Product Description

Billy Evans, the suspected kingpin of one of the most notorious hooligan gangs in the country is putting together a ‘super-crew’ for England’s match in Italy. The police are on to him and try to infiltrate his gang. THE CREW is the violent story of what happens next - will the undercover police work out what is going on and be able to stop it? Or will they be unmasked and punished? In a tautly plotted, fast-paced thriller, Dougie Brimson takes the reader into a violent underworld where the only survivors are the quick-witted, quick on their feet and quick with their fists.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #410271 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Crew is Dougie Brimson's first novel, following a series of books on the subject of football hooliganism written with his brother Eddy. Once again, the territory covered relates to the violence that surrounds football. This time, however, things aren't for real--still, the characters and story line seem real enough, especially for those familiar with any of the tales told in the author's factual volumes. Marrying the football violence theme with a well-established genre, Brimson turns his tale into a thriller. Using the master hooligan and the police detective as counterpoints, he weaves a believable and gripping story line, truly guaranteed to keep the pages turning. With the villain of the piece painted black from the word go, the chase is always on. What follows is well thought out, though the ending does not necessarily deliver all the promise of earlier chapters. Perhaps Brimson is just waiting to launch a sequel. Nonetheless, even if a tale of a group of hooligans travelling to watch England in Rome might cut a little close to the bone, The Crew will undoubtedly provide much enjoyment for fans of suspense, albeit in a new context, as well as those whose somewhat more macabre interest has been held by the author's previous books. --Trevor Crowe

Sunday Times
'Punchy dialogue between overworked detectives and cool, calculating gangsters which finishes with a big, technicolour scrap'

Review
'A winning goal for Dougie Brimson' (Lynda La Plante )

'Punchy dialogue between overworked detectives and cool, calculating gangsters which finishes with a big, technicolour scrap' (Sunday Times )

'More twists than a Roger Milla goal celebration ... A classic tale' (Total Football )

Customer Reviews

Excellent!
One of the most exciting thrillers I've ever read. A great story made all the stronger by the fact that it is written in a dramatic 'in-your-face' style and with characters that are so beleivable.

Begging to be made into a film and screaming out for a sequel.

Mixed feelings
A change of tack for Dougie here with his first novel. The Crew is essentially the story of three characters; Billy Evans, 'top boy' in West Ham's main firm, the Cockney Suicide Squad; Gary Fitchett, the leader of Birmingham City's main mob, The Selector; Detective Inspector Paul Jarvis of the National Football Intelligence Unit. Ostensibly, the plot concerns Billy Evan's attempt to recruit a national firm to cause mayhem at an England international fixture in Italy. At this point, readers may be reminded of the 'The Firm', a screenplay that saw prime time viewing in the 80s. Along the way, Gary Fitchett is nicked for pepper spraying a Chelsea boy and is pressured by DI Jarvis into informing on Billy and the boys. Little do they know that Billy has his own plans. The excursion to Italy is merely a cover for his 'criminal' activities. Billy has a lucrative sideline in bent motors. The book builds to a grand finale in an Italian bar where, predictably, all hell breaks lose. In the ensuing battle between 'top boys' and the Italian old bill, Gary Fitchett is stabbed to death by the victim of his pepper spraying. Subsequently, DI Jarvis is suspended for wasting police resources and the NFIU is disbanded. The only winner is Billy Evans. This book is well written and an enjoyable read. Because it is a novel, it shouldn't ordinarily be judged by its plausibility. Unfortunately, the book isn't too dissimilar from Dougie's previous 'factual' work which has been heavily criticised for its promotion of inappropriate stereotypes. The book is replete with references to carpet knives, cs gas sprays, mobile phones and expensive designer clothing. On their own, these might be nice touches, but alongside recent reporting of the scene in the media, they reinforce the image of the Saturday scene as a 'sinister' conspiracy perpetrated by upwardly mobile 'generals'. For those who are 'in the know', the reality is somewhat different. The essence of the Saturday scene is and always has been quite simple; defending your manor against invading mobs and taking it to other manors. Whilst this may not make exciting reading for the general public, it is a far cry from the scenarios portrayed in The Crew. The main problem with The Crew then is that it reinforces images and stereotypes which are only partially true. Buy it, enjoy a bit of escapism but take it with a pinch of salt, particularly if you are new to the scene. Above all, do not have fantasies about mobile phones, carpet knives, 'secret armies' and cs gas sprays.

A Surprisingly Good Page-Turner
British hooligan authority Brimson turns his hand to fiction in this surprisingly readable bit of pulp about a top hooligan and the policeman with a sworn vendetta against him. The plot is fairly simple, DI Paul Jarvis of the National Football Intelligence Unit watched a fellow policeman die a few years previously in a hooligan rampage orchestrated by Billy Evans. Fast-forward a few years and Evans is a top man and a semi-respectable used car dealer. Jarvis discovers Evans is planning something big in conjunction with an England game in Italy, and tries every means possible to find out what. Part of that means putting the screws on those trusted by Evans, and soon enough, Jarvis has got a grass to go along with the undercover officer already on the scene. The story builds nicely to the climax in Italy, and has a really well setup twist at the end that'll leave you shaking your head. I didn't expect much from this book, and to be sure, it's not of the same quality as John King, but it does deliver a page-turning punch of a read.