Hiya Arthur, Right firstly how did you get into football and when?
It was 1972 and I had just started senior school and I played football all the time during break times. A few of the older lads were talking about going to watch Forest play as they had a home game on the Saturday. Forest had just been relegated from the old First Division, and the average gates were about 12,000. My mum and dad said it was OK so, we met up at our school gates and about 6 of us went. We got the bus into town and then walked to the ground. One of the lads gave me an old Red and White scarf to tie around my wrist. We paid into the Trent End and I think it was 5 pence to get in. When you went through the old-style turnstile, you then walked under the terracing; it was like a tunnel, coming up on an angle outside.
We always went into the middle section. You walked up the stairs and through the open gap, it was there you then saw the pitch. The hallowed NOTTINGHAM FOREST CITY GROUND.
It had a big sign saying “Refreshments “at the top. We then walked down the terracing, just about halfway down in front of the metal red-painted barrier. This was our normal spot. This was something I had never seen or been a part of before. The teams came out and with the crowd packed in, all singing together, clapping in unison, it was a fantastic experience. I was hooked right there and then. Forest won 2-1 (we had played Oxford) I was a part of something that I would be a part of something for life. I became a regular from then on. I went to most of the home Saturday games.
What was your first memory of trouble at a football match?
This was a home game in the FA cup about 1975ish, Chelsea had been allocated all the Trent end which pissed everyone off, I was only a youngster still at school but this was OUR end, why give it to Chelsea just because they had sold so many tickets. Now, in those days we were in the old 2nd division, and away teams didn’t bring 4000 to Forest, so this was a big day. I can’t remember the game or the score, sorry, however, I do remember what happened after the game. I was in the old East Stand for this and after the game finished everyone seemed to be going towards the Trent End to walk towards Trent Bridge passing the Chelsea fans. I was unsure, it didn’t look a good idea to me, I was only about 13/14 at the time! Anyway, everyone was going that way so I thought I would follow!!! As I got around the corner onto the embankment there was a massive standoff with Chelsea Lads all in front of us, Shit, this was a bit on top. My heart is pounding, and I’m looking for a way to move towards the back of this Forest mob, which somehow I had un-expectantly got to the front of!! Urggg. The two mobs clashed and went at it, this was something I had never seen before, both mobs going for it big time, hand to hand stuff, with me trying to look hard, but, in reality shitting myself and hoping no-one gets near enough to hit me!! One of the things I saw was this Chelsea lad swinging one of those boat mooring chains around his head to try to hold Forest off!! It didn’t work and Forest had them backing off, Chelsea were game lads and keep going for it, but the sheer weight of numbers started to tell. It was going off all the way up to Trent Bridge before the OB got some order. WOW, what a welcome to FV.
When did you become a football casual?
Bolton Away.
This was again one of my early away games, so I guess it would have been 75/76 ish.
I went with a couple of mates from Broxtowe who were about 5 years older than me. We went on a coach that left from just outside the old big indoor market at the edge of Sneinton (Nr Glasshouse Street and Huntington road) we went a few times on this coach in my early days and it had a good mix of people on it.
As we got to the old ground it was pouring down with rain, (North Manchester, it always rains!) so my mates decided to go in the seats, now, this was extra money and I thought I’m not spending money on seats so I told them I was standing. They left me to go and get the seat tickets, so I decided to follow everyone else into the pub. I was sitting on my own at first as I didn’t know anyone else, (Billy no mates!!) I went and got a coke and sat down next to some other youngsters that were on our coach and introduced myself. These lads were from Bingham. S, Rich B, NS, to name a few. We all went on to become FEC and are still good mates to this day. There were about 6 of us so we walked up the road to the ground and paid in behind the goal in a big open end. This was the away end and we stood near the middle, it was still pouring with rain and we were getting soaked, however, the Bovril they sold was great!!
