British football hooligans hate a lot of people. Police aka Old Bill, some women or “slags,” supporters of other teams, the darker skinned; basically anyone who’s not them. They like curry though, and pints, and fighting. There are classes of hooligans. Hard cases are respected. “These blokes are professionals. Not your average snotty-nosed hooligan.”

This book is part novel and part social commentary. It tells you, repeatedly, that yes hooligans are bad but they’re driven to it by society and the state. And there’s a bit of: They’re people too, with real feelings and hopes, etc. Oh, here’s a hooligan now, let me show you.

And the hooligan on display is Tom Johnson, who is truly passionate about Chelsea – perhaps the only meaningful thing in his life – and his mates, and fighting with other “firms,” which is also called “doing the business.” The best chapters plant you in a specific time and place: Tottenham Away. West Ham at home. That’s where the action is, and the best writing. There are other chapters in there with another point of view that I never was able to latch onto. And they were frankly, boring.

A confusing book. Better if it had stuck with Tom Johnson and cut out some of his somewhat self-aggrandizing commentary. ( )

Admittedly I'm no soccer fanatic. I'll watch the World Cup every 4 years and on occasion I'll watch bits and pieces of the odd game here and there. The Football factory is and isn't about the game--it really revolves around a small number of Chelsea fans--the so called 'hooligans'---'that ruin the game for everybody'--by going on the road to riot and rampage and beat the hell out of fans of other teams. As narrated (more than less) by one of these Chelsea hooligans this book describes a world of cultural and parochial loyalties that override practically everything else including concepts like 'law and order'. What the hell!?!--as the narrator explains now and again the idea isn't really to kill anyone--more to give them a good thrashing--and the idea of taking it all on the road is to show those fans in other places who's who and what's what. Anyway I thought it was a fun book to read--somewhat reminiscent of Irvine Welsh and have ordered a couple more of King's works. ( )

A well written hoolie book. Surprisingly good for this genre. ( )

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