ChatGPT was asked to name the toughest football firms in UK history, and didn't put Millwall in the No1 spot.
Football hooliganism was at its apex in the 1970s and 80s, when violence before, during and after matches was almost a dead cert.
Back then, fanbases prided themselves on having the hardest firm, with the likes of Millwall's notorious Bushwhackers infamously striking fear into the hearts of opposition supporters wherever they treaded, but according to the latest AI software, they weren't the very toughest.
That honour, awkwardly enough, went to their fiercest rivals, West Ham's Inter City Firm (ICF). The Bushwhackers had to settle for second place, while Chelsea's Headhunters took third.
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Completing the top five was Leeds United's Service Crew and Manchester United's Red Army, in fourth and fifth respectively.
Explaining its choices, ChatGPT said: "The ICF was known for its confrontational and aggressive behaviour, both inside and outside football stadiums. They were involved in various clashes and altercations with rival hooligan firms from different clubs. The name 'Inter City Firm' itself suggests the group's willingness to travel long distances to engage in confrontations with rival fans."
Were you a football fan in the 80s? Which firm scared you the most? Let us know in the comments section below.
On Millwall's Bushwhackers, it noted: "The term 'bushwacker' itself is a reference to the historical use of the term to describe irregular soldiers or guerrilla fighters who ambushed opponents from concealed positions. In the context of football hooliganism, members of Millwall's Bushwhackers were known to adopt similar tactics when fighting rival firms."
A former Manchester City hooligan named Micky, who was a member of the club's firm 'the Guvnors', admitted the group had their most gruesome clashes with the Bushwhackers.
"[Millwall] were the best firm in London," he wrote in his book 'Guvnors', about life as a City hooligan. "I crossed swords with them in two of the most violent encounters the Guvnors ever had. The thing about Millwall, they don't do a lot of dancing up and down. They walk right up to you and whack you.
"When it comes to fear, there are few things to match than being Bushwhacked in a dark subway by several hundred Millwall boys," he added. "It makes you wonder why you ever became a football hooligan."
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