Product Description

Here, in graphic detail, the Swansea Jacks recount the history of their times following the Welsh club. Cardiff City and their infamous Soul Crew have been arch-rivals of the Swansea Jacks for over four decades. Tooze and King chart the rise of the Swansea firm, from the Skinhead movement in the late 60s until today's present fashion-conscious casuals. They write not just about the hooligan scene, but also about the politics involved in following a lower league team, the music and the drugs scene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #189621 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 270 pages

Customer Reviews

swansea jacks memories of a miss spent youth
i can quite understand why some people would find this book a little offensive. And perhaps to understand its graphic content you had to be one of the thousands of young working class men who were the "football hooligans." this book is real, do not imagine its fiction , these scenes were repeated up and down the country from portsmouth to glasgow, its not some 19 yr old celebrity or soccer stars self indulgence, but an accurate account of a massive social problem that is like it or not part of many forty somethings past .

Toozey or Lee?? You decide
Well written and honestly told, but I would say the majority of the content comes from Lee. If I remember correctly Toozey only wrote the 1st couple of chapters, few of the other lads wrote their memories and Lee seemed to be responsible for the rest. Think Toozey's involvement was more of the arrranging of the book and yes he does mention a lot of the veterans as well (Michael Buller and Billy Pridmore to name but a few). Anyway this book is brutally honest I'm just grateful this era is more or less over as I can take my children to a match and know that they can enjoy the match and be kept away from the trouble if there is any.
Unfortunately the rivalry between Cardiff and Swansea is always going to be there.

Brutal & Refreshingly Honest

Have read dozens of these footie hooligan books and this is by far the closest to how it really is. Every other book on this subject explains how the author and his firm go and beat up the rival firms but never get beat up themselves barring a few exceptions. The maths just don't work out or is someone telling Porkies?
These guys are not afraid to admit they had beatings and ran from other fans. They don't proclaim to be the hardest or the best unlike most of the other firms i've read about. Have been to hundreds of football matches and this is about as real as it gets.