Hoolifan (Mainstream sport) by Knight Martin King Martin

Author:Knight, Martin,King, Martin [Knight, Martin,King, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 2011-12-15T23:00:00+00:00

TEN

Dawn Raids

The early 1980s were arguably the years when soccer-related violence, or fear of it, reached its peak. The boys were now dressing like tennis stars, sporting designer labels such as Ellesse, Tacchini, Fila and Lacoste. Terrace disturbances resembled clashes between armies of John McEnroe clones and hordes of Bjorn Borg lookalikes. Hooliganism was trendy. Not just with the hooligans themselves, but with the outside world. Books written by academics were beginning to appear, in which they attempted to find sociological explanations for the behaviour. Desmond Morris, whom we all knew as the boring bald-headed bloke who presented TV’s Zoo Time when we were kids, wrote a book in which he tried to relate it all back to animal instincts.

The television industry even got in on the act. Firstly they made a documentary about Millwall’s firm in which a chap who went by the name of Harry the Dog was introduced to the world. Millwall fans were shown wearing surgical masks and the programme focused on a particular crew that called themselves ‘Treatment’. The people featured in this programme seemed positively harmless compared to the real thing I had encountered some years earlier. I heard a story about Harry the Dog which may or may not be true but is worth recounting anyway. A young Australian student came to London to study at one of our colleges and found digs in sunny Deptford. On his first Saturday in south-east London he decided to pop into a nearby pub for a pint and a spot of lunch. He did not know that Millwall were playing at home that day and that this boozer was full of their boys. If he had known, it would not have meant anything to him anyway. The pub was packed, and he had to elbow his way through to the bar. In the squeeze, he accidentally knocked a man’s drink over.

‘I’m terribly sorry, mate. Let me get you another,’ apologised the student.

‘Do you know who I am?’ asked the man menacingly.

The student shook his head.

‘I’m Harry the Dog.’

The pub fell silent. All eyes were on Millwall’s famed warrior and the student.

‘And I’m Larry the Lamb, pleased to meet you,’ smiled the Australian, extending his hand.

More silence. Then canine Harry smiled, the pub broke up in laughter and he bought the student a drink. Nice tale, anyway.

The other television documentary was a little time later and centred on the various firms at West Ham. This production came over as much less contrived than the Millwall study and did a lot to raise the media profile of football gangs.

More than anything else, though, the 1980s were when football hooliganism went international. Although there had been some notable riots at England matches abroad in the ’70s, it was during the ’80s that the country convinced itself it was wrestling with demons on a par with the Northern Ireland troubles. Each successive World Cup became the top item on News at Ten, not because of any fantastic performances from our national side but because they were reporting on the latest activities of our fans.

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