usualy are not restricted to the home states of the footbal teams. It´s very usual that a footbal firm have members in others states. This way they are usualy subdivided in minor groups wose nominations vary accordely the firm itself (wich gives more identity to them) e.g: The Jovem Fla is divided in "Pelotões" (Platoons), the Furia Jovem in "Canis" (Kennels) Young Flu in "Núcleos" (Centers) and Força Jovem in "Familias" (Families). These subdivisions are numbered and each region of the city has its own subdivision. Ground battles between the swarms of rival supporters have gone from being within stadium dependencies as it was common in the late 1980s and 1990s to city spread violent encounters recently characterized by the use of firearms. Only in the last 6 months, more than 8 deaths have been linked to hooligan groups including the murder of the president of Fortaleza EC division "Leões da TUF" president in a sabotage attack of gunfire by Furia Jovem members, supporters of the Botafogo FR side from Rio de Janeiro. In the last Corinthians - Palmeiras derby in São Paulo, a Palmeiras supporter member of the Mancha Verde division was shot to death in the São Paulo Metro, while a Corinthians suppoerter was gunned down on his way home. Back in 1995, state of São Paulo federal attorney Fernando Capez shut down the major Torcidas organizadas, such as Mancha Verde of Palmeiras and Independente of São Paulo FC, an effort that in the long run was prooved to have been inefficient due to the fact that the organizations maintained their structure, exponentially growing in a clandestine manner, which only made them more dangerous. These hooligan gangs are notorious for their in stadium beautiful spectacles, with huge flags and banners. Off the field they are organized in regional blocks or cells divided by different parts of town. What is also very strong in Brazil is the friendship and unity between crowds of clubs from different cities that share common rivals. The best-known of these alliances is the one between Força Jovem of CR Vasco da Gama, Mancha Verde of Palmeiras, Galoucura of Atletico Mineiro and Super Raça of Grêmio. Some of these organizations are often supported by their clubs who pay their match tickets and transportation to away games, but also the hardcore supporters gangs are involved in other actions, such as Brazil´s largest crowd Gaviões da Fiel of SC Corinthians is renown for its carnaval samba school, several times champion of the São Paulo Carnaval. In 2003, the government passed a new legislation called the "Supporters Statute" that enforced clubs to better conditions of the grounds in order for supporters to be more respected. A legislation that has yet until prove results, since Brazil's social problems that are reflected amongst these hooligan groups go far beyond football. In a national team standpoint, the supporters of the local organized crowds are rarely ever involved, and Brazil supporters have a nearly spotless reputation on the international stage. Here is a list of the major supporter groups in Brazil, by team:
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