Next thing just as the game kicked off a roar went up from the Bolton lads in the terracing on our left, loads of Forest (I think MAD SQUAD) were in their end. They had just come in and we could see them pouring in. They were at the front part of the stand where the walkway was, and Forest was running Bolton everywhere. Bolton was scattering and scrambling to get away and running to the back of this massive terracing. This was fantastic for us to watch. The police moved in and escorted the Forest fans from their end and into our end; everyone was singing HELLO, HELLO, FOREST AGGRO. We loved it.
After the game we walked back to the coaches which were parked behind the opposite end and we followed everyone else, the coaches were parked on waste ground and loads of Bolton were waiting on the corner, some Forest started to run towards them, again we followed and Forest just started battering them. Forest had good numbers and had too many for Bolton. Again they ran. We got on the coach and I sat with my new mates. We talked about the day and we had had a good time, they asked me if I was going to the next away game, so, I said I would meet up with them. So, from then on I started to go to most away games on my own and meet up with the Bingham lads. We then progressed from that coach to the Salutation coach (Now, that was a coach!!!!) as we got a bit older and wiser, but, that’s another story!!!!
Who are your main rivals?
Derby County.
What was your biggest battle with them?
We have had loads of battles with them, however, most of them were at their place, I feel overall they could have done more at Forest as they have some decent lads, I have a lot of respect for some of their top lads. The old Baseball Ground was a brilliant place, a good old fashion ground, with a great atmosphere, and some moody streets around it.
Here is an example.
FYL, MOBS and BUCKETS!
For this one, we parked up in derby centre car park and walked to a pub just off saddler gate. As we got in the pub, I had a look around and too be fair not that many FEC were there. Me, W, NK, DC, B, and a few others but, most were the new FYL (Forest young lads) I wondered how this would turn out as most of these FYL were unproven in a big battle!
We had just got in this pub and got a drink when W comes in and says ” Derby’s mob here now get out!!!” We all pile out quickly and sure enough, a big mob is walking up the road….. This is right in the middle of the town centre, on Saddler gate, just before the assembly rooms. It doesn’t get any better than this. Two mobs about to clash right on their own manor, with no OB about!!!!!
Bang, it’s off with both firms going for it, this was hand to hand stuff, swopping punches and kicks, on the right-hand side of the road some FYL have got some mop handles out of a shop that was there and they are smacking Derby with them around there heads, Derby start to back off, we are all still going for it, we are tight, and going forward all the time, some Derby start to back off and then they turn and run. We are chasing them, up the road. Ahead of me it looks brilliant, Derby running, and a sky full of mops handles and buckets flying through the air at them, some Derby run into a pub on the left-hand side, we try to get in but they have locked the doors, we put all the windows in and someone gasses it for good measure!
This also happens at the next pub down the road, the town centre is carnage!
We carry on chasing them up the road, around the corner, and up passed the shopping centre. The OB is now everywhere, and they start to get us all together. My heart and head are pounding with all the adrenalin, I buzzing like mad. That was good stuff!!!!!!
It’s not over yet though!!!! The OB get it together and start to escort us to the ground, loads of Derby are following us on all sides. There was about 30 of us now as some of ours got lost in the earlier stuff. The police escort was crap as we were spread out and walking too fast, Derby lads were trying to get to us, and us to them, with bits of off’s going all up the road through OB!!.
We then walk up a side road on the right-hand side over some gardens towards a big pub, some OB then left big holes in the escort so they could run up ahead to guard the pub up the road!
We walked through some gardens with the odd punch being thrown from both sides!
At the top of the road, we turned left and the police held us there.
Now, picture this……There were about 30 of us….. On the left-hand side was a 6ft iron railings (we are going nowhere fast!)…….. In front of us, was a large pub emptying very quickly………. Behind us, was a big Derby firm………. And about 6 OB!!!!! If ever Derby had a chance to do us, this was it!!! There must have been about 100 lads around us!! As we were stood there one of theirs runs up a drops one of ours from the side, we surge forward, OB starts to batter us back with their batons. We are all standing our ground. Derby for some reason doesn’t come into us!! More OB arrives and they start to hit us again with the batons forcing us over the railings, towards the ground. (Good job I was younger and slimmer then!!) What a day….. FYL came of age that day, did very well!!! You don’t get days like that anymore.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
Who else did you have a big battle with?
