ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a group of young, male, Sheffield United supporters known as ‘the Blades’, a name which is also the club’s nickname and otherwise used to describe all fans associated with the club. Blades involve themselves in rituals of confrontation against the varied rivals, and via wish to two things: on a national level to be considered a good ‘firm’ in the hierarchy of hooligan oppositions, spread by a gossip network of interested participants. The Blades generally ridiculed the semiotics of racism, which they considered neither funny nor clever. More importantly, the Blades were particularly critical of Leeds fans’ reputation, as constructed by the media and football authorities, for ‘hooligan’ behaviour of a kind which the Blades simply did not ‘rate’. The Blades exist as a loosely knit collection of individuals segmentary to the utmost, without a leader and internal hierarchy Blades are ‘something happening’ and someone to hang out with and enjoy time with.
