Aston Villa Hardcore
| Founded by | Alex Wilson-Webb |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Birmingham, England |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Territory | Birmingham, England |
| Ethnicity | Mostly White British |
| Membership (est.) | 160-300 |
| Criminal activities | Football hooliganism |
Aston Villa Hardcore (often shortened to Villa Hardcore or known as Villa Youth when referring to the younger element of the group) is a football hooligan firm associated with the Football League Championship club Aston Villa, based in Birmingham, England.
The firm have been active since 1993, following on from previous Aston Villa hooligan firms the Steamers, C-Crew and Villa Youth. The Hardcore have been involved in some high-profile hooligan fights in Europe, while following Villa and England. The Hardcore have clashed a number of times with the Birmingham Zulus, associated with Aston Villa's fiercest rivals Birmingham City.
Fifteen people were arrested in October 2002 in a series of dawn raids in connection with serious disorders committed in the Rocky Lane area of Aston before the game between Aston Villa and Birmingham City in September 2002, in what was described as the "Battle of Rocky Lane". In 2004, Steven Fowler, a Category C hooligan and member of Villa Hardcore, was jailed for six months for his part in the fight in 2002. In 2005 he received a twelve-month jail sentence and was banned from attending football matches for ten years, for his part in an organised brawl between the Villa Hardcore and Chelsea Headhunters at King's Cross in London on 27 March 2004, while five other Villa fans were also jailed. Fowler was jailed again in 2006 when he and 57 other people were found guilty of their involvement in a riot at a Handsworth pub on 22 August 2004 - the same day as Villa's Premier League clash with local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
...
Wikipedia