Fighting At Arsenal, Attacks On The Public And My Cover Getting Blown | Minutes With |
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2022
- Former police officer James Bannon sat down this us to share his story of infiltrating a British football hooligan firm.
James spent two years undercover with the infamous hooligans of London-based football team Millwall, known as the Bushwackers, during the height of football violence in England in the late 1980s.
James' story was adapted into the 1995 film 'I.D.'
Follow James on Twitter here:
/ runningwiththef
You can also buy his book on Amazon here:
www.amazon.co.uk/Running-Firm...
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to attack a chap like that in front of his wife and kids is just savage. Such an act of cowardice. I hope those girls have been able to heal from it.
cowards thats all
They gonna remember that for life.
watching your dad get a smack on the nose isn't gonna scar you for life.
Could have definitely done more.
Why not deport these sorts of people
Hitting an innocent man especially in front of his children is lowest of the low !!! Absolute scumbag
Millwall fans for you.
Getting excited and attaching your ego to a bunch of men kicking a ball is stupid.
Men meeting up to fight dudes wearing a different jersey is pathetic
Taking your kids to such a match is irresponsible.
@@tendrosstoodross2976 The man with his family was on a train. Not at a football match.
@@tendrosstoodross2976 in that case having kids at all is irresponsible. Mist kids are abused by someone they know
I could listen to this guys stories all day. I’ll never be able to fathom how people can be so attached to a game to the point of wanting to hurt someone else, I know people are passionate but it’s just football.
It's nothing to do with football. It's primal.
it's not just a game of football. There's more to it, only people involved in this can truly say what it felt like. Was a better rush than taking drugs!!
I have to say despite the criminal convictions I took from it, it was one of the best times in my life. The commorady, the buzz, going to football etc and standing toe to toe with your mates with others who want to beat you up.
You do grow up, or it's forced on you to grow up.
I'm glad I'm no longer involved in it all, but do look back at memories and think christ, how did we get away that!
@@tw9341 how do you think you grow up by acting like a hooligan and committing acts of violence? I think most people would view that as immature or perhaps carried out by people with a lower level of intelligence.
@@user-zs9zs9nq9l I grew up out of it when I become a father, I grew up out of it after facing prison.
That’s what I meant.
Nothing to with being primal it’s a bunch of knuckle dragging Neanderthals that don’t know how to grow up
A friend of mine told me a similar story. In Croatia, where I come from there is a long standing rivalry /hatred between the top two football teams, Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb. Him and a few lads were going to a Derby with a van and it broke down on the highway, so they were pretty bummed out because they will miss the match. Naturally, every football fan has a sticker on his car from his favorite club. So to their astonishment another van stopped with a Dinamo sticker on it. They were pretty thankful to the guys who stopped for helping them. So lo and behold instead of helping the poor guys with their broken down van they beat the crap out of them, got back into their van and drove off. I mean, passion and love for a club only goes so far... That guy punching the guy on the train in front of his wife and kids is just a maniac and I hope he was locked up
bad blue boys are very intense
@@mpglad402 Dinamo fans hate Hadjuk because half of the Hadjuk fans are Serbs
At least they did their beatings and mischief like a man nowadays somebody has a weapon on them and somebody ends up dying instead of dealing with it like real men
@@respectttt12345 yeah because a real man decks another in front of his two little girls and wife
Bigest gang hooligans
Met police
I had no idea that hooliganism was THIS intense and organised. It’s frightening. Very brave guy as well
Dire Straights or Chewbaccao Ma
Some of it is very organised, some of it are just lads getting drunk fur a game n see people wearing the other team's colours. Like wi the Old Firm (Celtic v Rangers) you huv hooligans who are part of a proper group n make plans fur when, what and where to do shit but also random teens n neds who on match day will be drunk n see someone wearing the other team's colours n start a fight wi them
@@connormc4477 have*
this was the late 80s to mid 90s the era when cctv was being brought in so you had to be this organized otherwise you were going to jail very quickly
They’ve always been organised, some dont even go to the match. They call themselves ‘firms’ and usually meet up for a square off with the designated enemy.
Think if it as a warrior class training for futurewars. Once I saw it that way I was able to stop hating them.
