Hi Gary, How did you get into football and when?
I loved football from as far back as I can remember. I started going in 1974, I loved stadiums, the build-up, the crowd, the atmosphere, smells, everything about it. And as I got older I started to notice the way
people dressed and the way the two different sets of fans behaved towards each other and the chanting, and in them days it got a bit naughty but strangely it was exciting, so I was hooked.
What was your first memory of trouble at a football match?
I witnessed several bits of trouble at Forest in the mid-seventies, stuff thrown at each other and that from a distance. But I went to Cambridge Utd v Chelsea around 1976 as my family on my dad’s side was from there and I had to spend many a weekend there. It was the first real fighting I witnessed close up. Chelsea fans were in the Cambridge end and fighting broke out around me, and then Chelsea fans invaded the pitch with police horses chasing people all over. The police were hitting out at anybody and I was stood at the front behind the goal next to the wall and a copper smacked me full in the face, I was 11 years old.
When did you become a football casual?
I would say around 15 years old in 1981 as I noticed lads with wedge haircuts and white strap over trainers and tight jeans. Different cities were dressed slightly different and I started to copy them as I was only young just leaving school. I loved the way football lads dressed different from the normal Joe Bloggs, I wanted to be one and I did.
Who are your main rivals?
I would say it’s Derby but I think they hate us more. It was probably Liverpool in the seventies though for the football. And when I started hanging around Derby were in the lower league’s, so for the trouble around then, it was probably Leicester. Although we didn’t class them as a major rival. And in recent years in the nineties and noughties, it was back to Derby again and I would say for the straight members it’s them as both sets of fans really don’t like each other these days.
Who else did you have a big battle with?
We’ve had a few good ones over the years and lots of court trails to go with them. But probably the most famous one was the battle of the square in 1984. It was in the summer with no game on, we hadn’t played them in the league for a while and we got wind they were coming for a night out and to have a go. They joined up with Leicester and called themselves the DLA Derby Leicester alliance. We met full-on in the old market square and the rest is history, as they say, there were around a hundred arrests and around forty were sentenced to prison, borstal and detention centre, including myself.
There were lots over the years, many with Arsenal in the early 80,s and QPR was always good at there’s. We had some good one’s with Manchester Utd and Brum away in the cup was mayhem all day, Leeds away was always lively too, I could go on and on.
Who have you come unstuck against?
I’ve come unstuck a few times and if you haven’t your lying. Man Utd on a ferry once and in Glasgow at an England game once. Everyone has there day so I wouldn’t underestimate anyone. Even came on top at Brighton once late into the evening when they had the numbers.
Name 5 firms you rate and why?
West Ham, as they were a breed apart back in the day, well organised and going down Upton Park was eerie whatever anyone says.
Man Utd, always had the numbers and was always well game wherever they went, always turned up and on their day can pull the biggest mob in Europe.
Brum, always rated them as the best in the Midlands always a handful and a well naughty place to visit.
Middlesbrough, another mob we’ve had some good rows with over the years and another very game mob on there day and always travelled back in the day.
Arsenal, I answered this question in a book once but left them out but I thought they were a top mob in the early 80,s and we had some good battles with them home and away.
What clobber do you wear down the match?
I did the casual scene as I said from around 81 so wore everything at all stages through to the present day, but I loved the early stuff best to be honest because we were different, everyone wears the bollocks now.
What was your music scene on your awayday?
I liked the Jam, Echo and the Bunnymen stuff like that.
Favourite tune?
Loads to be honest, A town called malice one of my first though.
Do you follow England away?
Love following England away at the cricket these days as I’ve moved on from the mad times at the match and it finished years ago in my eyes. I’m still a season ticket holder but take my 10-year son and haven’t been involved in that world since the early noughties and wouldn’t ever go anywhere near it again.
And lastly, tell us what you enjoyed about being a football casual?
I loved the clothes and still do, I think that’s what got me into the football violence. I wouldn’t change being a football casual for the world. It was a British subculture that will never be repeated and we had the time of our life’s.
