With the recent troubles in Sheffield and Luton,now seems a good a time as any for this lazy post. Lazy because its something I already posted on a documentary forum around Christmas time so it saves me any work today.An interesting two part Channel Four documentary about football hooliganism. The first part explores the 70's and 80's and speaks to some of the leaders of the hooligan firms. How the old cheap football special trains increased away supporters at games,football fashion and also the hooligans own "code of conduct" Part 2 explores how the seeds were sown a year before the tragic Heysal Stadium disaster,shows the knock-on effect from Heysal and the major Government crackdown on the thugs. Alot of top firms leaders were jailed (fitted up by false police evidence in many cases which was later proven in court) With the thugs being squeezed out here,alot of them started causing chaos abroad with England with,for the first time,an England game over in Ireland actually getting abandoned. Contains scenes of violence and a great soundtrack. Ripped from glorious VHS with all the Channel 4 adverts painstakingly removed (my me...not someone else who has reposted this as their own work elsewhere on their "own" documentary blog and ignored my protests!)
It may not be punk rock but its a bloody good watch if you fancy a social documentary for a change. Contains a few old faces from the ugly side of the game including Chelsea's own ex Combat 84 lead vocalist Chrissy Henderson who I must admit does make me laugh with one of his comments and top author Martin King as well as hoodlums from other clubs such as Man Utd,West Ham and Liverpool to name but 3. The fact is,hooliganism was a way of life back then and going to and returning from an away game for the normal fan like myself was a mission back then. So this is a trip back in time.
Join the files together with HJ-Split http://www.freebyte.com/hjsplit/
Part 1
Part 2
7 comments:
Thanks Longy, good post. Know what you mean about travel to and from games in those days being a mission. Whilst not condoning hooliganism in any way, I must admit they were exciting times for a young teenager in the mid to late 70's.
Well sometimes going to a home game was a mission too for me mate if I'm being honest especially after I moved down here. I would of hated to be an away fan at Chelsea back then though. They would wait as long as it took to batter them - police escort or not.
Might have seen this (probably have) but can't download until I clear some room from the HD.
I followed the mighty Hammers :) all over the country during this period 1974-90 and to agree with Mullers they were exciting times.
I have to admit a lot of the stuff that gets highlighted in these films I didn't see as I was with the main body of Hammer fans just going to and from the games and not really searching out the aggro (I'm not gonna claim I was part of the ICF), although there were many hairy moments. also the police were a bit more "hands on" in those days if you know what I mean :)
Stuff that might be considered scary by outsiders like charging down the road after the other teams fans, all the fan baiting during the game and jumping the barriers to cram ourselves in the tubes and trains was just a normal trip and added to the fun.
All seater stadiums killed it for me, I hate sitting down at games those times on the terraces hold some of my greatest memories.
Glad my stupid footie hooligan days are behind me. There is a Steve Jones commentated Hoolgan dvd I have which too my utter shame has footage of me wacking another so called fan with a metal bar. Not my finest hour :-(
Cheer for your comments Lee and Marky. I know what you mean about sitting down Lee - I hate it but where I sit,I do in fact stand for the majority of the time in the ground. I have had two letters this season warning me I have to sit down like I'm some kind of naughty schoolboy. It makes me laugh when I think back on misbehaved some of our lot were and we now get treated like cunts for simply wanting to support our team. They even eject fans for smoking in the concourse at half time now. Its sad.
So tell me more about your moment of fame Marky. I take it you were "batting" for the cockney reds. I just wondered who was the unfortunate bowler? Back then it was almost the norm to get in a ruck although I did my best not to. It wasn't always an easy task in those days though and sometimes it was a case of whack or be whacked.
Well sometimes I would be battling for the Reds but I had mates in the 80's who were West Ham and Chelsea fans so sometimes it wouldn't have a lot to do with football just go along for the ride. I have to say I feel ashamed about the way I behaved at times hindsight beeing the wonderful thing that it is. I ain't saying I instigated trouble but I sure ended up in enough of it.
Fair enough Marky,I admire your honesty. It was harder to stay out of trouble than be in it back in those days. I've got reasonably clear conscience give or take the odd charge,riot and pitch invasion but even then,I was just doing what everyone around me was doing and it was good fun sometimes I must admit. I put that down to my age though really.
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