Post by admin on May 14, 2005 2:21:47 GMT 1
Details:
One of the ironies of football in the 90s is that as hooliganism has apparently withered, helping to pave the way for the game's economic boom, books about it have been as lucrative and successful as Manchester United.
In recent years ex-hooligans have cashed in with numerous tomes, generally recounting with some nostalgia the riots and rucks of the 70s and 80s.
Martin King, one of Chelsea's violent devotees for 20 years, has already followed in the footsteps of Colin Ward and the Brimson brothers with one bestseller recalling his vicious past, Hoolifan.
In The Naughty Nineties he is re-united with co-writer and fellow Chelsea fan Martin Knight for more recollections of warring mobs, smashed-up pubs and mobile rucks on the London Underground.
Despite its title, many of the recollections date from before the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 fans died, and the revolution in policing and stadia safety which it ushered in.
In fact, it's often hard pinpoint any firm date for most of the tales King tells as he avoids specifics, even specific seasons, in favour of glass-smashing, punch-throwing, often blood-flowing action.
For anyone who has read any of the similar hooligan diaries, the style will be familiar: chapters about fights with "crews" from various other clubs, told in often explicit detail and extreme language.
King deploys a well-trodden defence of hooliganism: that the "crews" only confronted other willing pugilists. But he also reveals the reality in several episodes in which innocent fans and bystanders became victims.
His other sporadic attempts at analysing or explaining hooliganism are sometimes equally contradictory--for example he both blames the media for exaggerating the extent of hooliganism and also deliberately underestimating it.
But no-one has ever bought a book by an ex-hooligan for its thoughtful insight. Instead the public relies on the likes of King, and his former partners-in-crime, to report from the frontline of a phenomenon which has been, to a large extent, at least driven away from the sport and its stadia. And on those terms at least King can claim another result. --Nick Varley
Customer Reviews:
disappointing cash in
After the superb Hoolifan, it's sad to see the authors rush out this obvious cash-in. Their credibility is sorely tested with this book - even the title doesn't come true with too many re-runs of what we've already had in Hoolifan. The Brimsons made the same mistake by rush re-releasing follow ups, but it never works. Better off getting We Fear No Foe or Guvnors if hooliganism appeals to you.
Good, but not good enough.
After the excellent Hoolifan, this book promised much but sadly, it delivered only a fraction. The big problem with it is that the authors have fallen into the trap of trying to justify their activities by condeming everybody except themselves. It does not take a genius to realise that hooliganism is a problem because of, not in spite of, people like King, Knight and the numerous characters they describe. All the moralising and complaining about the police and the media is merely whitewash designed to disguise that simple fact. But by refusing to acknowledge their own role, rather than build on the hard hitting success of the previous book, they have ended up with a cross between Guv'nors and Capital Punishment and to be frank, both are better than this.
With so many hooligan books on the horizon (Armed For The Match, Fear No Foe, Barmy Army, etc) the Naughty Nineties faces stiff competition in what is rapidly becoming a saturated market. In my opinion, it is not strong enough to stand up to that test.
Hooligans PLC
Kingy has come up with an excellent follow up to Hoolifan. This one gives you a better insight into the workings of one of the top organised firms in Britain, I particularly liked the stories of the Moral Code of conduct which exists between firms, i.e. no knives, tools etc and leaving women, children & scarfers out of it, (are you reading this Leicester & Arsenal?) Martin makes some good valid points about the way the Public & the Police perceive the modern hooligan and draws up some interesting "what if" scenarios to compare their treatment in general with other crimes or criminals, be they violent or not. Some of the humour is good and very cutting, nice to see the Media boys get their come uppance at the hands of Chelsea fans after THEY tried to incite a riot for the watching public. My only critiscm would be that in not keeping with the Title there were to many flashbacks to the 70's & 80's, but all in all a good read, looking forward to the alleged Millwank book next year.
One of the ironies of football in the 90s is that as hooliganism has apparently withered, helping to pave the way for the game's economic boom, books about it have been as lucrative and successful as Manchester United.
In recent years ex-hooligans have cashed in with numerous tomes, generally recounting with some nostalgia the riots and rucks of the 70s and 80s.
Martin King, one of Chelsea's violent devotees for 20 years, has already followed in the footsteps of Colin Ward and the Brimson brothers with one bestseller recalling his vicious past, Hoolifan.
In The Naughty Nineties he is re-united with co-writer and fellow Chelsea fan Martin Knight for more recollections of warring mobs, smashed-up pubs and mobile rucks on the London Underground.
Despite its title, many of the recollections date from before the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 fans died, and the revolution in policing and stadia safety which it ushered in.
In fact, it's often hard pinpoint any firm date for most of the tales King tells as he avoids specifics, even specific seasons, in favour of glass-smashing, punch-throwing, often blood-flowing action.
For anyone who has read any of the similar hooligan diaries, the style will be familiar: chapters about fights with "crews" from various other clubs, told in often explicit detail and extreme language.
King deploys a well-trodden defence of hooliganism: that the "crews" only confronted other willing pugilists. But he also reveals the reality in several episodes in which innocent fans and bystanders became victims.
His other sporadic attempts at analysing or explaining hooliganism are sometimes equally contradictory--for example he both blames the media for exaggerating the extent of hooliganism and also deliberately underestimating it.
But no-one has ever bought a book by an ex-hooligan for its thoughtful insight. Instead the public relies on the likes of King, and his former partners-in-crime, to report from the frontline of a phenomenon which has been, to a large extent, at least driven away from the sport and its stadia. And on those terms at least King can claim another result. --Nick Varley
Customer Reviews:
disappointing cash in
After the superb Hoolifan, it's sad to see the authors rush out this obvious cash-in. Their credibility is sorely tested with this book - even the title doesn't come true with too many re-runs of what we've already had in Hoolifan. The Brimsons made the same mistake by rush re-releasing follow ups, but it never works. Better off getting We Fear No Foe or Guvnors if hooliganism appeals to you.
Good, but not good enough.
After the excellent Hoolifan, this book promised much but sadly, it delivered only a fraction. The big problem with it is that the authors have fallen into the trap of trying to justify their activities by condeming everybody except themselves. It does not take a genius to realise that hooliganism is a problem because of, not in spite of, people like King, Knight and the numerous characters they describe. All the moralising and complaining about the police and the media is merely whitewash designed to disguise that simple fact. But by refusing to acknowledge their own role, rather than build on the hard hitting success of the previous book, they have ended up with a cross between Guv'nors and Capital Punishment and to be frank, both are better than this.
With so many hooligan books on the horizon (Armed For The Match, Fear No Foe, Barmy Army, etc) the Naughty Nineties faces stiff competition in what is rapidly becoming a saturated market. In my opinion, it is not strong enough to stand up to that test.
Hooligans PLC
Kingy has come up with an excellent follow up to Hoolifan. This one gives you a better insight into the workings of one of the top organised firms in Britain, I particularly liked the stories of the Moral Code of conduct which exists between firms, i.e. no knives, tools etc and leaving women, children & scarfers out of it, (are you reading this Leicester & Arsenal?) Martin makes some good valid points about the way the Public & the Police perceive the modern hooligan and draws up some interesting "what if" scenarios to compare their treatment in general with other crimes or criminals, be they violent or not. Some of the humour is good and very cutting, nice to see the Media boys get their come uppance at the hands of Chelsea fans after THEY tried to incite a riot for the watching public. My only critiscm would be that in not keeping with the Title there were to many flashbacks to the 70's & 80's, but all in all a good read, looking forward to the alleged Millwank book next year.