The Muckers

Although Blackpool is a relatively small club, there is a long history of hooliganism, which had all but disappeared until recent times.

In August of that year, on the 35th anniversary of his death, the plaque was unveiled on the front of the North-West Corner, beside the club shop.

The Blackpool Evening Gazette headline ran "Fan sought after Pool stabbing" as the police tried to find the person(s) responsible.

"[10] By April 1984 according to the Blackpool Evening Gazette, the police were worried about an army of about 200 hooligans and vowed to drive them out.

In May 1984, Rammy Arms Crew and Benny's Mob led a weekend of violence and chaos in the seaside town of Torquay.

Police had made the game a 7:30 pm Saturday kick-off with Torquay United to try to avoid trouble, but it backfired totally as hordes of Blackpool fans travelled down on the Friday instead and stayed over until Sunday, where they caused 24 hours of carnage.

Thousands of pounds' worth of damage was done to the town with The Yacht House pub wrecked and a nightclub front demolished.

The police called in reinforcements, but were pelted by bricks, stones, broken terrace barriers and a corner flag which had been uprooted and used as a weapon.

After Bury had scored a goal, Blackpool fans at one side stand started to wreck the stand, which received extensive damage whilst another group of Blackpool (Rammy Arms Crew) fans behind one goal also started to riot.

A brick wall was demolished and pushed onto parked cars as the police held the Blackpool fans in the ground after the match.

[12] Another opportunity for revenge on Bolton Wanderers arose in the 1985–86 season, when they played them at home on Boxing Day 1985.

[12] In Hooligans A-L Nick Lowles and Andy Nicholls state that for the past decade there has been no Firm in Blackpool and that Away fans have been left virtually to do as they wish in the town and at matches.

Local reports would seem to suggest that this and other similar incidents since then are connected to a gang of youths from the area around the stadium.

The BNP held their annual conference at a hotel in Blackpool, where the pressure group Unite Against Fascism (UAF) planned to protest.

The large police presence and awareness of the potential for clashes prevented any large-scale violence which clearly otherwise would have happened.

The remaining Muckers and Bennys Mob tried to attack the Millwall fans but severely outnumbered, they for the most part stood their ground, but were beaten back by the police.

Up to 15 younger Blackpool Service Crew (BSC)—a separate Youth Firm, together with a couple of older members were alleged to have run, and local reports would suggest that main, older members of Bennys Mob and The Muckers dealt with them severely for doing so.

There were a number of small fights in town centre pubs following the game with some Millwall fans staying the night in the resort.

Promotion ensured that the rivalry with near neighbours Preston North End and Burnley would once again happen on the pitch with each club being in The Championship in the 2007–08 season.

And in June 2007, following threats by football hooligans, from Blackpool Muckers and from Preston, to cause mayhem when the two clubs meet next season, Prestons top Police officer, Chief Superintendent Mike Barton warned that "The history of these derbies means we will have to have a significant policing operation both at Deepdale and Bloomfield Road."

[30] On 11 July 2007, six fans appeared in Preston Crown Court, charged with various offences following the Nottingham Forest match in February 2006, all six were banned from every football ground in the UK.

The other four were all given suspended prison sentences ranging from four to nine months, as well as community service, a two-month curfew and football banning orders of three and four years.

"[33] Following the conviction of the six fans, Blackpool Police's Football Intelligence unit revealed, on 13 July 2007, that they were also investigating video footage from the clashes with Millwall fans and an additional match at Bloomfield Road against Scunthorpe United where violent clashes took place in an effort to identify and prosecute those involved stating that on top of the six convicted, two further fans were given three year football banning orders, and that they once they knew the identities of those involved, arrests would be made.

[34] The Muckers hit the headlines in Blackpool again in September 2007 when the local newspaper, the Blackpool Gazette ran a front-page headline story, "Thugs to defy derby ban" about members of the firm apparently defying bans from attending the Lancashire derby game against Burnley at Turf Moor on 15 September, the first time the two clubs have met in five years.

However, apparently members of The Muckers taunted the police on their own message board, boasting that they would defy the letters and attend the game, even if it meant concealing their identity, and stating that members of the firm had received the warning letters even though they had no convictions related to football hooliganism.

Blackpool confirmed that they backed the police campaign to clamp down on hooliganism surrounding Blackpool matches, stating, "We want Bloomfield Road to be a friendly place where families can come and enjoy the games and we will do everything in our power to make sure that is the case."

Burnley Police confirmed that they had targeted what they saw as risk fans warning that any fans causing trouble would be arrested, and Blackpool Police confirmed that they were "monitoring online chat rooms and message boards to gather as much information as possible".

Also adding, "The increase in arrests is encouraging and sends a clear message to people that behaving badly will not be tolerated.

Blackpool fans arriving at Preston railway station went through airport-style security scanners to check for potential weapons.

Blackpool won the match 1–0, but the day was marred when Blackpool hooligans went on a rampage smashing windows and ripping seats out of specially chartered buses laid on to transport them from the railway station to Deepdale, causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage.