Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I.C.F.

When you read Congratulations, You Have Just Met the ICF, you are pulled into the stories as if you were recalling them yourself. You can almost see the blood splatter on the asphalt, hear the roar of the stadium as you read. These pages are packed with laughs, that make you think of your own rebellious youth. Pennant gives a vivid description, along with views from the mates who were there with him, that gives us a perspective like no other.

This is by far the best account of football Holliganism ever written. Cass Pennant gives living accounts of the ICF adventures throughout the EPL and Division II. This book keeps you entertained and you are fulfilled with the knowledge of the greatest Firm in all of England. From the beginning to the end you cheer on the Mighty Hammers supporters as they thrash through Stoke City, Chelsea, Liverpool and of course Milwall. You will be singing Forever Blowing Bubbles to your children as they sleep by the end of this phenomenal book.

The title of the book is their business card, I think it's brilliant on their part though I can't say I'm sorry I was never handed one. Or perhaps I am. There are probably large cardboard boxes full of what's written about football hooligans. They analyze the why and the how; violence seems to attract a sort of fascination and I admit I am not immune to it. And I am not immune to a level of admiration for anyone like Bill Gardner who could walk up to the mob of another firm and say "Good afternoon gentlemen. The name's Bill Gardner." And then the ruck's on. It's a sort of utter fearlessness and abandon, and this book won't analyze anything, it'll bring it to life for you through the words of all the right faces in the Inner City Firm. It's stories of the West Ham supporters through the height of violence in the 70's and the 80's, along with a glimpse into the meaning of the violence from some of the most feared men of the I.C.F. You'll find no academics or reporters talking about hooligans here, I love it because here people get to speak for themselves. Interestingly enough, though, there's very little said about West Ham or football itself. A great book with a lot more about football is Eduardo Galeano's Soccer in Sun and Shadow, highlighting the great games and the great players and the politics behind it all, a great counterpoint to give context to a book like this one...

Its not unusual to see black people at football matches these days but back in the 70's and early 80's there were a lot of skinheads on the terraces and they were mostly extreme right wing racists. I didn't go to football at all in the UK in the 70's but I remember going to see my first England match in 85 and being quite shocked by some of the racist chanting from some sections of the crowd at our own players. In short if you were black and standing on the terraces behind the goals (where all the hardcore fans gather) then you were seriously hard. Cass Pennant was that, a feared man as well. His writing is clear and focused, and this book is a great account of West Ham United's main firm, the Inter City Firm. Their rucks with rivals are still spoken of with awe, and one didn't venture into their turf on a game day without expecting to catch a beat down! Wild tales, especially to us Yanks!

Never mind all the other books about Football Hooligans, this is the real thing, from real known faces - excellent - can't wait for "Want some aggro" the early years before the ICF.