Notorious football thug and far-right blogger pal accused of involvement in sinister fascist parades

The sinister military-style ranks of black-clad men could be a scene from pre-war Italy. But the so-called “silent protest” with its fascist imagery is present-day Scotland – where it has been used to promote anti-immigration views.

Notorious football thug Sandy Chugg, 54, can be revealed as one the black-shirted men in clips from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Videos of the unsettling parades were broadcast by Chugg’s best pal Craig Houston, a Restore Britain member and YouTuber who has placed himself at the centre of far-right activism and anti-immigration protests across the country.

The unnerving clips – which are shot in black and white and appear to involve a drone – have also been shared by extremist Tommy Robinson.

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They feature men in military grid formation, who gather as a wreath is presented, stating: “We apologise.”

The statement sits alongside a note in Italian: “Il fine giustifica i mezzi”, which translates as: “The end justifies the means”. The so-called apology is understood to refer to the way the UK has allowed mass immigration to happen.

As the men gather, all dressed in black and lined up in rows of four, the scenes appear to mimic those of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini in the early 20th-century.

Mussolini’s Italian Blackshirts (squadristi) were the paramilitary wing of the National Fascist Party.

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The British Blackshirts – Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) – also adopted the black uniform and were known for aggressive confrontations, most notably the 1936 Battle of Cable Street.

Rangers casual Chugg – ex-leader of the Inter City Firm of hooligans – was previously exposed by the Record for involvement with the British National Party (BNP).

Chugg nominated BNP candidate Robert Currie who stood as a prospective MP for ­Shettleston in Glasgow in 1997.

He denied being an organiser of the parades in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but freely admitted on Houston’s site: “I’m involved in this, purely as a participant. I go, I participate and then eff off. Personally, I’ve had enough of sitting on my hands while our country burns.”

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Chugg also fuelled suspicion the silent protests may be a precursor to far greater unrest.

He added: “It is peaceful (so far as it should be) but it’s a warning that enough is enough regarding our country, identity and tolerance of this globalist world order who don’t give a f*** about the eradication of western values they have flustered on communities Europe-wide. Enough is enough.”

Chugg and Houston go back years having jointly formed the Sons of Struth group that campaigned for a significant section of fans at the time of the disastrous takeover by Craig Whyte, who took the club into administration in 2012.

After Houston shared the videos, which were filmed outside Glasgow Cathedral and at the Scottish Parliament in June, Robinson ominously tweeted the clips and credited him.

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Several sources have told the Daily Record of their suspicions far-right groups in Scotland are ultimately connected through secret channels to Robinson – the UK’s most influential far-right voice.

He wrote on X: “Edinburgh is rising. The men of Scotland are mobilising”. Another clip was captioned: “Glasgow is rising.”

Houston has built up 95,000 followers on his YouTube page after visiting towns and cities in the wake of racial flashpoints.

On his channel, he also denied orchestrating the sinister gatherings in Edinburgh and Glasgow – but acknowledged he has been widely accused of being a key player in their organisation.

In a video, he said: “People say I am coordinating these things, but I’m not. I get asked to document them and I’m happy to do so when I get wind of stuff.”

Houston flopped in the recent ­Holyrood elections as an independent candidate. But he has now adopted the badge of Restore Britain – which advocates the mass deportation of ­immigrants.

It is suspected he will seek to stand for an elected post for the extremists. His videos appear to be shot in his home, where a portrait of right-wing oligarch Elon Musk hangs on a wall.

Those shared by him include some titled: “White Victims Don’t Count”, “The Secret Migrant Crimes” and “Royston Says No To Migrants”.

Houston was a prominent player in a recent demo in Glasgow, live blogging from the scene where scores of masked men became embroiled in racial disorder.

Anti-Racism and Fascism campaigners have branded the ­involvement of Chuggs and Houston in the recent demos as “disturbing”.

A spokesperson for anti-racism group Football Lads and Lasses Against Fascism said: “What we are seeing are efforts to form a street army, which are being promoted across social media. We can see this clearly with these sinister videos which depict men in black shirts, marching in ­military formation.

“The involvement of Sandy Chugg from the Rangers hooligan firm the ICF is disturbing as this man’s past involves close involvement with the BNP. His friend Craig Houston’s affiliation with the Restore Britain party is also significant.

“We believe the videos he is ­broadcasting are specifically designed to draw together factions of the far-right in Scotland with a classic fascist strategy. They must be stopped.”

Mohammed Asif, of the Stand Up to Racism group, said: “Craig Houston’s material is attractive to young and naive people, who are perhaps not racist, but ­ignorant. He has glorified marches where people have covered their faces with masks before harassing people.”

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The Daily Record contacted Chugg for comment. We spoke to Houston, who did not respond to the questions we put to him about our article.

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