 | |
| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2014 |
| Type | Anti-Islamism, anti-sharia |
| Website | casualsunited.wordpress.com(Archive) |
Casuals United was afar-right British protest group.[1] The group was closely affiliated with theEnglish Defence League.[2] The group described itself as "Uniting the UK's Football Tribes against theJihadists", and as "an alliance of BritishFootball Casuals of various colours/races who have come together in order to create a massive, but peaceful protest group to force our Government to get their act in gear."[citation needed][3]
Casuals United was organised around several British football teams' supporters. A leading organiser of Casuals United was Joe Marsh ofBarry,South Wales, a former member of theSoul Crew footballhooligan firm.[4] He has said: "Hooligans from rival clubs are uniting on this and it is like a ready-made army ... We are protesting against the preachers of hate who are actively encouraging young Muslims in this country to take part in a jihad against Britain."[5]
Casuals United was formed in reaction to protests by some Muslims inLuton, reportedly organised by theIslamist groupAl-Muhajiroun,[6] against a parade of members of the2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment returning from fighting inthe war in Afghanistan in March 2009. Social networking sites such asFacebook have been used to coordinate protests in London, Luton and Birmingham.[2] In July 2009 the group picketed an Islamic roadshow in London.[2] Casuals United were one of four groups which were prevented from taking part in unofficial marches afterLuton Borough Council applied for a banning order under thePublic Order Act.[7] In August 2009 the group staged a protest in Birmingham.[8] More protests along with the English Defence League took place in Manchester, Leeds, Stoke, Bolton and Dudley.[9]
Leader of Casuals United, Joe Marsh, was jailed in August 2015 by Southwark Magistrates for a violent assault on a woman at an anti-cuts demonstration.[10]
Casuals United was disbanded in 2014, and some members went on to form the short-lived Pie and Mash Squad, using the phrase "pie and mash" ascockney rhyming slang for "fash", short for fascist. A contributor toVice News in an article opines these groups were part of an English far-right "war" onanti-fascist footballultras whom they state form most of the fans ofClapton F.C. from 2014 to 2016 and "wave those flags" which there are FA rules prohibiting if political — they add "before the Ultras started going to games the club had an average attendance of around 25. Recent home games have seen hundreds turn up to the club's ground".[11] The article continued that the Pie and Mash facebook page used the taunt of "silly antifa twats" and was "coordinating protests against various left-wing non-footballing events in the coming months, so maybe the football pitch is just one battle-ground in a wider war".[11]