Sandy Chugg, a former leader of the Rangers Inter City Firm, has a long history of hooliganism, drug dealing, far right politics, and jail time. His involvement in a blackshirted, Fascist-style protest in Scotland is consistent with his past activities.
Early Far Right Involvement
In 1998, the Daily Record revealed that Chugg, then 26, was a key member of the British National Party in Scotland. He merged his politics with his role as a leader of the notorious Inter City Firm of Rangers casuals, one of the most organized hooligan groups in the UK.
International Hooliganism
Chugg was among a 58-strong group detained in Salou, Spain, after organizing mayhem and street brawls in Bordeaux, France. They planned to fight hooligans from Aberdeen, Dundee United, and Stoke hours before the Scotland-Norway game. Police foiled the plot after a six-month operation involving Scots, French, and Spanish forces.
Drug Dealing and Jail
In 1990, Chugg was jailed for three years at Glasgow Sheriff Court for dealing in LSD and temazepam. During this time, a Daily Record investigation detailed how Chugg and a fellow football hooligan nominated BNP candidate Robert Currie, who stood as a prospective MP for Shettleston in Glasgow in the previous year. Their names appeared on the official nomination form forwarded to Glasgow’s returning officer.
At the time, an ICF member claimed the group was dominated by fascist BNP members and former members of the now-banned neo-Nazi group Combat 18.
Further Offences
In 2000, Chugg was given community service for having a stun gun. In 2011, it was reported that Chugg had a lifetime ban from Ibrox lifted after four years of exile. Chugg, of Cambuslang, Glasgow, got the life ban after travelling to Spain to watch Rangers play Osasuna while suspended.
Apparent Reform and Relapse
By 2012, Chugg claimed to be a reformed character and headed an anti-sectarian drive while coaching a youth football team in Drumsagard, Cambuslang. Despite his promises, in 2019 Chugg was charged with being a main player in a mass brawl in Glasgow city centre. He joined Rangers fans in a fight with Wigan supporters, who used sandwich boards and metal tables as weapons, bringing chaos to a street adjacent to Central Station. Chugg was punched in the face but pleaded guilty to conducting himself in a disorderly manner and engaging in a fight. He was jailed for 12 months.
