Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19032 in Books
• Published on: 1997-12-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 194 pages

Review
'The most explosive book about soccer violence ... ever!' (Sunday Sport) --SUNDAY SPORT

Review
As far removed from Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch as it is possible to get.' (The Guardian)

Review
`As an insight into the mind of a hooligan, it probably won't be bettered.' (Manchester Evening News)

Customer Reviews

Not bad but I wouldnt go too far.
I guess this book should get a but more praise because it is one of the earlier 'hooligan' books but the simple fact of the matter is if you have read one you have read them all.

Story begins with his childhood, born in rough working class area, dad used to slap him around, mum worked her guts out but both were the salt of the earth. Joined a firm, was a life long fan, police make an operation against the firm, court case goes on, gets sent down, comes out becomes a bouncer yeh you have just about read the same thing with just about every hooligan book around.

Still, this does have some things of interest. Francis is pretty honest with his many encounters with rival firms describing how he and his firm were not only turned over more than once but that on many occasions he had the living daylights kicked out of him. He is honest about his own firms use of knives and how other firms also used them recounting occasions when the City firm have slashed a few people. He is honest about the thieving that went on how they were far from the best dressed people around (in fact being honest enough to say they dressed like scruffs) Which is a damn site more honest than some of the books you will find out there with there obligatory chapter dedicated to nothing more than designer labels and myths about how they were such 'dresses' (Anyone seen the pictures in the Birmingham Zulus book? V-Neck jumpers with black suit jacket, yeh lads you were the height of fashion)

Mickey was a mixed race lad and is not daft enough to think that racism didn't exist on the terraces. He more than once tells us how his firm fought City firms who were NF and some of the racist abuse that the Cool Cats received in Liverpool (From both Liverpool and Everton) Leeds, Millwall and Chelsea and even more so the shock value a mixed race firm received in places like Newcastle and Leeds.

Not a bad read, you will probably get through it in about an hour at best.

Its Cool For Cats............
As far as football violence goes, and lets face it the vast majority of such epics are tedious, dubious and do little but glorify mass battles in areas where it is likely that women and children can be found, this is about as good as it gets. Make no bones about it, Mr. Francis is an extremely complex and "hard"person. He makes several key statements that sociologists who constantly review the hooligan culture, should take on board such as the fact that he didn't just fight at football, he was prone to violence wherever and whenever. It also shows how difficult it was for him to move into legitimacy because of the reputation he and his associates had acquired not only with the authorities but with others in later life. A key publication in this overflowing and glorified area.

brilliant
This book was excellent, and thats comin from a Manchester United fan. Mickey Francis and his brothers tell the exact story of their years in football violence. He was brought up in one of, if not, the roughest areas in the country and uses this to get his point across. It is a must read book if you are a football fan and has been brilliantly written.