The more masculinity is demonised - the more people like this will need an outlet.
Obviously I’m not condoning it, or any other violence. I think most of them would condemn the guy hitting someone in front of their kids.
There on the other hand, it’s not my world, I’m just trying to understand it.
Follow James on Twitter here:
twitter.com/runningwiththef
You can also buy his book on Amazon here:
www.amazon.co.uk/Running-Firm...
And for more insight into his story, see our article here:
www.sportbible.com/football/former-millwall-football-hooligan-arsenal-20220727?source=facebook
Oh whats this? A video with a man talking about something that has nothing to do with sex? Thats interesting. When will we see something not sexual from a woman interviewee ladbible? Hope its what you're planning next.
One of the best books I've read
My Dad was a Millwall hooligan, a half way line boy to be precise. He used to take me as a child to watch them play and kick off. I've never been interested in Violence or hurting people as Dad did but ile always love Millwall, not just because it was my father's Legacy but I'm from Millwall aswell. He even kept a scrap book with every single match he attended during his youth till i was little, still got the book to this day, RIP Dad
Good riddance to your Dad. He was a nasty piece of work
Are you from Millwall? East London?
@@T1CHE14Nope, South East London, elephant and castle before moving down to tooting
Loved his emotions. It's like a rollercoaster of ups and downs and loved seeing him feeling happy and sad, he just presents emotions well.
vitali: The guy's in touch with himself/reality.
Quite big-headed
Yes but would you trust him if he suddenly palled up with you 😄?
@@monkeytennis8861 Still better than the people that he is policing.
@@deniseelsworth7816 I would trust any police officer given the alternative in this country.
Propper football hooligans don't attack shirts. Hooligans know who the other hooligans are, and who's up for it. The guy who attacked the crystal palace fan on the train with his kids wasn't a hooligan, he was obviously just a knob head
Spot on mate
But it’s Millwall mate. They are the scum of hooligans to keep their name as it is. Wall are like the arseholes of football culture as they don’t behave within the code
exactly
Yeah mate hooligan code of honour n all that 😂😂
All hooligans are knobheads.
I googled him because I thought he had a great acting potential. It turned out he tried his luck in acting and even got some advice from Gary Oldman. He is a successful author, stand-up performer and investor, so I'm glad he is doing very well.
There's a movie called ID which it seems was based on this guy
He got advice from Bex Bissell? Lol
@@Lauren_MUFC16 he was quite literally the best undercover guy they had but u gotta do bad things to catch worse people , wasn't necessarily football people he was after , he was after people behind it the big dealers and connected gangsters but he found out the police was as bad as the people he was trying to catch and they shut it down and just took down the middle tier guys instead of the big fish.
A good mate of mine was undercover here in lufc country an he bought his way up to like million pound drug deals , there was 3 guys an him one day there was a meeting and they just turned on him an he woke up 2 years later 😳 doesn't know if he gave himself away or someone found something out , he told me he went to murder squad for a rest after 😳
@@BipoIarbear oh I totally understand you’ve got to play the part and emulate the people around you, or they’d sniff you out in a second. I can only imagine these firms and what’s really at the top….drugs, high stakes gambling, possibly weapons…it’s like well organised gangs or mafia if you will. I can’t imagine what your mate saw doing all that. I was just having a laugh really with the bex bissell comment cos of Gary Oldman and the firm and all that. 🙂
@@Lauren_MUFC16 awe thought we was gonna have some war o roses banter 😭 u know wat tho not sure wat age ya are but my fave footy days were 90s to mid 2000s specially Leeds man u games there was a proper rivalry .
When I worked in Leeds and a match was on my route took me by a pub forget the name but it was terrifying just driving by it cos everyone would stare at u like ya was a copper or something it's only time when I felt like that pressure an I was nothing to do with it and I was a Leeds fan🤣 I think it was the red car and I wish I was joking 🤣
My dad used to be into this sort of thing before I was born. He still has scars from it all and tells some horrific stories of when the other firm catches you on your own etc.
He always says he regrets it and never fully understands when he even got involved in the beginning. I remember him saying it feels like you was part of a pack/family and you all looked out for each other.
