No Name Boys (Portugal)

Benfica Sport Club Supporters’ Group

Last modified: 2014-12-19 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: no name boys | hooligans | neonazi | nn | ii | barreiro | lisboa | montijo |
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• About “No Name Boys”
• Generic flag pattern
• Variations

• Sport Lisboa e Benfica
• Portugal

About “No Name Boys”

A youth Benfica supporter group, “No Name Boys” (yes, name in in english), uses a badge containing two reversed "N"s, arranged like an interdition traffic sign: black letters on a white disc with a red border. I think that the use of cyrillic "i" has nothing to do with russian players, it is just a “radical” or “rebel” way to write "NN". If I recall correctly, theier leaflets, graffittis and banners used always cyrillic "I" instead of "N", much in the same way many anarchist groups (at least in Portugal) spell "anarquia" and other "qu"- and "c"-words with "k" instead.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 04 Oct 1998

“No Name Boys” was later disbanded for violent behaviour and neonazi envolvements (something that was vexillographically obvious from the start), but it appears to be active again — or at least some other youth supporter group is using the same name and badge (and flags). The neonazi envolvement may now be something of the past, as I have seen mixed race hooligan groups sporting this badge on flags, scarves and shirts, but the general neonazi flag design was kept.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

Generic flag pattern

Logo on white background — deoesn’t seem to have a particular meaning, unlike the others.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

All flags I saw on stadium photos seem to be squarer than 2:3, about approx. 3:4 — this may be true for any similarly used and sized (hoist measure averaging 2-3 m) flag, due to practical constraints of weight and visibility.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Variations

The background is filled differently in different flags; I suppose the background varies according to the local branches of this supporter group. I have seen even backgrounds aptterned after municipal flags — but considering the strict identification between any given color or color combination and the respective football team (strict ad nauseam, if you ask me) I dont expect to see many more of these localized branch flags in municipal flag patterns, as f.i. Amadora (where a lot of Benfica supporters dwell) would sport the white-green colors of the arch-fiend Sporting.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

I’ve seen more of these municipal-flag-derived NNB flags. These are probably flags used by local delegations of the group.
Jorge Candeias, 23 Mar 2003

Red

Background red, with a thin black line separating the background from the ring.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

Two red stripes

Background white with two narrow vertical stripes at the fly and hoist ends.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

Red band on black

Black background with wide red band separated from the background and from the superimposed logo by a thin narrow fimbriation.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Black and white gyronny

Logo on black and white Lisbon gyronny.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Gyronny of black and white with No Name Boys logo are for local branches from Lisbon municipality)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

Red and white gyronny

Logo on black and white Barreiro gyronny.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Gyronny of black and red with No Name Boys logo are for local branches from Barreiro municipality), with a thin white line separating the background from the ring.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Jul 1999 and 27 Nov 2001

Green and yellow gyronny

I saw in the last days was a green and yellow quartered flag with logo centered. Since there are several such municipal flags in Portugal, different only in the coat of arms, I can’t pinpoint the procedence of this flag.
Jorge Candeias, 23 Mar 2003

Black cross on white

Logo on black Christ Knights’ cross, throughout on white background.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Black cross on red

Black background with wide red cross separated from the background and from the superimposed logo by a thin narrow fimbriation.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Red cross

Logo on thin red cross (separated by a thin narrow fimbriation), on white background.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2003

Green and red

Shown on portuguese TV today, in a animation clip announcing this club’s victory in the national soccer cup, at the end of the official TV broadcast. NoNameBoys fan flag, seen among the public, background matching the Portuguese national flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 May 2004

Basque background

Shown on portuguese TV today, in a animation clip announcing this club’s victory in the national soccer cup, at the end of the official TV broadcast. NoNameBoys fan flag, seen among the public, background matching the Basque flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 May 2004

Supporters from Sesimbra

This is the No Name Boys flag from Sesimbra fans. Background vertically divided in dark red and white with emblem overall. Since heraldic purple can be (mis)interpreted either dark red of real purple, this design may be based on the municipal arms.
Nelson Macedo Vidal and António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 Mar 2006

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