In this and the following chapter, the focus is on groups of suspected offenders whose choice of co-offenders and network membership might be expected to follow a different pattern from usual. This chapter looks at football hooligans, whilst the following chapter focuses on members of extremist political groups.

Over recent years, football hooliganism has become a focus of attention both in the criminological literature and elsewhere (Kerr 1994; Armstrong 1998; Pettersson 1998a; du Rées Nordenstad 1998). It is an interesting phenomenon because it differs from other types of delinquency in many respects, not least by way of the expressive nature of the offences concerned. Such offences are committed in large groups, are often organised to some degree, and are characterised by levels of violence and a hatred which are incomprehensible to many. The literature features discussions of whether football hooligans are ordinarily delinquent males exploiting the instability characteristic of emotionally charged masses, or whether their hooliganism is a question of normally law-abiding individuals allowing their strong emotional commitment to their team to explode into violence (Ahlberg 1985).

In Sweden, serious attention was focused on football hooliganism for the first time during the 1980s (Ahlberg 1985; Brottsförebyggande rådet 1986). The size of the problem varies from year to year but at the moment is felt to be on a downward trend (du Rées Nordenstad 1998). Conflicts among supporters of the more successful teams are not uncommon before, during and after matches if groups of agitated supporters (often under the influence of alcohol) come into contact with one another.