Luckily my mum got my dad out of it all before I was born and he hasn’t turned back since
Lucky your dad didn’t do what Steve did, if you know, you know
Like your dad said, it's the pack mentality, and especially back in the 80s, working class lads were going through a lot due to the social situations at the time, as a result, they're full of anger and this tends to come out at the weekend with mates, pissed up, etc. Same nowadays and why it's creeping back in.
Look up the link between leaded petrol and violent crime, then consider we didn’t start reducing the amount of lead in U.K. petrol until the mid 80’s, and didn’t completely ban it from sale at some stations (for use in vehicles that couldn’t use LRP) until 1999.
The decline in football violence follows this pattern, but lagging a few years behind the reductions/bans (because lead affects children more then remains in their bones continuing to affect their behaviour as adults). If your dads bones were tested, they’d probably find some lead in them.
I'd say riding prostitutes and each other's wives too.
@@matthewnayler6317 I agree especially what happened between Spurs and Arsenal fans a couple of months ago. Could add what happened after the Everton v Palace match and other matches that I could mentioned. I blame this government for making this sort of environment socially acceptable. If they actually cared about sorting out the problems with the working class then they don't have the urge to be hooligans again.
need more stories like this over a longer time, maybe like 45 minutes.
Watch this space...
@@LADbible love you x
@@ryanlock1101 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@ryanlock1101 Lol !
Used to work with this older guy who was a Chelsea fan who would tell us about what him and his mates used to get up to when he was younger, even he said he was shocked at the level of violence of some of them, him and his mates were in Pizza Hut once and they left without paying for some poor guy working there tried to stop them who went "Come on lads don't be like that" and one just turned around and KO'ed him with one punch, another occasion they were in a snooker club and they offered to play these young guys at a game, for whatever reason one started on this young fellow and broke his jaw with a snooker cue, he could see that his jaw was out of shape, even Paul said he felt sickened by what happened and said leave it out he's just a kid!
Some people are just raving lunatics, some real scumbags out there, watch yourself at all times.
Yeah, some of these shit heads just want to hurt people for their own pleasure. They're not worth the air they breath.
Your right and yet they tell us not to carry knifes. A knife will protect me from chelsea headhunters.
Chelsea were wankers ⚒
@@biddyearly9262 not if they take it off you, a bit of ammonia in the old jif lemon will relive you of that.
Your better off giving it a swerve, unless you're up for it.
whos Paul
A undercover copper got arrested and legged it from his own colleagues 🤣guys a legend
When my Dad was 15 he was wearing an Oldham scarf waiting to get on the bus home from the game, and he got jumped by about 10 25+year old Tottenham supporters who stomped his face in and broke his nose which gave his sinus problems for life. To this day he's never been able to forgive them and will literally walk out of a room if Tottenham are playing.
Time's a great healer, he'll eventually get over it.
Bit insensitive to say he’ll just get over it. Such a traumatic experience will haunt you. I’m an Arsenal fan so know full well how easy it is to walk out of a room when Tottenham are playing 😅
On a serious note that is awful and I hope he doesn’t always make this association. There are good and bad apples everywhere, sadly football gets ruined by the ones that use their team as a cause for bad. Bit like religion. The idea isn’t bad, it’s bad people that use the idea to support their own hate regime.
I know this full well having stupidly being with a person that was a united hooligan when I was younger and more impressionable. You can kill the cause but you can’t kill facism and bigot
@@allwrighty100 You never get over hating those spuds down the 7 Sisters.
@@emma1784 It is not being insensitive. It’s more like a lack of a cell in said persons melon. You never forget hating the scum from shite hart lane.
Every team has rotten supporters, but that is an all time low....disgusting
There was pain in his voice when asked about attachments to some fans . Imagine making genuine friends and knowing they were living a lie thinking you were just like them , if you knew they were good at heart it must feel so snakey knowing they see you as a friend and to you theyre just part of your job
He is a lieing there was no pub called the puffin in New Cross were we used to meet up before a game and I was going from 1970 till 1995 and he said we lost there we done the double over them that year 3 1 at home and 2 1 away go back to writing for jacknory Jim baan
@@michaelmorgan8539 isn't this the whole plot to the film I.D.
