Entertainment For Lively Minds
My name is...
DougieJ, and I enjoy watching things like Booze Britain and (tonight) Danny Dyer's 'The Real Football Factories', on no less a channel than Bravo 2. There, I've said it. Feel better now.
Not sure what other point, if any, I'm trying to make, except that such programmes are part of a long tradition of...something. I'm sure the wonderful Laurie Taylor could expand on the topic. I do find, when perusing the sports section in the local Waterstones, that my eye tends to be drawn to the lower shelves, where the 'special stuff' resides. I must admit to finding it fascinating, e.g. 'how did Cardiff City's firm become known as 'the Soul Crew', or at what point did Spurs fans absorb the opposition fans term of abuse 'Yid Army' and turn it into a badge of pride?*
To add to my shame, I found said programme by idly channel flicking during the latter stages of Arsenal v Barcelona, by any stretch of the imagination an aesthetically pleasing and absorbing match.
*David Hepworth's chest will no doubt swell with pride at the revelation in tonight's programme that Spurs have apparently had the nawtiest firm in Bri'ain for the last ten years. Disclaimer - the programme was made some time ago, and they may all be utter pansies (or whatever term the youngsters use these days) now.
(No liability can be accepted for any advice given in this blog post, your home is at risk if you do not....)
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Can I recomend
"Amongst The Thugs" by Bill Buford.
Possibly the first, and best, examination of football violence by the american writer (think Green Street nicked a bit here) Bill Buford which is simultaneously gripping, exciting and deeply sad. Its beautifully written as well. Even my FPO loved it and she has little interest in the ostensible subject matter.
Its really about men amongst men. An essential read IMO.
A steaming pile
A lot of those books are a right load of tosh.I've read about half a dozen. I know one those "popular authors" quite well and i can't stop laughing when he writes about his "Firm". His reputation has been built up beyond belief. Most people i know who know him just get Journos (One for DH) to ask him about a guy called Steve McGuire and watch him tremble. The one about Aston Villa by Danny Brown was very honest indeed and one incident he mention includes a family member so i can vouch for that.
A lot of people i grew up with are founder members of one well known Crew and they say 50% of the stuff is made up.
Of course
they're a steaming pile of...
but that puts them firmly in the category of the penny dreadful, and as such part of the long tradition I was weakly alluding to earlier...
*gets Stone Island coat*
The whole subject is riven with exaggeration
But it is quite fascinating, isn't it. My earliest internet experiences were spent on a football hooligans forum. The banter on there was absolutely priceless, especially the off topic subjects of fashion, drinking etc. As a football fan of thirty years, travelling all over the country following my team, my take on it is it's fine, as long you take everything with a large bag of salt.
The problem is
that a lot of people believe it and when you have so-called famous hooligans going to places like Russia and Poland and giving talks about the Excitement and the rush of football violence,it's no wonder people want to copy it.
You are right ,Hesh. My own club's forum contains some posters that make Littlejohn sound like Tony Benn.
The Birmingham City one is a good read and look out for Rubery Ken. he's like the Brummie DJ in Bellamy's People but more Birmingham centric.
Harry the Dog
Somehow a more innocent age...
That Panarama...
Has been a curse on Millwall (my club) ever since. Many other London clubs were asked to do it before us and turned it down. Unfortunately some bright spark at the club obviously thought that there was no such thing as bad publicity and ever since Millwall has become a watchword for lazy tabloid journalism.
I didn't miss a home match in the 70's and even then trouble was as bad at a hell of a lot of other clubs also but they tended to avoid the glare of publicity.
On a related topic it's funny how the media and the Premier League have done nothing on the Man U v. Man C. problems from a month or so ago isn't it? Also Blackburn v. Bunley where it all kicked off the other night was largely ignored.
I guess nothing is allowed to damage the shining reputation of the cash cow league.