Did Norwich really have a ‘firm’

[Midlands Yellow 4,682]

Only ever saw City fans get feisty at Leicester around 10 years ago and the scraps got tasty in the city centre before the match had finished. Does anyone recall a period when our fans caused trouble on a regular basis? 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Was Bernie Patterson considered one of any potential firm we may have had?

[Crabbycanary3 994]

The NHS Thugs doesn't quite have that menacing title though, does it? 🙂 

[cambridgeshire canary 7,778]

1 minute ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

The NHS Thugs doesn't quite have that menacing title though, does it? 🙂 

Ooh, what are they gonna do check my pulse and give me a blood test?

[TIL 1010 5,230]

6 minutes ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

Was Bernie Patterson considered one of any potential firm we may have had?

Bernie Patzalt.

 

[Midlands Yellow 4,682]

On 15/09/2021 at 09:08, Crabbycanary3 said:

The NHS Thugs doesn't quite have that menacing title though, does it? 🙂 

Here they are, no Stone Island for our troops. 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Midlands Yellow

[Midlands Yellow 4,682]

Liverpool fan ‘sorted’ after being ejected from the City stand. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Midlands Yellow

[Mr Apples 1,405]

37 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Ooh, what are they gonna do check my pulse and give me a blood test?

They'll give you a couple of jabs and then look after you for 15 minutes to make sure you're ok. 🤣

Apples

[Duncan Edwards 2,424]

At Southampton away a good few years back now, a weird little guy in - I'd estimate - his mid fifties was in the seat next door. He was dressed in full "Football Factory" regalia and donned a pair of leather gloves just before kick off. He was agitated and aggy for the whole first half and during that period he handed me an "NHS" calling card. He went to the bar at half time and never returned. Weird. 

Funny little thing, if he was part of Norwich's firm he must have used to carry a milk crate round with him so he could reach to punch people, but he was living the role well enough in Hampshire that day. 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Duncan Edwards

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,215]

I seem to remember a "firm" going under the name of "The Steins" (or similar). I used to travel away a lot in the 80s and have witnessed one or two scraps, but cannot say I have seen anything of note over the last 20 years or so in or around Carrow Rd.......

[Ken Hairy 4,272]

Wasn't there a group called The Barclay Boot Boys back in the day? 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

We did in the 80's and early 90's. 

We had a fan jailed once for manufacturing petrol bombs for Ipswich away. 

Most them will be old men now pushing 60 with hearing aids, give it 10 years and they'll be in the City stand with blankets.

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by TeemuVanBasten

[Big Vince 420]

8 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

We did in the 80's and early 90's. 

We had a fan jailed once for manufacturing petrol bombs for Ipswich away. 

Most them will be old men now pushing 60 with hearing aids, give it 10 years and they'll be in the City stand with blankets.

 

The Barclay used to chant "Bryan, Hit Squad, Bryan, Bryan Hit Squad" in the 90s, so maybe you need to ask the old boy Gunn about this thread?

[A Load of Squit 6,259]

40 minutes ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

I seem to remember a "firm" going under the name of "The Steins" (or similar). I used to travel away a lot in the 80s and have witnessed one or two scraps, but cannot say I have seen anything of note over the last 20 years or so in or around Carrow Rd.......

They disbanded when their leader, Rick suddenly discovered sea food.

[Highland Canary 78]

1 hour ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

I seem to remember a "firm" going under the name of "The Steins" (or similar). I used to travel away a lot in the 80s and have witnessed one or two scraps, but cannot say I have seen anything of note over the last 20 years or so in or around Carrow Rd.......

Do vaguely remember a song about the ‘mental stein army’ and think it was often sung in the small corner terrace between the new River End and old south stand.

[Mello Yello 2,553]

Steins?.....Gone to pot.....

[nutty nigel 7,891]

2 hours ago, Duncan Edwards said:

At Southampton away a good few years back now, a weird little guy in - I'd estimate - his mid fifties was in the seat next door. He was dressed in full "Football Factory" regalia and donned a pair of leather gloves just before kick off. He was agitated and aggy for the whole first half and during that period he handed me an "NHS" calling card. He went to the bar at half time and never returned. Weird. 

Funny little thing, if he was part of Norwich's firm he must have used to carry a milk crate round with him so he could reach to punch people, but he was living the role well enough in Hampshire that day. 

I remember him! Funny little thing he was. Must have had LMS. I wonder if he posts on here..

