‘Fight Club’ soccer hooligans ‘battle far-right mobs’ in forest showdowns

Football hooligans battled far-right mobs from Germany and France as part of a new “forest fight” trend.

The pre-arranged brawl involved members of the Rangers Riot Crew ultras, who took on their counterparts from FC Hansa Rostock and French club Olympique Lyon. Members of the Rangers’ group posed with a swastika along with other ultras, in scenes that prompted the German third division side to ban a number of supporters.

The combat is part of a growing trend of “forest fights” that have already involved young supporters of Celtic, Hibs, Falkirk and St Mirren. Some of those involved in the violent scuffles are believed to have also played leading roles in street disorder in Glasgow, Scotland that has erupted over immigration, the Daily Record reports.

One source told the publication: “There is no doubt that the rise of the far right in Europe and in the UK is connected to with the emergence of these fighting clubs. What you have is a place for people who love violence to go and kick hell out of each other for recreation.

“The more serious reality is that the clubs who organise the events are all sharing information. A big part of that revolves around far right ideology, that is obsessed with protecting Europe and kicking out all migrants. Racism is not seen in every case but it’s more commonly a feature of the fights than not.

“These are the kind of guys who will bring trouble to the streets, as we’ve notably seen in Glasgow and are now seeing in large scale in Dover and other English cities. There is a massive spread of rhetoric right now about ‘armies’ waiting to rise and this talk is attractive to young men who are drawn towards football hooliganism.”

Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson, criticised the violence. She said: “There is no place for this sort of violent thuggery – whether that be in Scottish football, or indeed wider Scottish society.

“This is a dangerous and toxic ideology, which I would strongly urge people to reject, especially young people who may be tempted to join these sorts of groups. They must be made aware that there is nothing fashionable about engaging with these ultra groups. It will only lead to a criminal sentence and their future prospects significantly harmed.

“While this is clearly a problem, I would also call on the Scottish Government to ensure that Police Scotland has the resources it needs to keep our communities safe and keep thugs off our streets.”

The fist fight involving members of the Rangers ultras took place after supporters of Watford FC reportedly battled against Hansa Rostock on July 25. Sources claimed more than 6,000 Rostock fans travelled to England, with most behaving well.

But over a dozen neo-Nazis from the Rostock football club’s hooligan scene, formerly known as “Nordic Fury”, were involved in the forest fisticuffs. Rangers fans were later accused by German ultras of publishing potentially incriminating evidence of the clashes online in photos that were hastily deleted.

The “Casual Ultra Official” handle on X published a picture showing participants in the fight posing together in front of a swastika flag. After several thousand views one worried German online poster commented “f****** fast delete”, worried that bad publicity might see fans banned by Rostock club officials.

Another photo was also circulated, showing the Rostock hooligans giving the Hitler salute and wearing neo-Nazi shirts. A report into the Rostock fans “forest fight” has been issued by the anti-fascist Recherche website.

Its report states: “The collective political message surrounding the ‘field battle’ appears to be no coincidence, but rather a deliberate choice based on the participants’ consistent involvement in the extreme right.”

One senior member of the Rostock mob stated on social media: “Because some idiots on the Scottish sideline took unauthorised pictures and simply distributed them, I would be grateful to anyone who sees anything, please report it, and urge anyone in possession of these images to delete them. It’s about the safety of my boys and their livelihoods.”

The report refers to a voice message that was circulated on social media from a Scottish man who presented himself as a leader of the Scottish mob. He said: “Very strange, they all Nazi-saluted me. It was a really strange experience.”

The Scot’s voice note also reportedly observed the brutality of the Germans, claiming they must have had a mixed martial arts background. He also said they kicked their opponents in the head with their boots while they were lying on the ground – which is controversial even within the hooligan scene.

After the field battle came to the attention of FC Hansa Rostock, the club immediately announced it would be taking action. The club has been plagued by far right agitators for decades and has been vocal in denouncing Nazi and fascist groups.

In a statement, officials said: “These so-called ‘third-location clashes’ involve members of different hooligan groups arranging confrontations outside the actual match venue. In this particular case, the individuals involved from the various groups subsequently posed together in front of a swastika flag.

“We are adamant: Right-wing extremism, Nazi symbolism, and misanthropic ideologies have no place at FC Hansa Rostock. We will not allow individuals to discredit our club and its fans with such behaviour, or to convey an image of Hansa that in no way reflects our self-image and values.”

In April this year Hibs and St Mirren hooligans were reportedly filmed scrapping in a “pre-organised” fight. The two groups squared up to each other and engaged in a ‘Fight Club’ style brawl.

The St Mirren thugs – dubbed the Paisley Frontline – were dressed all in black while the teenagers from the capital – Hibernian Forest Fighters – were all dressed in green and black.

Scotland’s Community Safety Minister Kirsten Oswald said: “Far-right and racist hatred has no place in Scotland. Football is our country’s national sport and for it to be hijacked in any way by those who would seek to divide our communities is absolutely abhorrent. Scotland is a diverse, multicultural, inclusive and welcoming nation and we must stand against racism, hatred, intolerance or violence wherever and whenever it occurs.”

Rangers FC have been approached for comment.