By the mid-1980s, football hooliganism in the UK was endemic. The thugs were rampant, crowds were falling and the Government was near despair. Among the worst gangs in the country was a crew of thieves and thugs who followed Birmingham City FC. They looted shops, ransacked pubs and butchered rival fans. They called themselves the Zulu Warriors. In 1987, West Midlands Police set up a secret unit to infiltrate the gang and bring them down. Operation Red Card was born.