0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains some violent scenes from the start and some strong language
0:00:06 > 0:00:092018 Fifa World Cup, ladies and gentlemen,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12- will be organised in Russia. - CHEERING
0:00:12 > 0:00:16In 2018, Russia will host the Fifa World Cup.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19One of the biggest sporting events on the planet.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23We are eager to do our best to secure the comfort
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and safety of our guests.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30President Putin has promised peace, love and harmony.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34But at the European Championships in France,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38we saw a different side of Russian football.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Russians, Russians.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48So what can fans expect of the host country if they travel to Russia in 2018?
0:01:01 > 0:01:05I'm going to Russia to meet the hooligans who hold the fate of
0:01:05 > 0:01:06England fans in their hands.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Men who reject the negative image of the past to embrace a new identity.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23A football culture where violence is celebrated.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I track down the men who terrorised Marseille.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47And meet the next generation of hooligans as they train for the World Cup.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07CHANTING
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Marseille, June 2016,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and the ugly face of English football is rearing its head again.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Drunken England fans throwing bottles and trashing a foreign city.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Making it clear that Britannia still rules the waves.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I follow England away every time, yeah.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Sometimes we get people come with England and they throw bottles.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48They're not the best supporters.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57Euro 2016 is becoming a depressing throwback to a hooliganism that many
0:02:57 > 0:02:59people thought was a thing of the past.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07But England fans, even those who weren't causing trouble,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10were about to have much bigger problems than the French police.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16After a couple of hours of drinking in the morning,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I'm just relaxing outside, my feet are up on the table in front of me,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I've got about four beers around me.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Then the Russians sort of appeared.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32First thing I noticed was the noise.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Just chanting.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38They chanted together and they moved together.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40It was...
0:03:40 > 0:03:42It was like a military operation.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Russians, Russians.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57The brutality of them.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It wasn't just, you knock someone over and they're down, that's it,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02move on.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07They were...
0:04:09 > 0:04:10..kicking and stamping.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20What's me problem? We've just been attacked.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'There was crowds of people just shouting,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'trying to get away from it, really.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30'They were attacking in little groups, like they'd been given
0:04:30 > 0:04:32'numbers, or teams had been picked.'
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I remember one guy that I seen in fairly close proximity,
0:04:36 > 0:04:43missing a tooth, and his head was about the size of my shoulder width.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Ten of us made it into this cafe.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49And we could just see the...
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The devastation that they were causing.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Look at them, they've all got masks on.- Look at that outside, there.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Cowards. Cowards.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'It was terrifying. You just didn't know what to do.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08'You could see groups running and charging, people running for their lives.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- These are Russians, these ones. - Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Look at him! They're kicking the shit out of that old boy.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16That's when I knew that there was a chance that people could die,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20because when you've got 10, 12 people onto one person,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22you've got no chance.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33There was people lying unconscious everywhere.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36There was people staggering about with blood.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42And that's when I noticed that there was a big guy.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47You know, I could see that
0:05:47 > 0:05:48he was...
0:05:48 > 0:05:52He was in a mess. He was completely on his back.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I could see that his life was ticking away from him.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It was just an awful thing to see.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07England fans Andrew Bache and Stewart Gray were beaten into a coma
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and left for dead.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13It was like a war scene.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17The six that I went with, there was a guy who had served in Iraq.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21He said he was more scared there than he ever was in war.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25It was like they wanted to kill people.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28They didn't just want to beat them up, they wanted to kill people.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30They wanted to
0:06:30 > 0:06:33inflict as much injury on these people as they possibly could.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42I was going there to enjoy the sunshine,
0:06:42 > 0:06:47and the bad beer and the beautiful French girls.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51And the Russians were there to enjoy the England fans,
0:06:51 > 0:06:52and to attack the England fans.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54And it was as simple as that.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01I think the most striking thing about the Russian hooligan groups
0:07:01 > 0:07:06was that they were clearly very well organised, very sober.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10It was a hard core of Russians who clearly spent a lot of time in
0:07:10 > 0:07:13the gym working out, were very well built.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Suddenly, the antics of England fans seemed like small beer in the face
0:07:19 > 0:07:21of the worst football violence ever witnessed at
0:07:21 > 0:07:23an international tournament.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29When the tear gas cleared, more than 100 England fans were injured.
