In England, one true mark of a football fan’s loyalty is their willingness to travel far and wide to support their team. Unlike the so-called "football hooligans"—who attend matches mainly to stir trouble and release aggression—genuine fan organizations focus on building community and passion.
Though the "Blazing Squad" fan organization is relatively new, Richard had already launched an investigation the mont Ric Turner was recomnded to him the other day.
These young Blazing Squad mbers, under Carl Morran’s leadership, go the extra mile—organizing well-planned trips for supporters, coordinating travel and accommodations so fans can cheer their beloved team in stadiums across the country.
They have even almost consistently managed to rally groups of over 200 supporters to journey to East London when City faced Millwall. In other words, this group could still be saved. They could be used to organize and welco more fans, as Morran quickly established himself as a prominent figure among the supporters.
He is the key.
And right now, he is waiting for Carl Morran at the bar.
What Richard told Shepherd in front of the police station was clear: get Morran bailed out quickly and bring him to the bar. He wants to talk to him. As for Bennion, let him rot in prison.
"Hmmm," Richard tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.
Manchester City’s Blazing Squad.
This is an in-depth insight into the world of football violence. It charts the rise of one of the most notorious firms of their generation. However, from what Richard rembered, the Blazing Squad’s notoriety really began to surge around 2006, when they were involved in countless battles across the country.
Heck, even BBC TV made a special program called "Football Fight Club" to interview Carl Morran and his crew and then a docuntary about Carl Morran himself!
There’s a reason why the BBC was interested in the Blazing Squad, and that’s exactly what caught Richard’s attention too.
They have the brains.
Unlike the Guvnors, who brawl anywhere and anyti they please, the Blazing Squad organize fights between rival football supporters rather than mass brawls. In other words, they changed tactics—and this started a new trend in English football hooliganism.
Modern policing techniques and CCTV have forced today’s hooligans to arrange ’ets’ with rival fans, usually in areas far from stadiums and often involving supporters whose teams aren’t even playing that day.
The Blazing Squad are part of this new breed of football firm—small in number but ready to travel all over the country to confront their rivals.
The sound of the door opening rang through the bar.
Everyone inside turned to see who had entered.
Oh—it was Ric Turner himself. Since the bar door was smashed, there was no way to close it properly.
Ric himself, seeing Richard and his friends back at his bar, was taken aback.
"Richard, what are you doing here? Did you forget sothing? More importantly, when are you getting out? And what about Carl?"
’Sure enough, this guy cares about Morran,’ Richard thought to himself.
"Don’t worry," Richard waved his hand. "He’ll be here in a minute. By the way, where did you co from?"
"Oh, I just ca from the insurance company."
"Is everything good?"
"Yeah, just finishing up so paperwork."
After so ti spent catching up and chatting, the door creaked open again.
Here co the devils—Frank Shepherd and Carl Morran, whose face was black and blue from his fight with Andrew Bennion.
"Oh, Carl," Turner was the first to respond, surprisingly happy to see Morran already out.
"If I’d known you were getting out sooner, I would’ve visited you first instead of going to the insurance company," he lanted.
Morran’s eyebrow twitched at that—but he simply shrugged it off and instead nervously focused on Richard, who was already seated and clearly waiting for him.
Richard pointed to the chair in front of him, and Morran obediently sat down. After all, this was the guy who had saved him when he was being choked. He couldn’t help but admire how Richard had handled the whole situation with Bennion.
"How’s your boxing going? Already got any offers to turn pro?" Richard suddenly asked, catching Morran off guard. He hadn’t expected that to be the first question.
"I-It’s fine," Morran replied, a bit too quickly.
"Don’t lie to ." Richard narrowed his eyes, already knowing the truth—he’d heard it from Turner.
Morran fell silent.
Carl Morran, at this stage, was still an unlicensed boxer. He had turned down the chance to go professional—not because he lacked the talent, but because he was focused on sothing else: building up the Blazing Squad.
Richard rubbed his temples as he listened to the response about this guy.
"How many people are in the Blazing Squad?" he asked.
"...O-one hundred and thirty."
Impressive. To be able to gather that many people under the shadow of the Guvnors, the old gangs, and still survive until now.
As they talked, Richard suddenly asked, "Do you like Manchester City?"
The others fell silent, staring at Richard with puzzled expressions, while Morran looked a bit uncomfortable. At their age, filled with youthful passion, openly admitting a simple like or dislike felt almost awkward.
"What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Does it really take that long to answer?" Richard frowned slightly. He could share his true thoughts without any pretense.
"I like them. My whole family does."
"Is that so?"
"..."
"And will you still like them in the future? Even if City fails to reach the Premier League?"
