By the 1890s, the London press began using "The Hooligan Boys" as shorthand for violent street gangs of young men. Football Hooliganism

Hooliganism involves a range of illicit behaviors, often occurring in crowded public spaces or at sporting events:

While the term is broad, it is most synonymous with .

Destruction of property, often in the form of rioting or looting.

Many historians believe the word is derived from the Irish surname Houlihan . It was popularized in London music hall songs and comic strips that depicted a rowdy, fictional Irish family of that name.

Hooligan groups are often structured with clear leaders who coordinate acts and followers who carry them out. History and Origins The term first appeared in print in the late 19th century.