0:07:29 > 0:07:3230 ended up in hospital.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36The lives of five hung in the balance for several days.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39CHANTING
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I've been observing football disorder since 1998,
0:07:43 > 0:07:44involving English fans abroad,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and this was by far and away the worst I've ever seen in terms of the
0:07:48 > 0:07:51numbers involved, in terms of the injuries.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It was a complete and utter breakdown of law and order
0:07:54 > 0:07:55in Marseille.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01For a while, the British press didn't know who to blame -
0:08:01 > 0:08:04the England fans or the French police.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08But the most lurid headlines were reserved for the Russians.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15On Twitter, the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament, Igor Lebedev,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18congratulated the hooligans for defending their country's honour.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Vladimir Markin, a media spokesman for the police,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27claimed that the French authorities failed to stop the fighting because
0:08:27 > 0:08:31they were more used to policing Gay Pride.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35It even fuelled rumours that the government of Vladimir Putin was
0:08:35 > 0:08:38somehow linked to the hooligans.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Here, tabloid interest focused on one man in particular,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47the alleged leader of the Russian hooligans in Marseille,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Vasily the Killer.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52The star of online videos,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Vasily is a hero for Russian football hooligans.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59With Russia hosting the World Cup in 2018,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03what will men like him have in store for English fans heading to the
0:09:03 > 0:09:04tournament?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's four months since the violence in Marseille.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I've come to Moscow to track down some of the men responsible for the
0:09:23 > 0:09:25trouble at Euro 2016,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30and find out just what's behind this upsurge in Russian football violence.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36After the events in Marseille,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40the Russian organisers and the public know they have a problem to
0:09:40 > 0:09:41deal with.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I'm heading to one of the stadiums that will be used for the World Cup,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19the home of Spartak Moscow.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24When Russia controversially won the competition to host world football's
0:10:24 > 0:10:29premier event, President Putin promised a trouble-free tournament.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35You can take my word for it, the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be up
0:10:35 > 0:10:38to the highest standards.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43The official bid presented an image of peaceful, multiracial harmony.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48A vote for Russia is a vote for the future.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50But on the ground, it doesn't feel that way.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58It's derby day between Spartak and CSKA,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01the two most successful Moscow teams.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Mobile phone footage taken by a fan shows that fights have already
0:11:07 > 0:11:10broken out on the Moscow underground.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Outside the stadium, I ask what the fans here thought about an influx
0:11:18 > 0:11:21of England supporters for the World Cup.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48There's a heavy police presence.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Both clubs have extremely active hooligan firms.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55It's time to head in.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Posing as a tourist, I manage to get a camera inside.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The Spartak hooligans are based in the north tribune.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13One of their leaders, the head of the Gladiators firm,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15is the legendary Vasily the Killer,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19the alleged mastermind of the hooligans in Marseille.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Someone I want to talk to.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I'm clearly in the right place.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33In front of me, throwing Nazi salutes,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36are the Spartak firm the Mad Butchers.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46But so far, no sign of Vasily the Killer.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49CHANTING
0:12:59 > 0:13:03In Russian football grounds, the firms often have their own security,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and they're not overly keen on me filming.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10One of them's busy, he's fine.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Finally, I spot the Killer himself.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25The next challenge is to see if he'll speak to me.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39We arrange to meet at a bar near the stadium.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46For one of Russia's most notorious hooligans,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Vasily seems surprisingly willing to share his life story with me.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39'I gently move the conversation to the events in Marseille.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:44'So, who were the hooligans in Marseille?'
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Don't ask about that?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'It seems this line of questioning is not so welcome.'
0:16:06 > 0:16:09'Perhaps, not surprisingly,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12'Vasily isn't willing to reveal the names of anyone who was in Marseille.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:15'The interview is over.'
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Vasily belongs to a generation that emerged in the 1990s after the
0:16:23 > 0:16:25collapse of the Soviet Union.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31New freedoms meant they looked West for their cultural inspiration,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36in food, music, fashion and, of course, in football.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45On the outskirts of Moscow,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48I meet up with a group of former Russian hooligans.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59They grew up idolising the English firms they saw on TV.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- CHANTING:- England! England!
0:17:41 > 0:17:44English hooligan culture grew out of the 1970s and '80s,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48when football stadiums were the scene of infamous riots.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53'The worst violence erupted with the final whistle.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55'Millwall fans invaded the pitch,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57'ripping up seats and throwing them around.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:05This culture revolved around casual fashion,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and organised fights away from stadiums.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Coming together to support the national team,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24English firms spread terror around the world,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28culminating in the mass brawls of Euro 2000 in Belgium.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38The Russians looked on and were inspired,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42causing violence to erupt in stadiums across the country.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Police versus fans,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50it was the main battle.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Battle in the real meaning of this, of this word.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Going in '90s to the football stadium in Russia,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02it was closely connected with some trouble,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05because police didn't understand the problem.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11With violence spreading throughout the game,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14the Russian authorities decided enough was enough.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21In 2000, they attempted to bring the hooligans under control.
