Former world champion boxer, Tony Bellew hosts BBC Radio 5 Live’s new six-part podcast exploring the dark side of football.
Gangster Presents: Hooligans looks at the rise and fall of hooliganism and the socioeconomic factors that led to its peak. It also explores the cultural impact it had on society, and how the police, Government and football clubs worked hard to put the fire out.
The six-part boxset uncovers the turbulent history of the movement, from the fights to fashion, and its lasting impact on communities across the UK over the past six decades.
Talking about the podcast, Everton fan Tony Bellew said: “Back then, there were no rules. There were also weapons. It was mayhem.
“In my opinion, it was a dark time, it was when football was in a really, really bad place. The terraces were chaos, there was violence in the streets, there was violence in city centres, at train stations, at grounds. Nobody was safe, things could escalate at any moment.
“What people misunderstand about hooliganism is that it was born out of frustration. What I’ve learnt through doing this podcast is that these people were doctors, they were solicitors, they came from all different walks of life, and they go to these matches and have fights with other fans to escape their day-to-day lives.”
The podcast features not only members of the notorious ‘firms’ but also victims, the families of those lost to the violence, and undercover police officers who risked their lives infiltrating some of England’s most dangerous football gangs.
Archive news material, conversations with well-known football legends and fans are also featured. These include former footballer and broadcaster Pat Nevin, Radio DJ Trevor Nelson and TV presenter Nick Owen.
The soundtrack goes back to the era as Tony covers decades of football ‘firm’ history starting in the 60s up to present day.
This podcast highlights what was known as ‘the English disease’ at a time when English football fans had a worldwide reputation for violence in and outside football grounds across Europe.
Some of those from British football’s most notorious firms, their origins, and the havoc they caused around the country are also included.
From Manchester United’s Red Army to the Chelsea Headhunters, via the West Ham Inner City Firm and Birmingham City’s Zulu Warriors, Gangster Presents hears from those who lived for the trouble – the men, and women, whose Saturdays weren’t complete without a brutal punch-up.
These include ‘Cockney Al’ who moved to the Chelmsley Wood area of Birmingham when he was just 14, and by 15 he was up to his neck in it.
He says: “You’ve got two choices, you turn and run, or you stand and fight. Once you get involved, you’re expected to get involved every week and that’s what happened to me.
“I was 15 and we played West Ham on the night-time and West Ham came out of New Street Station and quite a lot of people feared them, well because I was from London it didn’t bother me, seeing 200 cockneys coming out the station, so I just through our lot and ran right at them. That was my first major fight, and it just grew from there.”
The Gangster Presents: Hooligans boxset launches on BBC Sounds on Friday 7 March.
