The Football Factory – John King
Review
The Daddy of all hooligan books, and although fictionalised, many who were following Chelsea at the time will recognise much about the era it evokes. Above all it’s very well written entertaining book by an adept wordsmith. Of course it ended up as a Nick Love film, starring West Ham fan Danny ‘F**king” Dyer in the lead role as a Chelsea fan, and gave rise to far too many people including “Jog On”, “You Mug” and “’Ave It!” in their everyday speech. No matter, after all, what else are you going to do on a Saturday? I am lucky enough to own a signed copy by the author, picked up for a very reasonable price at the CFCUK stall.
‘The best book I’ve read about football and working-class culture in Britain in the nineties. Buy, steal or borrow a copy now’ Irvine Welsh ‘King’s novel is not only an outstanding read, but also an important social document…This book should be compulsory reading for all those who believe in the existence, or even the attainability of a classless society’ Sunday Tribune ‘The Football Factory will do for hooligan culture what Trainspotting did for Edinburgh housing estates’ Select ‘ Powerfully written and tells you more about the mentality of those who disrupt football matches than all the theses of the sociologist academics put together’ Daily Mail ‘Bleak, thought-provoking and brutal, The Football Factory has all the hallmarks of a cult novel’ Literary Review
‘The best book I’ve read about football and working-class culture in Britain in the nineties. Buy, steal or borrow a copy now’ Irvine Welsh