0:19:22 > 0:19:28Supporter groups were brought together under the umbrella of a state backed body.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33It was called the All-Russian Fans Association, the ARFA.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The head of the organisation, Alexander Shprygin,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42has been linked to Vladimir Putin's government.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46He's also been accused of being a far-right activist.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52I tracked him down to his office on the outskirts of Moscow to find out
0:19:52 > 0:19:56about his organisation's involvement in the violence in Marseille.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Unfortunately for Shprygin,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30it turned out many of the hooligans involved in the violence were flown
0:20:30 > 0:20:33to France on his officially chartered flight.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Three board members of the ARFA were jailed in France for the Marseille
0:20:56 > 0:21:00violence. One of them is serving two years.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Shprygin himself was deported,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and even now he can't conceal a certain pride in the prowess of his countrymen.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40On his return, Shprygin was arrested and his offices raided.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47His apparent connections to the government haven't helped him.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The ARFA has been shut down.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58With the World Cup on the horizon,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01the Russian authorities have realised that their officially connected
0:22:01 > 0:22:03hooligans need to be dealt with.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- Finished.- Finished?- Finished.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24I followed Dynamo Moscow to Yaroslavl, a small city north-east of Moscow.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33You can see the signs of the new crackdown everywhere,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37including leaflets handed out to fans promising dire consequences for
0:22:37 > 0:22:39anyone stepping out of line.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It looks like Putin's government has now decided they've had enough of
0:23:10 > 0:23:12football hooliganism.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19But has the Russian man now developed such a taste for violence that they
0:23:19 > 0:23:21can't be stopped?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Russian men have never had the best reputation.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33They have some of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the situation got worse,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44with drinking and drink related violence becoming something of a
0:23:44 > 0:23:46national crisis.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Life expectancy for men fell from 65 to 57 in just five years.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58But something has begun to change.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06President Vladimir Putin has encouraged the new image of Russian
0:24:06 > 0:24:11masculinity, based around health, combat sports and patriotism.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Maxim Tatarinov is a professional boxer.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23He's also a football hooligan,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27picked out by one of Dynamo Moscow's main firms to fight with them.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Hooligans have begun training like Maxim,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48embracing their new identity as a fighter.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Across Russia, young men are engaging in combat sports like boxing.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Maxim's new protege is 23-year-old Danila.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55He's currently preparing for his third professional fight.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Danila's wife, Dasha, is grateful for his fighting skills.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Football hooligans like Maxim have become an inspiration for many young people.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26And what happened in Marseille is a source of pride.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Online videos celebrate the hooligans' achievements in France
0:29:03 > 0:29:06as a symbol of a resurgent Russian manhood.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19The Russian government crackdown may be more difficult than they think.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28I need to speak to some of those hooligans involved in Marseille to
0:29:28 > 0:29:32find out if the same violent scenes will be repeated at the World Cup.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38A few days after our meeting, I get a call from Vasily.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46He's invited me to a five-a-side tournament, but with a difference.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52All the teams represent hooligan firms from across Russia.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58But with the police crackdown starting to bite,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00people are nervous about appearing on camera.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32When the active hooligans appear, Vasily is quick to warn me off.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41No, no, no.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45But he does have a suggestion to find some of the Marseille hooligans.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21This is the city of Oryol.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24It's a pretty bleak place,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27mostly flattened during the Second World War.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33It's also the home town of one of Russia's celebrated leaders and heroes,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36a feared murderer and rapist - Ivan the Terrible.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Oryol hasn't got much going for it.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Certainly not the football.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49The local team is in the lower half of the Russian third division.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53But their fans consider themselves very much in the Premier League.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03The hooligan firm are known as the Orel Butchers.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23It's hard to believe this lowly team can be the home of some of Russia's
0:32:23 > 0:32:25most violent fans.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26But they are.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40After the game, they agree to talk,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44but only on the condition their identities are disguised.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Who are the Orel Butchers? What do you stand for?
