Service Crew: The Inside Story of Leeds United's Hooligan Gangs

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It's more likely that chavs wanting impress each other and possibly the old boys that are likely to be indiscriminate.

Many of the most shocking incidents in British football history have involved the hooligan followers of one Leeds United. Leeds United have a well known football firm known as Leeds United Service Crew, in 1985 when football hooliganism was very popular in England, the BBC Six O’Clock News made a special report regarding the worst football firms causing mayhem up and down England, with Leeds United Service Crew listed amongst the worst five clubs. It is a darker part of secret goings on in Leeds, but it is a part of the history of the city non the less and should be talked about.Good accounts of days out at Old Trafford, White Hart Lane as well as riotous weekends in Blackpool. Of course the Football Intelligence Unit of the NCIS woulnt think of monitoring a site like this would they? Remember 85 after the game up there , thousands of em outside the side stand we were located in refusing to budge while we locked in, stuck on buses back to Leeds station with them trying to come in on an ambushing mission, our train emptied and they were sent packing with one or two getting clumped the rest on their toes , trappy Chelsea of the north oiks the lot of em.

In that regard, the book is more serious and believable and doesn't glamorise the violence and behaviour of the hooligans in the way that some of the other autobiographical books can. I was expecting some explaination or personal stories of those involved, but it is simply the details of 20 years of fights loosely linked together.

They backed the ten of us into the pub and went on to destroy the outside of it until the Old Bill turned up. Its difficult as a football fan of leeds united to understand the culture of football hooliganism and why it spiked in the 80s when i was only a fan since 1990. The perpetrator was subsequently sent to prison for four months and handed a life ban from attending future matches in England. Anyone happen to know what dave talbots up to now, his name was mentioned on a clockwork corner discussion, someone said he has converted to Islam .

But in contrast, it also mentions Leeds United hooligans attacking a busload of school children abroad because one is wearing a Manchester United shirt under their uniform. They surprised the couple, who turned out to be two blokes who jumped up and ran away after being disturbed. It could have any of 2-3 thousand lads who were only doing the same thing, namely following their team and getting in a few rucks.

In all the years I've been watching Leicester I've never so much as been hit or anything simialr, despite walking through pitched battles on a number of occassions. This books is different from those mentioned above as it is written by Caroline Gall, a journalist, in a more documentary type style with newspaper extracts and interviews of some of the main perpetrators of the fighting and hooliganism that occurred at Leeds United matches throughout the last 50 years. Victory within this game would give Leeds the Second Division title and promotion back to the top flight after eight years away from top level competitive football. Am a little embarrassed to admit that an old mate of mine used to belong and sent me a copy of a book all about them.

The fighting between Birmingham City and Leeds United fans was described by Justice Popplewell as more like "the Battle of Agincourt than a football match". The Service Crew were first brought to the forefront within 1974 and were named after the public service which brought the fans to the away games, instead of the heavily policed special football trains which were organised for such instances. Leeds united Service Crew are a football hooligan firm which are linked to the Championship team “Leeds United”. Brighton was the last away match of the season and a few decided to go down on a minibus to London on the Friday before the match. Its not a nice read to start with as it just sounds like bragging rights and i just don't understand how 40 year olds can still feel pride in their actions.Having previously read 'Muscle' by Carlton Leach, 'Cass' by Cass Pennant and 'Steaming In' by Colin Ward, this book seemed a natural continuation on the subject of football hooliganism, provided an in depth look at Leeds United's hooligan gangs (or firms) from around the 60's to the noughties, from the main firm, the Leeds Service Crew and moving on to the development of more recent firms such as the Very Young Team and the Infant Hit Squad. Ultimately, I think that this book will appeal to Leeds United and football fans (although most genuine football fans will have probably read many books on this subject before and so may be put off) as well as those that are interested in reading about this subject. The 1975 European Cup Final against Bayern Munich in Paris, saw the Germans run out 2-0 winners amidst controversial decisions by referee Michel Kitabdjian. A little team of us including Vallo, Eddie Cawley, Big Trevor Horsley, Dave Talbot, Scouse, Dermott Broadhurst and Cav, with a few more Ebor and Harehills lads bumped into a barcodes escort, mid seventies. Later on, as a group of forty Leeds were mooching about on the beach, they heard the sounds of someone having sex in a boat on the shore.