Forest have had some proper battles over the years, Man U, Sunderland, Stoke, Leeds, Millwall, Portsmouth, Barnsley, Spurs, West Ham, too be fair, too many to mention. We were good for a long time, we often travelled to most places and were very good at home. We had different firms through the ages starting with the Grebos in the ’60s then Randalls Vandall’s, The mad squad, Green jackets and then onto the FEC. The youngsters were the FYL
Who have you come unstuck against?
For me personally, Birmingham is the main one.
We met in a pub in Sparkbrook, which was an estate pub about 1 mile from the ground, we went in the car and arrived there early but people were arriving in dribs and drabs. The pub was a rough-looking pub in a rough-looking run-down council estate!! We got there at about 12ish and were early with hardly anyone there. Four of us went in while M moved the car out of harm’s way, (We always did that, and has saved our car on a few occasions, including Leeds and Millwall) soon everyone was arriving, still in bits and bobs.
Then one of ours walks in and shouted that Zulus were here. I was having a drink in the pool room and thought they can’t be here, this has not been set up, it’s well away from the ground, how do they know we are here!!!!!
We came out of the pub and coming down the road towards us were about 80/100 Zulus. This was a proper mob. They were well tooled up and bottles and brick rained down on us, we threw glasses from the pub and ran straight into them where it went hand to hand. It was proper off with hand to hand fighting all up the road. The fighting had now spread out and we were on a crossroads with people fighting in different directions, everyone is now split up and fighting all over everywhere. There was no old bill, no other people, just an old crappy run-down road with 150 lads battling it out!!!
We started to back them off, and they started to run, we ran them to the top of the road about 100 yards on a corner where they made a bit of a stand. But, they backed off around the corner. We started to walk back to the pub in dribs, but out of a side road came another 50 Zulus, there was about 6 of us so we spread out and go towards them and start fighting with 3 big black lads at the front of their mob, a couple of them are waving big bits of fencing wood with nails sticking out at us. They were big lads, game as f*ck. I remember C getting hit on his side with a piece of wood with a nail on it cutting his side with a gash of about 8inchs, I was standing fighting when I am hit on the back of the head with a flying brick. I stopped and I’m on automatic pilot as I stagger off, barely able to stand, my heads spinning, and I realise that our main lot is 100 yards away and I and a few of ours are still in the thick of it!!
I staggered back towards the pub and around the corner came 3 or 4 lads. One of them pulls a knife out on me and the others grab my arms and try to hold me still. “ F*ck me” I’m thinking, “I’m going to die”!!!! The Asian looking bloke lunges at me just as I get my arms free and I smack him straight in the face, the knife cuts me on the top of my left hand and starts bleeding, but I don’t even notice it. He goes flying backwards and his mates are not sure what to do, so I started to run to the left-hand side, but it’s more of a fast walk as I am struggling to stand up with now my hand hurting and my head still spinning from the brick 5 mins earlier!!
I turned the corner where I saw our lot earlier and some more lads appear in front of me. One of them bounces up and down in front of me and I put my hands up to protect myself and bang he hits me in the face and I’m down and unconscious. I am now out cold so don’t know what happens next, but people have told me.
The fighting been going on for 15 to 20 mins and still no police, it didn’t take much for the guy to knock me out, most of the damage had been done by the brick a few minutes earlier. As I was laid out on the floor a couple of them picked up a concrete slab and slammed it down on my head, they also stuck the book in, but to be honest, I was out of it, so never actually felt it!! FEC lads saw what was happening to me and came charging back down the road and back these lads off and protect me. I wake up still on the floor covered in blood, there was a copper and a paramedic kneeling down next to me and asking me what my name was but I can’t remember it!! Then they ask where I’m from and C said to them “Brick lane” that made me laugh. Next thing they fit a neck brace and stretcher me to the hospital where I had over 40 stitches to my head and 8 in my left hand. They wanted to keep me in hospital but I got one of the lads, who came in the ambulance with me, to pick and pick me up and take me home so I discharged myself. On the way home my head was killing me and I’m thinking I’ve had better days than this, as my mates tell me about the rest of the day’s events.