0:33:04 > 0:33:07It turns out the Butchers were at the centre of the violence in
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Marseille, dressed in black T-shirts.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The Orel Butchers showed me a memento from their time in Marseille.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48A souvenir from Euro 2016.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13I ask if I can take the flag home with me.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I'm not sure I'll be taking them up on their offer,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30but I wondered if they'd be looking to attack England fans again at the
0:34:30 > 0:34:31World Cup.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39I was told to speak to the man who led them in France,
0:34:39 > 0:34:44a hooligan and semi-professional mixed martial arts fighter who asked
0:34:44 > 0:34:46to be called Dennis.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50I would say a lot of British guys went over to France, you know,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54to have some fun, to shout around, to throw some glasses.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03To chant the wonderful songs, and that's it.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07And we were quite determined to go there and mess up with the British
0:35:07 > 0:35:11guys, to see where our level is and what they are capable of.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20There is some street fight tactics that we obviously exercised a lot of
0:35:20 > 0:35:22times fighting in cities.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25There's things you do, there's things you don't do.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30And it's important, if you are engaged in a massive fight,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33it's very important that you stick together as a group.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36You go forward as a group, you go backward as a group,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39you only move as a group. So this was, like,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42a mistake that the British fans didn't realise they were doing.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44They were always stranded.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46CHANTING
0:35:49 > 0:35:53It's like 200 professionals fighting 2,000 amateurs.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Even though they were heavily outnumbered,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01by grouping together and attacking and retreating as a unit,
0:36:01 > 0:36:06they inflicted devastating damage on any England fans unwise enough to
0:36:06 > 0:36:08fight them, or unable to escape.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13I can't say that they lacked the heart,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16but obviously they lacked the skill.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We always were moving in and out as a group,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21and this is what makes the difference.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23And obviously the personal skill.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29There is that video where that fat guy gets kicked in the face from two
0:36:29 > 0:36:32sides. His guys left him.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We were coming from the market into the smaller street,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and these guys left him.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Let him down, you know? He was kind of getting in,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43and they were supposed to push us backwards as well.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47They were too afraid and they started running backwards, you know?
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Many of the victims in Marseille were viciously attacked again after
0:36:58 > 0:37:02they were knocked down. Something Dennis feels no remorse for.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I hit the guy in the head.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Like, if you can imagine a penalty kick.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16I shot a good penalty.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Did he, did he get back up after that?
0:37:27 > 0:37:28I hope so!
0:37:28 > 0:37:30HE LAUGHS
0:37:31 > 0:37:37Yeah. I must say, he was definitely knocked out, like,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39badly. I must admit,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42there's the first sad, there is, like, one British hooligan,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44he was in coma.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48I was thinking to myself, like, "Shit, I bet that's my guy."
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Because I really, like, hit him properly on his head.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Are you proud of what you did?
0:37:55 > 0:37:58What I like is that people don't think,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02"Russians, oh, they're drinkers, they're wankers, they're whatever,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06"they're like lazy bums, they are nothing, they are stupid".
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Obviously, I like the fact that I'm Russian and people think, "Oh,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12"these are like the tough guys." Why did we fight?
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Why did we fight the English guys?
0:38:13 > 0:38:18We were seeking honour, seeking pride in the fight.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20What about 2018?
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- Are you looking forward to the World Cup?- No.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Absolutely not. What most likely will happen,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31they will just take down all leaders,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33all people who are capable of organising anything,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35and just lock them down.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Now if you speak about the guys from the older generation,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42we all realise that for us, this will be, like,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45a very, very hard year.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48So British fans won't have anything to fear?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- HE LAUGHS - I don't know.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57They can come over and we'll see.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03I mean, somebody will obviously try to do something.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06That is, like, 100%.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08100% guaranteed.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11How would you not get beaten up?
0:39:11 > 0:39:13HE LAUGHS
0:39:15 > 0:39:17How would you not get beaten up?
0:39:19 > 0:39:20That's a good question.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26Well, I don't know. Have family and children around you or, like,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30something. I mean, if you are there with your friend, your male friend,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33you should calculate with getting your ass kicked.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Dennis was adamant that someone would look to fight at the World Cup
0:39:40 > 0:39:41in Russia.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Welcome on board.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46If it wasn't going to be the older generation,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50I wanted to see if a younger firm, off the police radar, would look to
0:39:50 > 0:39:51make a statement.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03This is Rostov-on-Don, 600 miles from Moscow.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06It's a host city for the World Cup,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09with a new stadium being built on the banks of the River Don.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Nearby in a local gym,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17a young firm are also preparing for the tournament to begin.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26They're often involved in prearranged brawls against rival firms.