[Thumbbass 364]

Somewhere I worked about 15 years ago had branches in Colchester and Ips*\*% that I'd have to visit now and again. There were a couple of absolute plonkers in their LATE 40s/50s who literally only went to watch the bin boys to have a fight, both probably 10 stone wringing wet and as menacing as Mr Tumble. When you talk about little man syndrome I wonder what the average height and weight of these tools are that can't contain their testosterone for a couple of hours. It's a mentality I can't understand and I'm sure, like mutilating animals, it's linked to other unsavoury behaviour.

Never seen anything from our own fans in the 20 odd years I've been going to CR. I know a few that got caught up with Sheff Utd fans when Chris Wilder wound them all up - all big enough and wise not to have to fight though!

[DannyNCFC7 4]

Norwich still have a youth firm about. It has all ready kicked off with Liverpool and Leicester at home this season. Both near the waterfront before the game.  Hence why the old bill are still active at football to stop the trouble 

[BobLoz3 608]

Once went into what is now Last Pub Standing with a mate, before a game. Probably about 5 or so years ago now. 

When we got in there, it was teeming with some rather sketchy, chavvy yutes, clearly off to the footie, and the police were actually IN the pub to keep an eye on proceedings.

We drank our beers pretty swiftly and left. I still don't know to this day what the heck was going on in there! 

Edited September 15, 2021 by BobLoz3

[Google Bot 3,919]

4 attempts i've made posting to this and deleted each one, i give up!

However - Yes it was real, but you can't explain what happened without looking a massive ****.  It's horrendous looking back.  Yet it sits fondly in my head and I feel nostalgic for it as I miss so many of those guys and being that age, the music, culture - everything.  It was exciting, despite the lows of upsetting your family, being in a cell, waiting in A&E etc.

What I will say is that the 'NHS' thing (from what i saw) was pretty much a front to the real deal behind the scenes.  The real deal was far more about politics and racism.  NHS/IVF/jHS etc. was more a terrace thing that anyone could be involved in, and people would get picked up through that. 

As people started to get banned from around Carrow Road on match days there was a focus on meeting up at Cambridge matches, and that's where I got involved at a young age via my cousin.  And I witnessed it falling apart as the clubs and premiership really stamped down hard - they were really effective at splitting us up and pulling out the ring leaders.

It's not as clear cut as there being an 'NHS' and all this other talk though, as it was so fragmented out into different areas with a unified presence.  But they all referred themselves differently.  And there was plenty of ear lobe action haha. 🙂

Edited September 15, 2021 by Google Bot

[TheGunnShow 7,358]

10 minutes ago, Google Bot said:

4 attempts i've made posting to this and deleted each one, i give up!

However - Yes it was real, but you can't explain what happened without looking a massive ****.  It's horrendous looking back.  Yet it sits fondly in my head and I feel nostalgic for it as I miss so many of those guys and being that age, the music, culture - everything.  It was exciting, despite the lows of upsetting your family, being in a cell, waiting in A&E etc.

What I will say is that the 'NHS' thing (from what i saw) was pretty much a front to the real deal behind the scenes.  The real deal was far more about politics and racism.  NHS/IVF/jHS etc. was more a terrace thing that anyone could be involved in, and people would get picked up through that. 

As people started to get banned from around Carrow Road on match days there was a focus on meeting up at Cambridge matches, and that's where I got involved at a young age via my cousin.  And I witnessed it falling apart as the clubs and premiership really stamped down hard - they were really effective at splitting us up and pulling out the ring leaders.

It's not as clear cut as there being an 'NHS' and all this other talk though, as it was so fragmented out into different areas with a unified presence.  But they all referred themselves differently.  And there was plenty of ear lobe action haha. 🙂

Sounds par for the course. Didn't the old NF practically recruit from football hooligans in the 1970s?

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,751]

Slightly OT . I recall standing on the terraces in Arnhem during the UEFA cup run. There was a group of blokes, with no colours , singing about the IRA , and stirring up trouble with the Dutch fans. This bunch weren't at all interested in the game , but became the focus of the local police. It got so uncomfortable that we moved away. 

No idea if they were real City fans, or had just jumped onboard for some continental agro. 

[Google Bot 3,919]

34 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Sounds par for the course. Didn't the old NF practically recruit from football hooligans in the 1970s?

Not really sure, for us there was no recruitment, it was more a case of being reeled in and being primed without you even knowing.  

You were promised perks and more trust the more good you done.  i.e. A common joke was to **** in the drinks of people who they didn't like, and you wasn't aware of this until they trusted you enough - and then you're in on the joke.  But it's a double ended sword as you're wondering if they done that to you the first away trip.

Whoever was bottom would be the butt of the joke, and then they'd use that as a carrot to encourage you to do more and more to not become bottom.  It sounds almost caveman now, but when you're a room with mental cases who talk about bending you over a table for fun.  it works, trust me.

