The CSS Capital City service crew are a well-known Scottish Football hooligan firm that follow Edinburgh based Hibernian they are also known as the Hibs casuals or the Hibs boys. They are less well known in England but they are one of the toughest Scottish Football firms. Predominantly active from 84 onwards, they have a string of violent confrontations to their name and this is one such confrontation. Let’s hear the stories.
Hibs CSS Crew Member Reveals All
First we have Hibs CSS oldboy Andy, who told us…”August 1990 and there was one fixture that really captured the attention of the CCS. A game against Millwall at the Den. All the Hibs mob were excited, it was Millwall vs Hibs CSS, ffs, but that was tempered somewhat, when an hour before they were due to depart, the Edinburgh police appeared at the pub, and instructed the drivers of the hired coaches, that the trip was cancelled. Not to be outdone the Hibs boys who could manage it ,made their own way to London, in a trains planes and Automobiles, type operation, and met up in a pub off Oxford Street called the Hog in the Hound. They made their way to the game via the tube, and all lighted at New Cross, where some plane clothed police stepped in and made arrests. As the CCS approached the Crown and Anchor Pub on new Cross Road they encountered some of millwall’s mob and fighting broke out.
“Hibs boys started to smash the windows of the pub, wreck the vehicles in the car park, with one of them being overturned, causing car alarms to go off and also vandalise some wooden fencing in order to make weapons. This chaos lasted for approximately 5 minutes before the police arrived to contain matters and arrest more of the hibs casuals, as the remainder of the mob headed towards the ground. Outside the away end as more Hibs boys arrived by taxi a mob of millwall thugs turned up and there was a further pitched battle between both sets of hooligans, with a plain clothed Edinburgh policeman getting caught up in the trouble. After the match a robust police escort took the CSS to the nearest Tube Station, whilst managing to hold off any reciprocal attacks, from the enraged Millwall boys. In the following week’s evening standard a message appeared in the classified section congratulations Hibs on a job well done.”
Millwall Bushwackers Hit Back
Millwall bushwackers fan Rob told us his memories
“We didn’t have a clue they were coming down for this if we had of done they wouldn’t be spouting this rubbish. The first I knew was when someone phoned me and told me they (Hibs CSS) had a massive ruck with some locals and legged them. When I got back, we heard they had smashed up the five bells and attacked the Crown and Anchor. By this time a large mob of us had gathered and fortunately for them, so had the police. A few got to them but only briefly, and the hibs lot wasn’t so Keen by this stage. A few of them also got run at new cross station, legging it down the lines, but fair play to them a firm of 500 weren’t seen that often at the wall, but as I say most of us didn’t know they were coming down, so a bit like when West Ham smashed up the empty wall pubs, during the infamous West Ham coming to Millwall and taking Liberty’s video
Another CSS Viewpoint
Another Hibs CSS member Craig told us..The main Hibs Lads of the time did a bit of digging and put it about that a trip down could do us the world of good in terms of reputation, so most of the remaining CCS at that time were well up for it. It was the first time in London for some Lads and to be honest not many knew what to expect down there. I was 22 at time and was seriously bottling it, due to reputations down there but it was a decent mob out. The first Millwall lads were surprised that we were even there, I’d say and the Old Bill were pretty easy going. At first there were two boozers where we hold up and I saw some of the dodgiest looking geysers I’d ever seen coming in and out.”
“Then four wall lads came around early afternoon for a look, after the word was out that a mob were down, and got out sharpish after a bit of banter. Hibs were well organised right from the off, and the afternoon was no bother, as wall were caught on the op. During the day, there was virtually no bother, as we had the run of the place for four 5 hours. This is in the days before mobiles and internet, so you just turned up on spec. Things got a bit heated at the pubs we had taken, as the locals didn’t take kindly to it, so some CSS decided to smash up the boozers and attack the Millwall lads and that’s when the car got overturned and all that stuff later on. After the game was a different story, as Millwall were very determined, and probably got the result. Was in London after all.”
After The Match
“After the match we were met by a massive Millwall firm outside the away end there was good toe-to-toe for what seemed like ages, but sheer numbers won it for them in the end. I’d say that the CCS held their own, as well as any English firms that went down there about the same time, and gained a lot of respect, for going down and taking it to wall. Some Hibs lads were bust out by the old bill, and the rest of us trained it back towards Central London. At the time probably still only ASC up here would take it to a London mob, and that says a lot about the reputation of Hibs, at that time. That’s how I remember it, any Millwall like to put their accounts of the day then it would be interesting.”
The Aftermath Of It All
We thank Andy, Rob and Craig for their recollections. It would appear to be a surprise invasion by the Hibs CSS firm into Millwall territory and a pretty game effort by all accounts, given the reputation of the hosts. Thank you for visit. Please share and watch out for future articles. Did you see our previous article https://theterracearchive.com/burnley-vs-celtic-1978/