Blades Business Crew

Blades Business Crew
Founding location Sheffield
Years active 1983–present
Territory Sheffield area
Membership (est.) 100 - 250
Criminal activities Football hooliganism, riots and fighting

Blades Business Crew (BBC) is a football hooligan firm linked to the English Football League club, Sheffield United F.C.[1]

Name

The term 'Blades' is taken from the football club's nickname, "The Blades".

Background

A notable former member of the Blades Business Crew is former Housemartins and Beautiful South front man, Paul Heaton.[2] In March 1998, a member of the firm was imprisoned for knocking out the linesman during a Division One game against Portsmouth.[3]

Though now not as active as they were in the 1980s and 1990s, the BBC have been the subject of numerous incidents of fan trouble in recent years. Following the Battle of Bramall Lane in 2002, in which a Division One fixture against West Bromwich Albion was abandoned due to having only six players left on the pitch, fans of the two clubs were involved in fighting outside the ground.[4] During United's 5-3 Division One victory over Cardiff City in 2003, there were numerous incidents of coin-throwing and violence between supporters, and four Cardiff fans were injured.[5] In May 2011, Blades hooligans threw missiles at visiting Barnsley fans at Sheffield station following the clubs' relegation from the Championship. Three men were later convicted with affray.[6] In March 2012, four members of the firm attacked a group of teenage Brentford fans after the League One clash at Griffin Park.[7]

In popular culture

The book, Blades Business Crew: The Inside Story of a Football Hooligan Gang, was published in 2002, written by the firm's leader Steve Cowens, who had been associated with them since the early 1980s. As well as informing readers about the activities of the Blades Business Crew, he also told stories of numerous other football firms, including those of smaller and less well known clubs.[8]

References

Further reading

External links

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