This sounds terrible and part of why I deleted what i was writing previously, but as the younger lads we'd be used to antagonize people, mainly mixed race - if they were with a white girl at a bar/street/wherever.  And then the other guys would step in as neutrals "OI! He's smaller than you, what you playing at?" and give them a beating, THEN try and crack on to the girl saying he didn't deserve her and you can trust a ***** etc.   

This sounds mental, I know, but that's how you'd gain trust by doing stunts like that.  And again, Racism and politics was by far the biggest agenda way over football.  We never sat and discussed tactics, for example.

I guess the fear was part of that excitement, It's a little un-nerving when i think about it as I've never understood how someone could fall into an abusive relationship and wouldn't just say 'no' at the start - but thinking about it, we were teenagers and doing just that.

In fact the more i think back, they were openly touching us up 'for fun' to make other lads laugh.  It was like an acceptable level of gayness - not sexual as such, but a lot of touching and nudity jokes and 'proving' how big you were.  And even then some of these guys were probably 30,40 years plus.

See?! This is why i have to keep deleting messages, once you start to talk about it there's too much and it sounds so bizarre on a forum.  There wasn't any abuse going on, it was just their idea of banter at the time.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Google Bot

[NorthCarolinaYellow 199]

8 minutes ago, Google Bot said:

Not really sure, for us there was no recruitment, it was more a case of being reeled in and being primed without you even knowing.  

You were promised perks and more trust the more good you done.  i.e. A common joke was to **** in the drinks of people who they didn't like, and you wasn't aware of this until they trusted you enough - and then you're in on the joke.  But it's a double ended sword as you're wondering if they done that to you the first away trip.

Whoever was bottom would be the butt of the joke, and then they'd use that as a carrot to encourage you to do more and more to not become bottom.  It sounds almost caveman now, but when you're a room with mental cases who talk about bending you over a table for fun.  it works, trust me.

This sounds terrible and part of why I deleted what i was writing previously, but as the younger lads we'd be used to antagonize people, mainly mixed race - if they were with a white girl at a bar/street/wherever.  And then the other guys would step in as neutrals "OI! He's smaller than you, what you playing at?" and give them a beating, THEN try and crack on to the girl saying he didn't deserve her and you can trust a ***** etc.   

This sounds mental, I know, but that's how you'd gain trust by doing stunts like that.  And again, Racism and politics was by far the biggest agenda way over football.  We never sat and discussed tactics, for example.

I guess the fear was part of that excitement, It's a little un-nerving when i think about it as I've never understood how someone could fall into an abusive relationship and wouldn't just say 'no' at the start - but thinking about it, we were teenagers and doing just that.

In fact the more i think back, they were openly touching us up 'for fun' to make other lads laugh.  It was like an acceptable level of gayness - not sexual as such, but a lot of touching and nudity jokes and 'proving' how big you were.  And even then some of these guys were probably 30,40 years plus.

See?! This is why i have to keep deleting messages, once you start to talk about it there's too much and it sounds so bizarre on a forum.  There wasn't any abuse going on, it was just their idea of banter at the time.

 

This is all really interesting insight. Thanks!

[NorthCarolinaYellow 199]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151901301404728.1073741874.175974659727&type=3

 

[daly 550]

6 hours ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

We did in the 80's and early 90's. 

We had a fan jailed once for manufacturing petrol bombs for Ipswich away. 

Most them will be old men now pushing 60 with hearing aids, give it 10 years and they'll be in the City stand with blankets.

 

Teemu

Not sure if you mix with folks from a Care Home but the majority of 60 year olds I know don’t have Hearing Aids

The majority of 70 year olds don’t sit at CR under blankets 

Us 80 year olds going on 90 don’t need viagra, still manage  to cycle to CR,  got all our facilities and still enjoy life

Meet you by the Defibrillator to carry on conversation 

 

 

[Midlands Yellow 4,682]

18 minutes ago, daly said:

Teemu

Not sure if you mix with folks from a Care Home but the majority of 60 year olds I know don’t have Hearing Aids

The majority of 70 year olds don’t sit at CR under blankets 

Us 80 year olds going on 90 don’t need viagra, still manage  to cycle to CR,  got all our facilities and still enjoy life

Meet you by the Defibrillator to carry on conversation 

 

 

Did you ever run any away fans back to Thorpe station back in the day though? 

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

They all used to drive for the Krays.🐂

[Tumbleweed 106]

I remember in the 70s a schoolmate said his gang were baking potatoes to fill up with nails and lob at Ipswich fans at the derby. It was pretty horrible back then.