@@mrnice7570 I don't know never seen the film mate all I know he just a bullshiter I can't believe people actually think it's the truth omg what fools
@@michaelmorgan8539 I'm a retired Met copper and lifelong West Ham fan.... I've never heard of this twat!!
Had some great fun back in the day with "The Wall" at the old Dell. I actually have a soft spot for you guys. Good luck for the new season mukka.
@@Ksknight100 I know he is a joke good luck for this season
Mad respect to the man. Interestingly enough, both of the undercover police officers interviewed on this channel (drugs police officers and now this bloke) have chosen to leave the force. And both seem to be decent people ending up criticizing the police for not doing a good job. If only there were more officers like them instead of the blue wall of silence.
Selectively picked though, those who remain in can't talk about It, both these guys were in 20+ years ago and it's a lot different now to how it would of been
@@650kfit5 oh, absolutely, totally agree with your point. I would be very interested to learn what has changed as for now, what stayed the same, what became better, etc. But we're not getting this information any time soon for obvious reasons
The same goes for anyone in the job. Look at police chiefs for example. Just spineless yes people who do as they’re told and as soon as they get that golden pension they start squawking like budgies about the inadequacies and lack of funding. They do F all for their colleagues because they’re selfish
@@sjukbasketball8498 not really, same in any job some just make it to the top. I've met all the chiefs at various events and my own and a handful are absolutely amazing and will stick up for staff
@@650kfit5 meeting a few at an event doesn’t mean you get to see the operational competence of those people. I’m sure they speak highly at events etc but when push comes to shove they do as they’re told as they know they’ll be replaced with someone who will do exactly that
This is one of the best ones youve ever done.
100% agree
yes
What a legend!! Admire his honesty when explaining the adrenaline rush.
I'm glad the vast majority of the people featured on that channel are from Europe, Australia, UK, Denmark and many other differents countries. It's not about stroking a particular country ego, like many others channels do, but about extraordinary people, recounting extraordinary stories. I'm glad I found that channel. So many real life heroes, not fictional, overdramatic stories, exaggerated stories, no obnoxious music or clickbaits. Only good questions and detailed account. Great job.👌
This is the best one yet - loved this interview
Never understood the mental thought process of football hooligans. Yes there are rivalries between teams but genuine supporters will just chant and mock each other as we’re all there for the football.
Working class lads angry at their circumstances, get together and let out some frustration on the weekends fuelled by booze and coke
I was one for a few years until the start of acid house and it's very addictive, theres the crazy adrenaline rushes, it's a sense of identity and belonging, not forgetting going to a new city with 50 or 100 friends was a great laugh
@@DeanK1905 bullshit
Same here mate, i live round the corner from the Tottenham ground and i personally couldn't give a shit about football, i'm a movie nerd
I think they just take football personal, like, if the team they support loses, they will want to kick the shit out of the fans of the team that beat them. You see them at times on Facebook, someone will make a comment how a team lost at football and there was this reply from someone along the lines of "Yeah we did lose just like your lot did too after the game". Even kinda explains in all these hooligan films.. never any reason in perticular why they choose that path, but they are surrounded by hundreds of people willing to have their back so it gives them a sense of security and at times, importance. 3 words for them - Scumbags, Junkies, Pussies
This is the story of I.D. a film from the 90s. Really good film. Clearly the stories influenced the guy to write the film or the film director spoke with these officers.
There are exact scenes in the film that this guy tells. Was very interesting to hear his accounts first hand. Love his honesty and integrity
You could be right alot of similarities in is his stories and the film
It is. The film was based on his book "running with the firm"
I fackin love you Gumbo!
@@craigduncan4716 🤣🤣🤣
Great film!
The book on this man’s story is unreal. The stories and details of his operation and how it took over his life is unbelievable!
Sounds decent. What's it called?
@@lifeshort it’s called Running with the firm
@@THREAPZ1 Thanks mate
Sounds like the movie I.D his cover and infiltration during the day in the boozer to get the face known.
@@iamthewalruscuckookachoo1372 ID is based on his story.
