Andy Nicholls
Encyclopedia
Andy Nicholls is an English
former football hooligan
, manager
, and author
of a number of books on football hooliganism. He has been banned from every ground in England
and Wales
. He is banned from for life from the home ground of the team he supports, Everton
, Goodison Park
. and has served three months in prison for football related violence.
in flinshire which is now considered one of the best schools in wales. For over twenty years he was regularly involved with the violent followers of the club. Nicholls was classified by the National Football Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as a Category C hooligan, the highest NFIU rating. He has been arrested more than twenty times for football related offenses and has been deported from Belgium
, Iceland
and Sweden
. He created the terrace fanzine Get Into Them which was closed down by authorities.
Nicholls received a new Football Banning Order (FBO) on 6 October 2003 banning him from every football ground in England and Wales for two years, apart from games where he was there as manager of Welsh Alliance League
club, Holywell Town F.C.
when he admitted to being involved in football hooliganism in his book, Scally: Confessions of a Category C Football Hooligan and for his involvement in a pub fight between Everton and Aston Villa
fans, in which he claimed he was only helping injured victims to escape. He had been summoned to Liverpool
Magistrates Court
under the Football Disorder Act over the publication of the book, and banned for two years, with £500 costs.
In April 2004, Nicholls was convicted by Flintshire
magistrates for breaching the banning order, after he attended a match in Russia
between Wales
and Russia
. Nicholls who lived in Rhosesmor
in North East Wales, at the time had attended the match as part of a Holywell Town club trip. Nicholls claimed that he did not know the ban applied to Welsh games, as being an England
supporter he thought the ban only applied to England. Nicholls would later become Chairman
of Holywell Town. Nicholls' ban from Everton means he has to stay a minimum of 10 miles from any match they play home or away. As part of his banning order he also had to sign in at a Police station
on match days, and hand in his passport every time a British
team played abroad. His banning order expired in 2005.
Nicholls helped publicize the Straight Red Campaign in August 2006 which introduced FBOs in Scotland
. FBO had been in place in England and Wales for six years and were being expanded to include Scotland. The campaign was launched at Hampden Park
in Glasgow
with Nicholls saying, "A banning order hurts more than any thump or kick you get and, more importantly, hurts more than any fine. They even hurt more than getting sent to prison. The banning orders changed my life because it's taken away something from me which, even as a hooligan, I was passionate about. Taking away that part of your life hurts." The same month Nicholls had also appeared on the BBC
documentary programme Panorama
during an undercover investigation into previously unreported violence at the 2006 World Cup
. In the programme he was quoted as saying, "To stamp out hooliganism once and for all, you'd have to get every man between 14 and 40 and chop off their arms and legs."
Nicholls' first book, Scally: Confessions of a Category C Football Hooligan dealt with the victim knife attacks perpetrated by the County Road Cutters firm, who are associated with Everton. He chronicles the bitter Manchester
-Merseyside
battles that left hundreds injured. He also confronts the alleged problems of racism at Goodison Park and he describes rivalries with the gangs of Aberdeen
, Chelsea
, Millwall
, Middlesbrough
and other clubs. He has also co-authored three other books with fellow former football hooligan, Cass Pennant
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football hooligan
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
, manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of a number of books on football hooliganism. He has been banned from every ground in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He is banned from for life from the home ground of the team he supports, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
. and has served three months in prison for football related violence.
Background
When he was a boy he went to the Alun SchoolAlun School
The Alun School is a large secondary school serving the community of Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, and its surrounding villages. It is part of the Flintshire LEA...
in flinshire which is now considered one of the best schools in wales. For over twenty years he was regularly involved with the violent followers of the club. Nicholls was classified by the National Football Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as a Category C hooligan, the highest NFIU rating. He has been arrested more than twenty times for football related offenses and has been deported from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He created the terrace fanzine Get Into Them which was closed down by authorities.
Nicholls received a new Football Banning Order (FBO) on 6 October 2003 banning him from every football ground in England and Wales for two years, apart from games where he was there as manager of Welsh Alliance League
Welsh Alliance League
The Welsh Alliance Football League is a football league formed in 1984...
club, Holywell Town F.C.
Holywell Town F.C.
Holywell Town F.C. is a football club representing the Flintshire town of Holywell in Wales. They are nicknamed the The Wellmen, and play their home games at Halkyn Road, Holywell...
when he admitted to being involved in football hooliganism in his book, Scally: Confessions of a Category C Football Hooligan and for his involvement in a pub fight between Everton and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
fans, in which he claimed he was only helping injured victims to escape. He had been summoned to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Magistrates Court
Magistrates Courts, Liverpool
The Magistrates Courts is a court building on Dale Street, Liverpool. It is a Grade II listed building designed by John Weightman built between 1857-1859. Until the 1970s buildings in Great Crosshall Street were used for juvenile court hearings until a new purpose-built complex was opened...
under the Football Disorder Act over the publication of the book, and banned for two years, with £500 costs.
In April 2004, Nicholls was convicted by Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
magistrates for breaching the banning order, after he attended a match in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
between Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. Nicholls who lived in Rhosesmor
Rhosesmor
Rhosesmor is a small village near Mold, Flintshire, in north-east Wales. The village lies near the parishes of Halkyn and Rhes-y-cae. The hamlet of Wern-y-Gaer is encompassed by the boundaries of the village.- History :...
in North East Wales, at the time had attended the match as part of a Holywell Town club trip. Nicholls claimed that he did not know the ban applied to Welsh games, as being an England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
supporter he thought the ban only applied to England. Nicholls would later become Chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of Holywell Town. Nicholls' ban from Everton means he has to stay a minimum of 10 miles from any match they play home or away. As part of his banning order he also had to sign in at a Police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
on match days, and hand in his passport every time a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
team played abroad. His banning order expired in 2005.
Nicholls helped publicize the Straight Red Campaign in August 2006 which introduced FBOs in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. FBO had been in place in England and Wales for six years and were being expanded to include Scotland. The campaign was launched at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
with Nicholls saying, "A banning order hurts more than any thump or kick you get and, more importantly, hurts more than any fine. They even hurt more than getting sent to prison. The banning orders changed my life because it's taken away something from me which, even as a hooligan, I was passionate about. Taking away that part of your life hurts." The same month Nicholls had also appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary programme Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
during an undercover investigation into previously unreported violence at the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. In the programme he was quoted as saying, "To stamp out hooliganism once and for all, you'd have to get every man between 14 and 40 and chop off their arms and legs."
Nicholls' first book, Scally: Confessions of a Category C Football Hooligan dealt with the victim knife attacks perpetrated by the County Road Cutters firm, who are associated with Everton. He chronicles the bitter Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
battles that left hundreds injured. He also confronts the alleged problems of racism at Goodison Park and he describes rivalries with the gangs of Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and other clubs. He has also co-authored three other books with fellow former football hooligan, Cass Pennant
Cass Pennant
Carol "Cass" Pennant , is an English writer and former football hooligan.-Background:Pennant's mother emigrated from Jamaica while pregnant and he was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Six weeks old, he was abandoned and was placed into a Dr. Barnardo's Home...
.