Product Description

Throughout the 70s and early 80s English football hooligans wreaked havoc throughout England and Europe until the authorities decided that enough was enough. Chelsea supporters were targeted, and one man in particular, Steve ‘Hickey’ Hickmott, was deemed to be public enemy number one and arrested. This explosive story, told in Steve’s own words, reveals the humour, camaraderie and escapades of life on the terraces and charts his fight for justice in the face of a system heavily biased against him, but where his battle to clear his name was eventually won.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #132090 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 250 pages

FourFourTwo
'[The battles] all sound terrifying ... [the story] is gripping and deserves to be told'

Review
'[The battles] all sound terrifying ... [the story] is gripping and deserves to be told' (FourFourTwo )

About the Author
Colin Ward was born in Walthamstow, east London. After graduating from Smithfield College he ran a successful meat marketing business. He is a committed Arsenal supporter and has written a number of bestselling football books.

Customer Reviews

A must for all followers of football in the eighties.
Great combination of humour and anguish, written extremely well. Really gives an open account of the agro and fun of following your club in the mess of the 70's and 80's. Sure there were punch ups at and after a game, but what this book does is explain the difference between that and the behaviour of some of the more dangerous lads who were bad news at anything they attended. The legal aftermath of the pressure politics is scary reading for anybody involved in any group that doesnt confirm to the 'norm'!

Excellent Read
I was very surprised how good this book was. A very accurate, unbiased and even humourous account of the times. I was nodding in agreement to so much of it, as so many people who had never attended football games had an attitude towards football fans while the truth was far different. I am not defending bad behaviour, but there was often another side to it. For example when just acting in self defence (to prevent seroius injury) or using bad language, fans were still labeled hooligans. Yet consider TV out-take shows where celebrities, presenters and politicians use far worse language or agression yet it is considered humourus - similarly behaviour in films such as 4 Weddings & Funeral, Bridget Jones Diary - or rugby players vandalism is seen as comedy. One rule for one.

Only criticisms. Firstly - I felt one of the Tottenham Chants should not have been included, or it should have been made more clear that at the time it was an ignorant harmless joke (although personaly I think there can be no humour over this subject). Secondly - Overplay of innocence. Thirdly not enough about England trips. But big surprise, an excellent book - definetly for anyone to read.

A brilliant book
An excellent account of the football hooligan days, unlike most of the hooligan books on the market today this one is honest at times very funny and not made up of a fantasy world that the other authors (martin king & martin knight excluded)Hoolifan: 30 Years of Hurt seem to live in most notably rob silvester cass pennant trevor tanner. I can reccomend this book to anyone.