0:40:57 > 0:41:03They tell me they're auditioning for new members in a uniquely Russian way.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07The wannabe hooligans have to head out of town into the woods and take
0:41:07 > 0:41:11on a rival firm in no holds barred hand-to-hand combat.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17They are known as forest fights.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Due to the police crackdown,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24the location is kept on a strictly need-to-know basis.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Are there any rules to these forest fights?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00It's a far cry from the images of drunken English football hooligans
0:42:00 > 0:42:04singing Rule Britannia and throwing plastic chairs at the police.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09It's the night before the forest fight,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and I've been invited along to spend some time with the firm.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17At a sauna.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45Over fruit, tea and freshly caught crayfish from the River Don,
0:43:45 > 0:43:46the firm bond.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14MUSIC PLAYS
0:44:14 > 0:44:17THEY SING
0:44:40 > 0:44:42It's the day of the fight.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46The firm are worried about security.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31On the outskirts of town, we pick up the group of hopefuls.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45All of them are young, aged between 19 and 20.
0:46:01 > 0:46:0519-year-old Artyom is one of those auditioning for the firm.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Are you scared of getting hurt?
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Are all your friends fighters?
0:47:16 > 0:47:1920 minutes outside of Rostov,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22we arrive at a dead end leading to a muddy field.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Some of the older members of the firm I met in the sauna are here.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44They will both coach and judge the newcomers.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00I'm nervous, and unsure what to expect.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01But I'm not the only one.
0:48:23 > 0:48:28There's a mix of fear and excitement in the air as the new recruits go through their preparations.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34For extra motivation, the leaders give them some advice.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26If Artyom and the other fighters impress today,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29they'll be presented with a pin badge or a T-shirt.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38If they become a long-standing member,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41they'll be allowed to get the firm's tattoo.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33We've no clear idea who or what awaits at the end of the path.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45SHOUTING
0:50:53 > 0:50:55SHOUTING
0:50:58 > 0:51:00In a clearing, I see the opposition.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05THEY SHOUT
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Seven young men from a town an hour away from Rostov.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22THEY SHOUT
0:51:29 > 0:51:31SHOUTING
0:51:47 > 0:51:51Artyom gets thrown to the ground, but he doesn't give up.
0:51:55 > 0:52:00Looking round, I can understand why the authorities want to stop these fights.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31In front of me, one of the opposition is being repeatedly kicked in the head.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Someone could be seriously hurt.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42SCREAMING
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!
0:52:54 > 0:52:57MOANING
0:53:04 > 0:53:06APPLAUSE
0:53:28 > 0:53:31I'm in shock at what I've witnessed.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36And surprised and relieved there are no serious injuries.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- You OK?- Yeah, yeah.- You OK?
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Are these guys OK? I just want to check that they're OK.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59You OK?
0:53:59 > 0:54:01- You all right?- OK, OK, OK.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Fine, fine.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Walking back to the Rostov firm,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08I wonder if they will have escaped unharmed.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Let me look at your hand.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28'Despite being thrown to the ground early on,
0:54:28 > 0:54:32'Artyom has escaped relatively untouched.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36'But having been unable to showcase his skills, he's disappointed.'
0:54:45 > 0:54:48The leaders are matter-of-fact in their analysis.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51He'll have to go through it all again if he's to become a member of the firm.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Having seen what it takes to become a member of their hooligan firm,
0:55:41 > 0:55:43I wonder why anyone would want to do it.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47But these forest fights aren't just restricted to Rostov.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50They take place all across Russia.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55And aren't just for new members hoping to audition.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Police crackdowns mean fights that used to happen in town centres
0:56:03 > 0:56:05now happen in the countryside...
0:56:08 > 0:56:11..involving sickening levels of violence,
0:56:11 > 0:56:13with groups of up to 200 or more.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24The young Russian men I've met seem desensitised to the casual brutality
0:56:24 > 0:56:25of these fights.
0:57:00 > 0:57:06The 2018 World Cup in Russia will attract fans from around the world.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09But there's a question as to whether Russia will get the happy and
0:57:09 > 0:57:11harmonious tournament they hope for...
0:57:11 > 0:57:13- ALL:- Welcome to Russia!
0:57:13 > 0:57:16..and whether the police can contain the hooligans.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21One thing's for sure -
0:57:21 > 0:57:25the reverence held for England fans will always make them a target.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Here on the banks of the River Don,
0:57:47 > 0:57:51in sight of the new 45,000-seater Rostov Arena,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54the locals are patiently waiting for the tournament to begin.