Hibs Boy: The Life and Violent Times of Scotland's Most Notorious Football Hooligan

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Within the space of a fortnight in December 1986 the Hibs casuals twice met and took early trains to their destination enabling them to arrive well before noon. On match days in Edinburgh a favoured gathering place would be the Penny Black pub on West Register Street situated near to Waverley station just off the east end of Princes Street. This is one of the most readable books in the genre: at times dark and violent, but often humorous and moving. One group of Hibs casuals went to Mercer's Edinburgh suburban home with the intention to confront him directly but upon realising he wasn't there they painted slogans on his house such as 'Mercer is dead' and 'Long Live Hibs'.

Hibs - Footybits Hibs - Footybits

Such is the powderkeg nature of his past, however, and the potential that some might turn up looking not for a signature but for a chance to challenge the author, that police have recommended it should be cancelled. And the results were devastating not just for those in the firing line but also for Blance, who got five years for his part in the raid. It was here that visiting fans were finally marshalled away from the accessible public area and either directed to or escorted to their allocated section of the ground. The Record understands the mayhem was masterminded by Andy Frain, 49, of football thugs the Chelsea Headhunters, who was jailed for two years. Andy Blance, another member of the CCS elite who later wrote about his experiences in the 2009 book ‘Hibs Boy,’ described the incident as “madness,” admitting the group’s behaviour overstepped the mark.It touches upon the football hooliganism around that time and the Hibs casuals make an appearance as they attack Houlihans bar in Dundee to take on the Utility. They were one of the UK’s most notorious gangs of football casuals during the 80s and 90s – but some within the feared Capital City Service branched out from matchday brawling into serious organised crime. This established the CCS as number-one and there was no stopping them as they rampaged across Scotland, England and the Continent. CCS members and hooligans associated with Leeds United fought on Edinburgh’s streets in 1993 before and after a game between the sides.

Blance AXEMAN BOSS OF HIBEES CASUALS; Notorious gang led by bouncer

The CCS has had clashes all across Scotland, England and Europe either when Hibernian or Scotland were playing or as invited guests of other English hooligan firms at various English league games. The Family - In 1986 a hardcore section of the gang wanted to create a specific identity for the most dedicated and enthusiastic members. Detectives estimate up to 70 people were involved in the battle but only 30 were identified and arrested. To one newspaper he is the ‘axeman thug’; to the police he is a serious criminal; to those who know him best he is a loyal friend; to his fellow Hibbys he is a true fan who never misses a Hibs game, home or away.In the eighties, all that stuff was part of the culture, I was at that age to get into it, so I did.

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The Hibs fans believed that the proposal was little more than a hostile takeover and they formed the Hands off Hibs group to campaign for the continued existence of the club. However, perhaps their most infamous outing, and the one that solidified their formidable reputation, came in front of shocked onlookers who ran for their lives when a petrol bomb exploded at the entrance of Waverley Station during a chaotic melee with Aberdeen’s ASC (Aberdeen Soccer Casuals) group. Blance, a one-time nightclub bouncer whose more recent business interests include running a suntan parlour and internet cafe, is slightly bemused that even now, when he insists he's left his hooligan days behind, his notoriety precedes him.This decision was vindicated as this emotionally charged game was played in what was described as a volatile atmosphere. Sky Sports Soccer AM team unwittingly accepted a request from one of the CCS for a chance to represent Hibernian in the shows Fans of the week feature and seven of them were invited to appear on the 2 September 2000 broadcast. Nearer to the stadium the CCS would frequent pubs such as the Thistle Bar, [50] Albion Bar and the Royal Nip, which was considered by many Hibs boys as their spiritual home.

Ex-football thug has no regrets for trouble on the terraces

For the 1996 Euro Championship game between England and Scotland a pub with a suitably sized car park for a mob fight was opted for in the London area of High Barnet, ten miles away from the usual battleground of Trafalgar Square. In later times a type of apprenticeship scheme was used to enable the veterans in the CCS to select and mentor prospective younger hooligans. However, the congeniality was not a constant throughout the rest of the Hibs support who, in the main, still wore team colours at matches.Hibs Baby Crew (HBC) - Circa 1987 the popularity of football hooliganism and of the CCS activities had attracted another set of young and eager recruits in much the same way as the previous baby crew.