"ID" the movie. Arguably the best football hooligan movie of all time.
Shadwell Dogs...!!!!
I f**king love you Gumbo
*throws dart at you*
@@deancapewell8927 😂😂😂😂
One of my good friends was the head of a certain football teams hooligan group. I never heard of them attacking the public. In fact he said they never would. When their team would be playing another team, that other team’s main guy would contact my mate and they’d arrange where to meet before / after the game. They’d have a war then leave. He absolutely loved it. I could never see why. I always assumed it was just those who want to fight vs those who want to fight. The public / innocent people is terrible.
This is 100% correct how football firms work, but there are lots of youth and other small groups running around who won't be apart of a firm and will just cause trouble in pubs etc.
hahahaha they always said that. I'm criminal but no innocent people are harm. But when shit hit the fan they dont give a shit about innocent people.
A guy I knew who ran with the Villa firm also said they would never attack someone wearing a teams colours in any form ie shirt, scarf, badge etc.
The head is one thing but there are a lot of members who may not have the same moral fortitude...
Millwall Bushwackers were next level back in the 80s.
ID is by far the best hooligan film. I kept recognising bits from the film in his story and the read the description. Got some balls this dude
I remember that game. Millwall were in lots of small groups because a big firm would be too easy to police. There were sirens going off in all directions. Most of Arsenal's firm went into the stadium but Miller was having a go allegedly.
Firm? Bunch of silly little boys🙄😂😂😂
@@markjohn1910 who gives a fuck? Bunch of silly little boys pretending to be hard men🙄🤣🤣🤣
Arsenal were well on it that day , I was in northbank and in The Arsenal tavern before hand when millwall attacked normal fans ( not hooligans ) , millwall came in northbank and proper came unstuck
If this was the 1988 FA Cup game, then I was there. It was my second home game, aged 17. They also smashed up the Plimsoll Arms, like a pack of hyenas, disgusting and traumatic. It was the 3rd round, and the away end at Arsenal is the clock end. We also played them in 1995, 3rd round, lost that game but I didn't go, the North Bank was probably being developed by this point, to all seats, post Hillsborough. Great story though man, thanks for letting us into that world.
Those stories he told are pretty mild. Some of the things I’ve seen following Chelsea my whole life were pretty fucking horrible. About the Chelsea trial he is referring to, the guys they were going after, most of them were pretty serious and the fact those cops even needed to fabricate evidence is almost ironic considering what I know to be actual fact. None of this even goes into the insanity that went on from the 60s-90s.
All got £100K compensation for the Police lies.
I just watched ID and instantly knew this story, didnt think to read the info haha. Makes it even more incredible of a story.
i love that he ended up hating the police and supporting millwall
Fascinating interview
Just read through book, well worth a read and has led me to watch I.D again.
Can't imagine the bottle it takes to do what he did, and fair play for being honest about how much you enjoyed it and liked the people.
So glad u mentioned I.D
He’s story sounds near
Word for word like that film
So many similarities…
@@thomashamilton8125 he wrote the story for ID, it was based on his experiences, the film doesn't follow the book to the letter and I would say the book is better, but it's worth reading and watching them one after the other 👍.
I was getting very strong ID vibes within the first few minutes of this video. I thought to myself, that film has to be based on this guy's experiences as there are just far too many similarities.
I've never really been a football fan and always found it hard to fathom why many are so passionate about the game spending hundreds on season tickets but each to their own. The same for the football firms really. However, I really enjoyed the film ID and I thought it blows the other films about football hooliganism out of the water and especially for small TV film production.
I guess that even if I don't understand a particular world that's not a part of my life, I'm still curious about other people's stories and experiences and what makes them tick.
What is the name of the book if you don't mind me asking?
@@edturner9670 running with the firm.
@@dennymc9646 Thanks 👍
what a story very entertaining and mind opening to hear
these conversations are brilliant
Initially, I thought, this sounds familiar. Checked the description and ID was based on this, but wow, can't believe how much of it was true to life (the bit escaping the police into the crowd in particular 🤣)
I’ve worked with a chief superintendent who used to do this stuff as well he had some wild stories too. Someone threw a fridge at him at a football match once 😂
Lol 😂
To cool him down?
