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A postgame confrontation between members of Blue Furia and Carolina Hooliganz results in a bloody face, an ambulance ride and pointed accusations
Juliana Gregory, president of Charlotte FC fan group Blue Furia, was injured Saturday after the game during a confrontation with a member of fellow fan group Carolina Hooliganz. Witnesses said Gregory was taken to the hospital with a bloody face, and Blue Furia said Sunday she is recovering at home. (Photo courtesy of Blue Furia)
by Carroll Walton
An argument between leaders of two Charlotte FC fan groups turned violent after Saturday night’s game at Bank of America Stadium, with the president of one of the groups taken to the hospital with a bloody face.
The two groups, Blue Furia and Carolina Hooliganz, traded accusations on Sunday over who was responsible. No arrests have been made.
An eyewitness told The Ledger on Sunday that Blue Furia president Juliana Gregory and a woman from the Carolina Hooliganz first started arguing in the stadium during Saturday’s game over a racial comment. The two women came face-to-face outside of Clutch Kitchen & Pour House on Cedar Street after the game, around 10 p.m.
Photos shared with The Ledger and posted on social media appeared to show Gregory with cuts and bruises on her face, and witnesses observed her on a stretcher being wheeled to an ambulance. Blue Furia told its members on Sunday that Gregory was recovering at home.
Multiple sources told The Ledger that other members of both groups confronted each other in a nearby parking lot, though it’s unclear how much of the arguing was physical and how much was vocal.
A police report obtained by The Ledger on Monday revealed little new information. It said that Gregory “was assaulted by 5 unknown females.” It did not name the five suspects in the public version of the report. [updated 4/15/24 at 9:45am to provide information from police report]
Charlotte FC is known for its passionate fanbase despite being in just its third year in Major League Soccer. The club has six or seven so-called supporters groups, which are organizations of fans who gather to watch games together, march into the stadium, hold social and fundraising events and more. Carolina Hooliganz and Blue Furia include members of varying backgrounds but both have a majority of members from the Hispanic community.
Gregory and the Hooliganz member involved could not be reached on Sunday. Members of each club pointed instead to their statements on social media.
In its statement, Blue Furia said the blame falls on multiple members of the Carolina Hooliganz:
After last night’s match, our Blue Furia president Juliana Gregory suffered a targeted aggravated assault while leaving the Bank of America Stadium. She was ambushed by multiple members of Carolina Hooliganz.
The statement called on the team to “take proper and just actions” against Carolina Hooliganz. It added: “We demand justice and will pursue all legal avenues until justice is served. This is a criminal act of violence and we cannot tolerate it.”
Blue Furia president Juliana Gregory, pictured earlier this year with Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith.
In a statement posted to social media, Carolina Hooliganz took issue with the characterization that Gregory was “ambushed by multiple members”:
The Carolina Hooliganz are aware of the accusations being made to our members by the supporter group, Blue Furia. We would like to take the time to let the public know that we will comply fully with the appropriate authorities … There is evidence that shows that this “altercation” was not as is being published. … There [are] always two sides to every story and there is definitely a backstory to this one.
The statement added: “The only ‘targeted attack’ that occurred last night was that of 20+ Blue Furia members to 7-8 Hooliganz members in which a child was present as well.”
Fan group Carolina Hooliganz posted on social media that there are “always two sides to every story” and that more details will emerge.
Charlotte FC fan groups are overseen by what is known as the fan council, which is made up of leaders from each of the five main supporters groups and monitored by team representative Shawn McIntosh. The council released a comment on its X (Twitter) account, “Royal Family,” saying: “The Royal Family does not condone or tolerate violence under any circ*mstance. We take these matters very seriously, and are working with all necessary parties to resolve this matter.”
Charlotte FC did not provide a public comment on the incident on Sunday.
The incident happened after the club’s 3-2 victory over Toronto FC.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her third season covering Charlotte FC. She writes The Charlotte Ledger’s weekly Fútbol Friday newsletter.
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