Members of the Cutters are known to be one of the first firms to adopt casual clothing and designer garments in the 1970s along with hooligan supporters of local rivals
Liverpool F.C. Andy Nicholls, a former 'general' in the County Road Cutters throughout the 1980s and 1990s, who was branded a category C football hooligan by the National Football Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the highest NFIU rating, claims that the Cutters had strong rivalries with hooligan firms of the two Manchester teams,
Manchester United F.C. and
Manchester City F.C., the
Sunderland firm
Seaburn Casuals, as well as with the
Chelsea Headhunters, a firm associated with
Chelsea F.C., and the
Millwall Bushwackers, a firm associated with
Millwall F.C. As of 6 October 2003, Nicholls was banned for life from Goodison Park. The Cutters have been involved in a number of high-profile clashes with other firms, most notably in 2005 with the
Red Army, a firm associated with Manchester United. Hooligan supporters of the two teams clashed outside Goodison Park after the game, in which Everton triumphed 1-0 thanks to a
Duncan Ferguson headed goal. The fight between the supporters is known as 'The Battle of Everton Valley', and is widely thought to be the worst incident of football related violence Merseyside has ever seen. Around 100 United fans were left bloodied and injured, and within hooligan circles, the 'battle' is widely regarded as a 'win' for the County Road Cutters. Some sources claim that Liverpool FC hooligans joined forces with the Cutters to battle against the Red Army. According to Manchester United hooligan Colin Blaney in his book
Undesirables, the Cutters have also come to blows with Manchester United's Red Army firm over disputes stemming from both firms' involvement in illegal ticket touting at pop concerts. ==References==