Gladiators MC (Motorcycle Club – Australia)
Gladiators MC are a one percenter motorcycle club founded in Australia in 1960.
Note that there is also a motorcycle club founded in Columbus, Ohio who use the name “Gladiators Motorcycle Club”. They are a military based club and are in no way related to the club discussed in this article.
Gladiators Motorcycle Club History
The Gladiators Motorcycle Club were founded in Australia in 1960.
The Grafton clubhouse location has been used to host multiple exhibition boxing matches, known as the Jaca Bash.
Gladiators Motorcycle Club Patch / Motto / Colors
The Gladiators MC patch consists of a skull wearing a gold and red gladiator helmet.
One of the mottos used by the Gladiators MC is the acronym G.F.F.G, which stands for Gladiators Forever, Forever Gladiators. This style of acronym is very common amongst one percenter motorcycle clubs.
Gladiators Motorcycle Club Chapters
The Gladiators have multiple chapters throughout New South Wales. At one time or another chapters have existed in the following locations.
- Gladiators MC Australia
- Gladiators MC Maitland chapter (Horseshoe Bend)
- Gladiators MC Grafton chapter
- Gladiators MC Gunnedah chapter
Gladiators MC clubs have opened over the world. These chapters only share loose connections with eachother.
- Gladiators MC Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Gladiators MC Canada (St-Jean, South East Montreal, Quebec)
- Gladiators MC Germany
- Gladiators MC Netherlands
- Gladiators MC Norway
- Gladiators MC USA
- Gladiators Chicago chapter
Famous Gladiators MC Members
Colin “Caesar” Campbell was a member of the Gladiators before becoming a prominent enforcer for Comanchero MC, followed by a move along with his brothers to Bandidos MC, ultimately playing a part in the Father’s Day Massacre. He is now a notable author on the outlaw motorcycle club scene.
Gladiators MC Crime / In The Media
2002 – 20 November, 2002. Police perform a search of a storage unit at Hi-Tech Self Storage in Toormina, a suburb in Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales mid-north coast. Five prohibited firearms, four Chinese assault rifles and a sawn-off rifle are found in the search. The storage unit is connected with Steven Gardiner, the President of the Gladiators MC Grafton chapter. During the trial the defence claimed that the storage unit had been rented in his name however it was done under the instruction of another member who wished to use the unit for the storage of club equipment. In June 2005 Steven Gardiner is sentenced to five years in prison.
2012 – In 2012 legislation was passed in Australia to ban entry to anyone showing patches, jewellery or any other items representing the following outlaw motorcycle clubs:
- Bandidos MC
- Black Uhlans MC
- Coffin Cheaters MC
- Comanchero MC
- Finks MC
- Fourth Reich MC
- Gladiators MC
- Gypsy Jokers MC
- Hells Angels MC
- Highway 61 MC
- Life and Death MC
- Lone Wolf MC
- Mobshitters MC
- Mongols MC
- Muslim Brotherhood Movement MC
- Nomads MC
- Notorious MC
- Odins Warriors MC
- Outcasts MC
- Phoenix MC
- Rebels MC
- Scorpions MC
2012 – 22 July, 2012. Gladiators Maitland chapter President Frank Van Der Kroft attends the Cessnock Hospital, located in the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales. The man was suffering from four gunshot wounds to the torso. He was in a stable condition. He had been shot while riding his motorcycle along the nearby Wine Country Drive in the suburb of North Rothbury. A burnt-out car was located nearby in the suburb of Keinbah and is believed to also be in some way related to the shooting.
2014 – 4 April, 2014. Over 30 police including those from the special operation group Strike Force Raptor, a group dedicated to the investigation of outlaw motorcycle clubs, perform a raid on the Gladiators MC Gunnedah clubhouse in Bloomfield Street. Five men are searched, consisting of three members of the club along with two volunteers who were operating a barbecue in preparation for other members returning from a club poker run. Police seize all items within the clubhouse, including televisions, beer, club signage, furniture and a pool table. There are no arrests made and no drugs or other illegal items found as part of the raid.
Gladiators Gunnedah chapter President Peter Fuller speaks to the media a week after the raid, highlighting that fact that nothing illegal was found in the raid however the police still chose to seize everything within the clubhouse “even the bins out of the ladies toilets”. Furthermore he notes that in the 10 years since the Gunnedah chapter was formed not a single one of their members has been convicted of a serious crime.
2014 – 28 October, 2014. Police raid the Gladiators clubhouse in Horseshoe Bend, a suburb located in Maitland in New South Wales. The operations was being performed as part of Strike Force Meaney, a group who were set up to investigate the manufacture and supply of amphetamines in the Hunter Valley area. The bar and stage inside the clubhouse were destroyed by police during the raid, along with further damage being noted to the walls, furniture and other items in the clubhouse. No drugs were located as part of the raid on the clubhouse. Police later made that statement that all items in the clubhouse were seized as “it was illegal to have a bar at the clubhouse and use it to serve alcohol, and anything relating to illegal pursuits could be seized.” Raids were also performed by police on multiple other properties with connections to members of the club. Four men are arrested during the raids on various charges including the possession of weapons, receiving stolen property, dealing with the proceeds of crime and commercial drug supply.
2015 – 9 February, 2015. Gladiators Motorcycle Club member Scott Andrews, who was one of those arrested in the 28 October, 2014 raids of the Gladiators Maitland chapter clubhouse, pleads guilty to having prohibited weapons without a permit. The prohibited weapons that he was found with were a single set of handcuffs, a single butterfly knife and a single bullet. He advises that he had found the single bullet nearby on the street. He receives a 12 month good behaviour bond.
Gladiators Motorcycle Club Enemies and Allies
Gladiators Motorcycle Club enemies:
- To be confirmed.
Gladiators Motorcycle Club allies:
- To be confirmed.
Gladiators MC Books / Movies / TV
The Gladiators Motorcycle Club are mentioned in the following books:
The One Percenter Encyclopedia by Bill Hayes. View this book on Amazon (link opens in a new window). The One Percenter Encyclopedia is one of the “bibles” for outlaw motorcycle clubs, with very brief summaries provided for over one hundred motorcycle clubs.
Read More:
- List of One Percenters Motorcycle Clubs
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Books
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Court Records
Please help us out by hitting the “Share” button so that we can keep bringing you more articles and “Follow” us on Facebook so that you get updated the minute we release new articles.