Waste of money & time
A whole fridge?😭
BOSCH!
I can appreciate this guy honesty
He’s a liar
I bought his book in the airport and couldn't put it down, great read.
I read his book “Running With The Firm” great read
What i find really interesting is how he viewed the Police from a fan’s perspective and that’s what made him leave..
That says it all for me really. The police have and still do treat football fans like animals when in reality especially nowadays it’s only a very small % of fans looking to cause trouble.
Amazing , I lived through the bad old days of The hooligan hype in the 70's, guys like this put their lives on the line, and like he says. must have had huge egos to imagine they could survive it. Sends a chill through my memories.
so interesting having been a fan going to these kinds of matches at that time
Watch the 90's classic I.D based on James Bannon's story, well worth a watch
Fantastic
This guys story reminds me a lot of that film some of the scenarios sound like they were in the movie. I wonder if he was the inspiration?
@@martinl4552 It was based on his story, he left the police force after he was undercover i'm sure he had a part in the making of the film , he also has book out called Running with the firm
ladbible giving me what I want before I knew I wanted it.
Great interview. I wanted to hear more.
Great interview, very interesting watch.
I fucking love you Gumbo!
I never realised ID was based on a true story
They should give hooligans a criminal record and ban them for any form of violence in the stadium
Are you being sarcastic or something.
violoence in the stadium IS banned anyway
@@blludoguk unless you're a player then it's ok to have a jolly on the pitch and not get a 3 year banning order!!! I could never work that one out lol
Omg, I was thinking from about 2 minutes in that this mans story sounded familiar...then at 14:00 the story about the mates at the pub going to visit him at a job...the film I.D (1995) must have used his story. WOW. Mans a hero.
I saw ID years ago, was truly a gripping messed up film, but to see the guy who's story it was based on... very humbling
Thanks mate. I was asking this but didn't get an answer. When he started going on about paint and decorater and going in the pub during the day and the barmade sussing them out.
I was involved in that life back in the day too. However if any of our lads had beaten up a Man that was out with his family then we'd have never allowed it. It's bollocks saying that he didn't do anything to help because he had to save his cover. In reality any causal would have stopped it because nobody wants a name for attacking a family. It would have destroyed the firm's name. So stopping it would have enhanced his position in the firm for protecting their image from becoming one of attacking the defenceless
Interesting interview, but a frustrating waste of the publics tax money (spent on tickets, travel, booze, drugs etc) for 2.5yrs with absolutely zero outcome... 😒 Also a massive missed opportunity for this and other undercover offices to go back and continuously improve policing and policies from an outside looking glass.
“Waste of public tax money” you just described the police
@@DamianSAAAN to be fair the police do arrest some murderers, rapists, pedophiles etc. Did this undercover guy get arrests after this operation?
@@007ptb007 Yes but very often they let the evidence come to them so to speak. Dennis Nilsen was only found when remains blocked the pipes in his home/flat. The step mother and murderer of Arthur Hughes bloody called the medics and was so evidently lying that even the dumb police couldn't miss it though they had in the past (social services did but they're two branches from the same ugly tree)
@@OneAfter-wb9gq very true in some cases and with some bad officers, you reminded me of what a friend told me, he's an officer, he was telling us one night most of their time is used up on little scumbag repeat offenders, here in Ireland anyway there's 1000s of criminals going around with well over 100 previous convictions, recently in the news a guy with 225 previous convictions done something horrible to some girl, anyway the officers make these arrests, get these cases together and the judges either throw it out or suspend it or give them some ridiculous punishment, so they're out doing it again straightaway, he was saying due to this time wasting bullshit alot of horrible people have gotten away and alot of horrible crimes which could have been prevented weren't, he said do you know that channel 4 show 24 hours in police custody, its exactly like that, drunk people, scumbags, people with mental health issues etc. Waste all the time and resources, whereas dangerous criminals are more careful and they take a huge effort to catch because most serious criminals aren't like these alcoholics, people on drugs, extremely uneducated people who have social problems or have server mental issue like paranoia or delusional etc. Hooligans usually fall into this group I've described so are apart of the wasted resources
@@007ptb007 So police pick on the easy targets, like vulnerable people. While the police can’t be bothered to do any investigation into burglary, robbery, car theft or arson. Letting down victims of real crime.
