OTD E0081 — 20 Jan 1987: Operation Fulltime — Dawn Raids, The “English Disease,” and the State Steps Into Football

20 Jan 1987: before dawn, police raid homes linked to West Ham’s Inter City Firm and Millwall’s Bushwackers — 26 suspects arrested in Operation Fulltime after months of surveillance. We trace how 60s terrace trouble became 70s/80s “firms,” why 1985 broke the public’s patience (Luton, Bradford, Heysel), and how crackdowns collided with tragedies and reform. Then: Hillsborough, the Taylor Report, the Premier League remake — and whether disorder is rising again today.Tips: [email protected]