"The InterCity Firm ... hard, terrifyingly vicious, brilliantly organised, tremendously feared and highly fashionable. They were the most notorious firm of Seventies and Eighties football hooligans this country has ever seen. For the first time ..., all the faces of the West Ham Firm reveal their memories and thoughts about the violence, the battles, the campaigns, the run-ins with the authorities, and all that came with it"--Back cover.
The Inter City Firm...hard, terrifyingly vicious, brilliantly organised, tremendously feared and hihgly fashionable. They were the most notorious firm of the Seventies and Eighties football hooligans this country has ever seen. For the first time ever, all the aces of the West Ham firm reveal their memories and thoughts about the violence, the battles, the campaigns, the run-ins with the authorities, and all that came with it. Bestselling author Cass Pennant was one of the best-known figures of the I.C.F. He has used his unique position as a West Ham insider to bring together these first-hand accounts of the men who were at the eye of the storm, both on and of the terraces. These tales from the terraces range from the inflamed East End rivalry with Millwall, to the she-end battles with Chelsea, from aggravation at Anfield's Kop to the disaster in Heysel. These stories unfold against a backdrop of sharp fashion and music, such as The Cockney Rejects and Sham 69 that became the hallmark of the hoolifans.
He arrived to rally the troops, the main man in the Inter City Firm and his greeting passed into football fan history. 'Afternoon, gentlemen, the name's Bill Gardner.' That introduction alone was often enough to provoke sheer terror in his opponents. He is a genuine legend to anyone who's ever stood proud on a football terrace. No serious book on the culture would be complete without at least one mention of him. And now at last, he's telling his own, long-awaited story. For the first time, Gardner himself reveals what made him the top man, including his innermost thoughts and his memories of the classic years for football fans. And many familiar faces have queued up to add their comments in this book which shows just what it is that makes Bill Gardner unique among the toughest and the greatest of them all.
Andy Nicholls is known to every football intelligence officer in Britain. For twenty-five years, he was one of the most active hooligans in the country, a leading figure among the violent followers of Everton FC Classified as a Category C thug, the worst kind, he amassed more than twenty arrests and has been deported from Belgium, Iceland and Sweden. His terrace fanzine was closed down by the authorities and he was banned from every ground in the UK. Revealing the truth behind the vicious knife attacks of the so-called County Road Cutters and the bitter Merseyside and Manchester rivalries that left scores injured, SCALLY caused a storm of controversy on first publication. It is widely acknowledged as the most revealing, most shocking book ever written about soccer gang culture.
Meet the men who, for decades, have ruled the football terraces. They are the faces behind the biggest firms in football history; behind the rucks, the rules and the respect. They have caused chaos for the public and the press and struck fear into rival fans that have crossed their path. In this book, the men behind the mobs have joined forces to reveal their experiences as key figures in the most notorious terrace fights. From the bovver boys of the sixties and seventies to the football casuals of the eighties, the names central to the biggest firms - the names that were to become the stuff that terrace legends were made of - have all been tracked down and interviewed. They tell their stories in this book.
He's been run through with a sword; He's been shot at point blank range; He's got reputation and respect as one of the hardest bastards in Britain... Cass Pennant is a man who lets his fists do the talking. One of the hardest men in Britain, he lives his life on the edge of the law, giving respect where respect is due and dishing out terrible retribution upon anyone who dares to cross him. Cass's life story reads like a Hollywood gangster movie. He tells the amazing stories of how he once saved the life of World Boxing Champion Frank Bruno when skinheads were attacking him with knives; and how he was shot three times in the chest in a South London nightclub but still kept of fighting. As Cass says, 'I've been a bad lad and I've done some good in my life but I'm not ashamed of anything I've done or the choices I've made. I don't owe anyone anything. It ain't nobody's business but my own...'
Portsmouth's 6.57 Crew, named for the time of the train they took to away games, were the most talked-about casual football firm of the 1980s and 1990s. Labelled 'the worst in the land' by the police, this is pompey's true shocking story. For the first time, the firm's insiders reveal the truth behind the tabloid headlines. Cass Pennant is the best-selling author of Want Some Aggro?, Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF, and a hugely successful autobiography, Cass. Rob Silvester tavelled on the 6.57 train many times and became a part of the notorious group of fans. As a no-holds-barred look into a world of turmoil and violence, this is an unsurpassed book. It's required reading not only for football fans, but also those who want to know the amazing facts about a social phenomenon that changed the face of British culture.
Traceable as far back as the work of the path-breaking Chicago School of Sociology in the 1920s and 1930s, subculture and counterculture have long been conceptual staples of the discipline. This collection includes 16 readings on aspects of sub-community life in sport that showcases the breadth and depth of sport subcultural research.
Society played a part in the death of my baby brother. The demand for perfection and what was deemed acceptable by our everyday standards helped mold a fragile frame in a young man's mind. The security and resolution I needed was never to be found within the realms of the everyday working world. I learned to reconcile with what you may unfairly call the "ills of society". I found not only resolve, but also harmony within the world, a world that all members of our populace are exposed to in their lives and is part of a culture, even if you chose to ignore it, is one we all live in. I'm not only lucky enough, but also privileged to have been welcomed and accepted in this world, and here their stories will show that this syndicate are of the same making of us all. For me and my brothers none of our heroes wore capes.
Becoming the Very Best First-Time Leader Congratulations! You’re now in charge. Perhaps it’s your first time as a leader, or maybe you want to fine-tune your skills. Either way, you’ve begun one of the most rewarding chapters of your career. But, like many beginnings, the first few years can be challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle this challenge on your own. Your First Leadership Job gives you practical advice straight from others who have walked in your shoes. Not only does it include dozens of tools to ensure your success, but it’s also based on the authors’ and DDI’s extensive experience and research, which ultimately has led to the development of millions of leaders around the world. In fact, a quarter-million leaders will be developed this year alone via DDI training. Your First Leadership Job is divided into two sections. Part 1 introduces the concept of catalyst leader—one who sparks energy, passion, and commitment in others. Your transition to catalyst leader is a major step in your leadership journey. This book provides essential tips to put you on the catalyst path. Ultimately, leadership is about the many conversations—frequent, clear, authentic, and occasionally difficult—that you will have daily. Your First Leadership Job builds awareness of the fundamental skills you’ll come to rely on to make every one of these interactions successful. Part 2 devotes 13 chapters to critical core leadership competencies, including coaching for success, hiring the best employees, turning dreaded appraisals into discussions that propel performance, and handling difficult employees. It also includes a chapter for first-time female leaders. Look at Your First Leadership Job as an indispensable companion to becoming an awesome leader—one who will make a positive, lasting impact on your team, family, and career. Visit www.yourfirstleadershipjob.com to learn more.