I was once in a bar and overheard a guy talking, he sounded like an off-duty police officer. He was bragging to his mate about how he loves escalating the situation and “wrapping up” someone with learning difficulties. It’s that police officer who is a bully, a coward and iobsworth who can’t do anything else.
No wonder the Met Police are under investigation and are that bad they could be abolished.
Thanks for your service good man
This is so interesting. Great watch 👌
Read this blokes book. Very interesting. The police thought they would try infiltrating the firms in the late 1980’s, especially after the fiasco of the Own Goal and ICF cases. It garnered mixed results, the infiltration of the firms.
I definitely read his book. Amazing to see the person behind the book. I'm not a fan of this kind of work but the way he handled the situations where he got in is pretty amazing.
Which book is this your referring to? Would love to read
It's called "running with the firm"
There's a British movie from the mid 90's called 'I.D' about undercover police officers in a football hooligan gang. Ironically or maybe not, the cover for them was as painters and decorators.
I just watched this movie and this guy is just basically retelling this movie word for word, I feel like a lot of his story is bullshit.
Need a film of this guys life
As soon as he said he went in a Millwall pub pretending to be a painting and decorator, I thought of the film I.D, must of been based on his life.
It was 100%. Think he wrote the screenplay.
‘Yep I’m gonna need to go to the pub for lunch every day for a few months’
Try to imagine how hard it is to live like that: go to bed thinking tomorrow I have to go on a binge wih them again, be on the ball. My job does my head in but these guys, respect.
One of the best books I have ever read. Highly recommend it
Hooligans in the 70s were totally amoral and would have a go at anyone if they looked at them funny. For a good twenty years the firms seem to have been much better organised and tend to leave 'civilians' alone, preferring to arrange fights over mobiles and keep away from prying eyes and police video.
Which is the way it should be.
Immoral. Ffs🙄
@@NH-bz9jv no amoral, look it up
@@Lupinicus1664 no need, I know exactly what amoral means son, but immoral is more relevant😘
If you haven't already read his book called 'Running with the firm'. Absolutely mental story!
Really enjoyed this one 👌🏻
Back to terrific real life content. Brilliant.
Football hooligans are just men who haven’t grown up. If you want a fight get into a boxing ring or the cage. Honestly it’s so cringe worthy and childish. Seen games ruined for children because of absolute idiots outside the ground wanting a ‘scrap’. Sentences need to be made harsher for this shit, maybe then these people will grow up and who knows, might get a job.
Blah blah blah
I agree with u on a lot of what u say but every football lad hooligan i know they all work, most in high paying jobs, one guy i know who was a big hooligan in his younger days is a self made millionaire.
@@TheBlackPrince447 Football ain't cheap. You cannot go to an away game if you are on benefits, never mind a home one.
@@I_Don_t_want_a_handle Yeah, ticket and day out even at home looking at £150 easy.
This is off topic but what is the best Chewbacca Mom leotard?
Good decision to leave. What a way to be treated after two years of that sort of service - and at 23!
This is why ACAB is spray painted all over cities in England. Whilst some police officers are good most are power tripping arse holes more interested in bullying ordinary people than catching hardened criminals.
Security guards with a licence to harass.
His book is amazing. Good read.
I guess 1995's ID was based on James' time undercover? the stories just gave me visions of ID as I recently watched it for the first time in many years, and they certainly sound exactly the same.
Back in the day, an Arsenal football hooligan used to come into work on Mondays boasting about the fights he had at the football matches, "offs" he called them...One night we were out and he kept heckling my jokes, eventually I told him if he did it one more time, we'd have to take it outside... he folded like a cheap suit.. Not so tough without a gang I guess.
Cheers Jeff
Just like Millwall! Only good in numbers.
I wonder if this man was somewhat the inspiration to the film ID where undercover police infiltrate a south London football club called Shadwell which is right next to Millwall.
Great interview...