A sudden chill seed to ripple through Morran, as if Richard’s question had touched on sothing deeper. It felt disturbingly sentintal.
Morran shook his head and asked quietly, "Sir, what exactly are you getting at?"
"Help ."
Richard t Morran’s gaze calmly, while Morran looked back, confused.
"I want to establish an officially recognized City supporters’ organization. I want a fan group with a positive image that can influence the club’s reputation for the better."
"..."
Morran was stunned, and so were the others—they hadn’t expected Richard to be thinking along those lines.
To be honest, even if Richard personally set up such a fan organization, it would be challenging to win over the fan base. The conflicting interests between the club and its supporters often cause friction—ticket prices being a pri example.
When money is involved, there’s never a perfect balance. The club would always consider ticket prices reasonable, while fans would see them as too expensive. Arguing over whether tickets are worth the price feels pointless.
Because of this conflict, Richard couldn’t simply take control on his own; he needed a strong, well-organized fan group to support Manchester City.
Guvnors? Too radical and stupid.
The Blazing Squad? Now that’s what he call real supporters.
Most of them are young—under 20—but if you look closely, they actually organize their fights. These are people who think before they act.
"If that’s what you need, no problem. Leave it to ."
Hearing Morran’s overly confident reply, Richard rubbed his temples once again. "Are you not even thinking about your future? That kind of work doesn’t co with a paycheck, you know?"
Morran, who had been enthusiastic just monts before, suddenly froze. He scratched his head, struggling to find a response.
So they use their brains when they are in a fight.
With a sigh, Richard decided not to tease him further and quietly asked, "How much savings do you have?"
Morran awkwardly rubbed his hands together, shook his head, and said nothing.
Savings? What a joke. Between hospital visits from underground fights, he barely breaks even.
"Have you ever heard of a tifo banner?" Richard suddenly dropped the question.
A "tifo" is a flag or banner held up by fans during a match, derived from the Italian word "tifosi," aning a group of sports supporters.
The culture originated in Italy and southern Europe but has quickly spread across the continent. These banners are planned and created by supporter clubs as a unique, visual dedication to their team, a specific player, or sotis to convey a political or social ssage.
They speak to a broader energy and culture—an institution caught up in wider corporate battles that, in the process, has beco sowhat unhappy.
There is also an opportunity here for so of the club’s fans to question, even just a little, the aggression of their owners; the need to take destructive legal action against their own club; the corporate pursuit of victory at all costs; more lawyers; and the total commitnt to the "freedom" of very rich people to control the sport.
"You an like AC Milan and Juventus?"
Certainly, Morran knew about tifo banners. Italian ultras groups are famous for their passionate and creative support, pioneering many large-scale, visually impressive tifos that have inspired fans across Europe.
Blazing Squad had also planned to create that kind of banner, but since it was expensive, the plans never materialized.
"Yes, just like the Italian fans support their club with their banner in the derby. Manchester City will cooperate with you and authorize this banner when you bring it to Main Road."
Occasionally, clubs themselves get involved in the planning process.
Tifos are usually huge and visually spectacular, often featuring the club’s colors and running the entire height or length of a stand.
They can also take the form of giant mosaics, where fans hold up colored cards or materials to create a single image. Just like Borussia Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall, Liverpool’s The Kop, Napoli’s Curva B, and Ajax Amsterdam’s South Crew, tifos bring fans together to express their passion, support, and loyalty.
"I will support the Blazing Squad with twenty-five thousand pounds per year. I want to see the best tifos at Maine Road—or at our new stadium later."
"W-wait, you an City is moving stadium?"
Richard didn’t answer but simply smiled. Then his smile faded, and he grew serious. "Carl, listen, too many people go through life not knowing what they want," Richard said, before continuing, "You’ve already found sothing you love, so you better never give up on it—or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."
What Richard ant was his boxing career.
"Now, with the funds I’m providing, you no longer need to focus on raising money for your Blazing Squad. You can divide your ti between managing the Blazing Squad and your boxing career," Richard said firmly.
"But if I find out you’re using this money for fights instead of banners or anything useful," Richard made a cutting throat gesture, "I will cut off your funding instantly. You hear ?"
Carl gulped, only able to nod his head like a chicken pecking at rice. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected such a windfall — it was as if fortune had been dropped straight into his hands.
"Good. Now, your first mission," he said, pausing briefly. "You know, thanks to Bennion and his crew, City nearly missed out on promotion tickets, right? So, your first job is..."
He paused, then continued in a firr tone."You’re going to destroy the Guvnors — not with violence. I want Andrew Bennion, when he gets out of prison, to see that his hooligan army is already gone. Can you do that?"
"Of course," Morran replied calmly.
As long as there’s money involved, anything can be arranged.
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