My mates dropped me off back home, knocked on the door and ran off, they did not want to see my misses!!!! She was not happy and was concerned that I would slip into a coma or something! (Drama queen!) She was panicking and really worried and I did my best to reassure her that I was all right. I somehow managed to sleep that night but the next morning I was woken by the house telephone ringing, I’m feeling battered and bruised and my head is killing me. I pick up the phone and says “hello” A voice at the other end mutters, “Don’t mess with the blues” and puts the phone down!! I cannot believe it, how did that cheeky c*nt get my number, so, I did the 1471 and got the number. It was Birmingham code so I thought I would pay him a visit, I pulled a few strings and found the number but it was called from Birmingham new street train station at a pay box!! How did they get my phone number, was it from, the hospital, the police, guess we will never know!!!!
Name is 5 firms you rate and why?
Difficult this one, as most places can pull good firms. Having numbers can sometimes count but not always, as a few quality lads can do some proper damage.
Stoke……Was always a good day out, home and away guaranteed a brawl.
Leeds……Could pull some good numbers but they always seemed to be disjointed as a firm, it’s like they had small different firms all other the place.
Millwall……Always a lively day out.
Spurs……. Had some good battles with them
Man U……. We have had a few cracking battles with them. Kilburn High Street and at Old Trafford for a FA Cup game where we did them on that main road across from that big pub and then all the way to the town centre.
Kilburn High Street. Let me be clear about this; Forest got done.
This was the league cup final at Wembley;
We met at the Dolphin pub just outside St Pancras train station and we had a good mob of lads, with all the old school boys out, this was a top mob of FOREST, I would say we had about 250 lads here, with no OB at all.
Word was going around that Man U were meeting in Kilburn, so, we needed to head over there and take it to them. Great, everyone set off towards the tube station. The first lot got on the tube, including me, but, as we were getting on, we could hear sirens going off and the tube conductors (not sure if that’s what you call them!) started shouting to clear the station!! They stopped all the others getting on, and told them to leave the station quickly.
It was a bomb scare.
Our tube pulled off with about 50/60 of us on it.
So about 50/60 of us get to Kilburn and turn right out of the Kilburn station onto Kilburn high street. We found a pub on the left-hand side of the road and went in for a drink and to wait for the others to catch us up. After a few minutes, someone came in and said Man U are drinking up the road. So, we started to get ready, too late, Man U are already coming up the road. We pile out of the pub, AND, I swear, it was one of the biggest mobs I have faced up to. The whole of Kilburn high street was full of Man U lads walking up to us. They were in a line right across the road, and as far and deep as I could see!!! It was a sight!! I don’t know how many lads they had, but it looked like 500/600 lads, it could have been more!! Both mobs clashed, right in the middle of the road. For a few minutes we were holding them off, the front rows of both sides were game lads, with proper hand to hand fighting, they started to back us off, there were some shops on the right-hand side, so a few of us dived in here and got some ammo, tins of beans!! We charged out and let our tins go, some Man U came back up and it’s off again! Fighting like this was going off all over both sides of the road, and front and back, there was major fighting going off everywhere. We were well outnumbered and again we started to get run, this time we ran up the road, about 20 of us, on the right-hand side of the road. We stopped and got it together, and again, went back into them; this went on for about 3 or 4 times. At one stage I found myself back at the pub doors, so, I went in, grabbed a chair leg and charged back into Man U. (Unfortunately this was seen on the Panorama or World in Action documentary on Brian Clough selling tickets to Man U fans!!) This fighting seemed to go on for ages before the OB arrived, when they did come, I was standing next to a railing with G from Selston, we were both knackered. We decided to go back on the tube to the next station and find the nearest pub. When we did, some of ours were already in there. We joined B and a few others and pondered over the events.