Just finished the book great read 👍
Am retired i used to run with a firm back in the 70's early 80's Eventually I grew up than joined the police in the early 2000's.My experiences made me a good cop tbh more streetwise.The cops back in the day were far more corrupt and underhand to how they are now just as the level of violence at matches was far worse and more organized. CCTV has been the best thing for modern policing
CCTV is useless. I know many people who have had their cars stolen in front of CCTV and the police did nothing.
Has CCTV deterred criminals? No
When the pawn shop closes for the evening Rick leaves chumlee and big hoss to fly to England and scalp some football fans😂
Good viewing, thanks
I was on the London Underground in the late 60's waiting for a train when I heard a commotion of noise along the platform. It was Chelsea fans just running along and kicking, punching everyone on the way! As I realized what was happening two Chelsea 'fans' swung at me! I caught hold of one and the other ran off, the one I held onto just couldn't get away fast enough! He wouldn't stand for a 'one on one' with me! Cowards--the lot of them!
Ooo, you're 'ard
Niceeee can you tell me more about football at Chelsea back then and of course you watched George Best implode as well right and united relegation
@@Doggomorph Saw George Best score at Highbury! Great player! Chelsea weren't rated much, few good players, Charlie Cooke , Peter Osgood . They had their share of shitty fans, the ones that ran away!
I remember my late grandad loved football and didn't support anyone, when utd smashed Chelsea in the cup final in 94 he said good and I asked why and he said Chelsea have always been a horrible little football club
The police making things up, I cannot believe it! 😂
🤣🤣
This needs to turnt into a film or series, that would be unreal 🙌🙌
Watch ID - Great undercover football film
I remember a while back there was a documentary about guy who went undercover with the Chelsea Headhunters. He even got a Chelsea tattoo as part of the operation.
That was donal McIntyre!👹
Football hooligans = utter bellends
this officer is what makes britain safe. i hope we all appreciate his work and others who do it
Didn't keep ya boy on the train safe
Fascinating interview. I'd like to know what he did next.
Listening to him, this reminds me of the film I.D
Bet them first 3 months, just going down the pub for lunch, were decent 👌
At least he has admitted that he once was a undercover football hooligan. Most fans have changed but others haven’t and still cause trouble no matter where they go. I’m a football fan but I don’t go out and cause trouble. And I’ve been to many games where there has been good atmosphere.
What are you on about?
'At least he admitted' is the wrong way to put it. He literally wasn't a football hooligan, he was undercover to try and get real hooligans done
undercover means something else 😅
John and Trevor painting and decorating. Fucking love you gumbo
The film ID is a must watch from his description the film must be based on this guy's experience.
This chap is now involved in the property industry in the South Coast and has done very well for himself. He's incredibly well respected and an all round top bloke. I've heard his stories before but not in this much detail.
Here's a tip for you, if you happen to be reading any books by football hooligans and they say they never got done.
Put the book down because if their lying about that the rest of the book is probably full of shit too
Great point, it's usually chelsea fans
So true c m.
I've read so many stories and they are stories of 4 taking on 200 and coming out on top.
It just is not true.
I admit, Leeds United fans wiped the floor with me at Elland Road in 1976 when I was 13.
The kicking made me stronger and I looked for the Leeds away fixture first every season.
I got my own back 20 years later.
The lad I did at Elland Road that day had no idea it was 20 years of hatred that confronted him....I actually felt sorry for him.
I was never proud of fighting at football, it's what we did.
That's life.......
I found his book hard to believe - not to say he was lying. Good interview
The rivalry in London teams, around Canning town, is down to a dock workers strike in the early 1900s, one factory walked out on strike, the other remained working. Not sure if that is the Rivalry between West Ham and Millwall.
Thats Rick Harrison from Pawn stars!
Tight jumper that
This sounds like the movie I.D specially the bit where they go into the pub in the day to get to know the bar staff for a few months before going in on the evening
Reminds me of the film I.D the walking over to the Milwall fans, the befreindsing the bar staff then the going down to where they worked
Sounds like the film ID was based on him
Check the description, it's written there
Fucking love you Gumbo
I was getting flash backs to id listening to this 😂