Bobby the Wolf: The True Story of Britain's Most Notorious Football Hooligan, and the West Ham’s Intercity Firm’s Top Boy

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Already, the binary morality that we routinely accept as the norm when talking about young men fighting seems wanting. The force of this familial bond is felt in many such accounts, and must have seemed an inviting proposition for hundreds of young men at the time. The glory comes not from the team but from the reputation of its supporters.. [4][9], The 1985 Kenilworth Road riot, after an FA Cup sixth-round match between Luton Town and Millwall on 13 March 1985, became one of the worst and widely reported incidents of football hooliganism to date. I wonder if Harry the Dog still goes to Millwall games and if so, how much has he toned down since his heyday. jessica parker journalist father. Tie this newfound sense of self-determination in with the traditional protectionist concerns that cover local rivalries and pride in one’s area viewed through the prism of football, and it becomes much easier to see how the violence escalated. Most Read You had the mods and you had the end of the teddy boys and the greasers and the football was a continuation of the mods. Then the skinheads came along in 67/68 and it was all one thing.’

Former club chairman Reg Burr once commented: "Millwall are a convenient coat peg for football to hang its social ills on", [31] an example being the reporting of convicted murderer Gavin Grant. Although he had played for eight different clubs, playing his fewest games (four) for Millwall, and was signed to Bradford City at the time, the BBC used the headline, "Former Millwall striker Gavin Grant guilty of murder". [32] This sense of local loyalty is abundantly clear in Bob’s first taste of terrace fighting, which was at the tender age of eight: "I went to a match in Feb 1967, just before I turned nine – I used to go with my dad. This formative experience, of being protected and looked out for resonated deeply with the young lad, and it was to be reinforced several years later.Armstrong, Gary; Giulianotti, Richard (June 2001). Fear and Loathing in World Football. Berg Publishers. p.65. ISBN 1-85973-463-4. There is, of course, a practical side to all this acceptance and camaraderie. While Cass and Riaz speak eloquently of an almost pastoral duty of care from the gangs they joined, Danny Brown is in no doubt that, while there’s no one-size-fits-all reason for such allegiances, there’s a safety in numbers game at play. Many of these accounts suggest a much more mixed overall picture. Danny Brown, of Aston Villa’s C-Crew describes the beginnings of his firm: "The name C-Crew is short for ‘Corner Crew’, we took the name from the part of the Holte End where we stood and watched the matches from.

Haylett, Trevor (1994-05-20). "Football: Crowd trouble may lead to closure of New Den: FA charges south London club after disturbances at play-off match". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14.

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There was a bit of trouble and, even at a young age, I wanted to get involved. [I was] frothing at the mouth with eyes popping out of my head, but you can’t do much at that age. We were the first multi-racial football crew in Britain – it brought together youths from different areas of Birmingham during the Eighties.’ As the violence increased, so those involved in it became organised. Groups made territorial claims in and around football grounds, and a gang mentality arose. Cass Pennant: "There’s a sense of identity, respect, pride, belonging, brotherhood – family even. It’s male camaraderie, a feeling you’re alive. You matter and can have a say in your destiny."