- We had done well against a top mob and vastly outnumbered
- What would have happened if the rest of our mob had been there
- Should we have gone knowing most of ours had got turned back at the tube
Now we are in the ground, and pockets of Man U are sitting in the Forest end, little bits of fighting was going off in the seats thought-out the whole of the first half. At half time I decided to go downstairs for a piss, as I got to the toilets, some Man U fans were mingling in and it was oblivious it was going to go off!! The great thing was, it now went off big time with loads of Man U and FEC clashing under those seats, and this time Forest got the better of them and had them backing off and then running. At least it was a bit of revenge!!!
Name 5 firms you don’t rate and why?
I try not to underestimate any firm as sometimes it just didn’t happen for whatever reason, don’t forget there was no mobile phones or organising, it was just roll up to a town centre as see what happens.
However, there are always two sides to every event.
Here is a true example of when I realised there is always 2 sides to every story…. the bits and bobs you, yourself had seen and witnessed, AND the views of the opposite lads/fans…… I will tell you why………
Mid 80’s, v Everton at home… After the game a small mob of us were waiting on Radcliffe road, after about 10 mins, sure enough, a mob of Scousers bowled up, it went off straight away with us forcing them back toward the ladybay bridge, this was full-on stuff, hand to hand, middle of the road two mobs shouting “come on” and going for it. There was only 2 OB trying to stop it!! Unfortunately, one of them grabbed me and handcuffed me to the railings!!!
So now I am stuck watching with a grandstand view the next 5 mins events.
The fighting carried on, both sides not giving way, then, Forest started to run Everton back towards Ladybay Bridge where they scattered off, over, and away!!!
Result for Forest….. However, what Forest didn’t see and Everton DID see was that behind the Forest lads LOADS of extra OB were running up the road, that’s why Everton ran. I am not taking everything away from both sides here. It was good stuff, both sides going for it, with Forest backing them off down Radcliffe road earlier, and then Everton started to stand and then stood their ground before OB turned up. Later on, in town, JN (Meadows lad) was telling everyone how we ran them all across LadyBay, until, I told him why!!! SO, there is always 2 sides to every story!!!!
What clobber do you wear down the match?
I’m fairly old fashioned in the casual stuff I wear nowadays so for me it’s mainly wearing Ralphy, or Lacoste tee shirts, dark straight leg jeans and white Adidas Trainers. I did have a Tacchini two blue strip tee shirt and a BJ Fila tracky top back in the day and I thought I looked the business.
What was your music scene on your awayday?
I like most types of music, I would listen to anything as long it wasn’t rock. I would say Squeeze was one of my favourite bands.
Can you tell us about the book/s you have written?
I have contributed to a few books, Inside the Forest Executive Crew by Gary Boatsy Clark, A local book for Mansfield Town lads, and a bit for Huddersfield’s new book by Jasper Thompson. I’ve also appeared on a C4 documentary about the ’80s, I chatted about the FV. Then I did some TV work with Micky Flanagan and some other Forest and West ham about the Football lads culture.
And lastly, tell us what you enjoyed about being a football casual?
Pros;
I have made some fantastic, lifelong friends.
2 x European cups, 4 league cups, (plus 2 x runners up) FA cup runners up, Anglo Scott cup.
Loads of Wembley trips
The clothes and the music
The way I can go into town on my own and always know somebody to have a drink with.
Being a part of something that was, evolving, exciting and new at the time.
Brilliant trips all around the country.
Seeing and doing things that you just couldn’t make up.
European trips abroad
The elation of winning
Cons;
Injuries, 45 stitches in the head, knife wound in left hand, broken jaw, kicked unconscious.
Missing various family events
Living on the edge at times!
Always looking over your shoulder and sussing thing out.
Pissing the misses off!
The money I’ve spent on supporting Forest
The lows of losing and still going back for more, we never learn!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity for chatting with you about my football life.
Arthur Preston an Original member of the FOREST EXECUTIVE CREW
