County Road Cutters

Lore & Background

Members of the Cutters are known to be one of the first firms to adopt casual clothing and designer garments in the 1970s, along with hooligan supporters of local rivals Liverpool F.C. Andy Nicholls, a former 'general' in the County Road Cutters throughout the 1980s and 1990s, was branded a category C football hooligan by the National Football Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the highest NFIU rating. Nicholls claims that the Cutters had strong rivalries with hooligan firms of the two Manchester teams, Manchester United F.C. and Manchester City F.C., the Sunderland firm Seaburn Casuals, as well as with the Chelsea Headhunters and the Millwall Bushwackers. As of 6 October 2003, Nicholls was banned for life from Goodison Park.

Reader's Guide

The County Road Cutters represent a significant chapter in the history of English football hooliganism, particularly during the peak decades of the 1980s and early 1990s. Their adoption of casual clothing and designer garments in the 1970s placed them among the early trendsetters in hooligan subculture, alongside rivals from Liverpool F.C. The firm's most notable clash, the 2005 'Battle of Everton Valley' against Manchester United's Red Army, is widely regarded as the worst incident of football-related violence Merseyside has ever seen. Around 100 United fans were left bloodied and injured, and within hooligan circles the battle is widely regarded as a win for the Cutters. Some sources claim that Liverpool F.C. hooligans joined forces with the Cutters to battle against the Red Army. The Cutters also came to blows with Manchester United's Red Army over disputes stemming from both firms' involvement in illegal ticket touting at pop concerts, according to Manchester United hooligan Colin Blaney. The legacy of the Cutters is tied to the broader decline of organized football hooliganism in England, though their reputation endures in hooligan literature and among those who study the phenomenon.

Did You Know?

• The County Road Cutters' name comes from County Road, the road leading to Everton's former home ground Goodison Park, and from their use of Stanley knives.
• Andy Nicholls, a former 'general' of the Cutters, was branded a category C football hooligan by the National Football Intelligence Unit, the highest rating.
• The 2005 clash with Manchester United's Red Army, known as the 'Battle of Everton Valley', left around 100 United fans bloodied and injured.
• Some sources claim Liverpool F.C. hooligans joined forces with the Cutters during the Battle of Everton Valley.