Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF [Paperback]

I have read quite a few of these books (Guvnors, Zulus, Villains, Tottenham Massive, Boys from the Mersey) and even Cass which in spite of his sometimes blinkered views is well written and I found entertaining. I got this because I expected something of the same, well what I found was a bit of a mixed bag.

The book is mainly concentrated on the 70s and early 80s when the ICF were most active. You get stories from some of the main members and it covers events with some of the usual suspects of early 80s hooliganism. Obviously the book is written by ex ICF so its going to be biased however 400 odd pages of "About 400 of them came at us, we had about 50 but these were our main boys, we stood firm and done them" It does come to a point where you have to wonder. The "Top boys" of Liverpool and Manchester are knocked out with a single blow, the main face of Millwall is sent running in terror at a machete wielding ICF (Remember that scene from Rise of the foot soldier? Well according to the book that was ICF not Millwall) 200 West Ham take on and beat about 2000 up in the North East (Seriously, I kid you not these are the kind of numbers they are talking about in the book. There is even one where 3 of them take on 200 Leicester!) The best bit in that was was them getting bricked by thousands, Bill Gardner getting hit with bricks but he is just "So tough" He just stands there and takes it before they all stroll over, scale some railings and run them! As for the main faces of the ICF, well reading this I would think it would take kryptonite, plutonium, act of God maybe to so much as inflict a scratch on them (Bricks, knives, bottles dont seem to work although one punch from any of them and you seem to end up on a drip).

Some of its just comical. Mention is made of the hooligan documentary even a chapter from the maker of the film. The event in Manchester where they are seen running almost all the way back to London in the book they not only knocked the leader of the red army all over the place, ran them before the game, took them on after and only didnt charge them again because they were split up (Pity none of this was caught on camera isnt it lads?) At Chelsea when they are seen running in terror back onto the train apparently this was because someone up front saw the police (So why in the documentary is Cass screaming abuse at Chelsea on the platform from the safety of the train? He did manage to scare a few girl scouts on a day trip though!)

Then we have the chapter on the "England Hammers" Bill Gardners contribution was the all time best to this one. Apparently on a trip out to Spain Gardner took on and defeated ETA (Yes thats right, the separatist group that the Spanish government have been fighting for decades) Bil describes them as a "Two bit mob" In another part he chases 200 Man United out of a hotel armed with only a towel! I loved the other Gardner chapter where he tells us he never runs then later in the book in Liverpool one of his friends describes him as running so fast he actually ran past him to get away.

My all time favorite though was the Liverpool one. Apparently outnumbered by about 1000-1 Stanley knife wielding scousers (Who they knock unconscious by the way) The not only beat the living daylights out of their top lad but fought from their ground to within a quarter of a mile of Toxteth!!! That must have been some fight lads as Anfield is in North Liverpool and Toxteth in south about 6 miles away! Why dont you go a bit further and say you saw roadsigns for Warrington or Stoke? Why does nobody in Toxteth have any recollection of several hundred white lads in pitch battle on their doorstep with the ICF taking on the world (Including local residents wielding wheel locks and God know what)? You would have thought that would be something even one person in the area would remember considering we are talking about an area that went up in one of the biggest riots in British history. The Everton bit is even more bizarre they couldnt get into the Liverpool game so they all went as a mob to a friendly Everton were playing and couldnt understand why the locals including the players were just looking at them puzzled) There is a chapter on black lads in the ICF though it doesnt have anything to say really other than equally odd quotes like the black skinhead who was made up he was "Welcomed" By this gang of saluting bigots or Cass walking through on his own through a swarm of saluting West Ham.

Considering presumably the "Black Hammers" Chapter was designed to dispel some myths, stereotypes and contradictions this book is full of them. Everyone is Liverpool carries a Stanley knife (Then we are treated to West Ham attacking people with machetes!) West Ham never run (They just make tactical retreats or lull their enemies into believing they are running when in fact its a surprise attack. Strange thing is when Middlesbrough do exactly the same thing in the book thats not how its described) West Ham never attack normal fans (Then we have the bit where West Ham wait outside Millwalls ground and leather normal fans with an industrial screwdriver used on the railways) After reading this book the Cockney Rejects description of Cass Pennant as a "Black Del Boy" Really does spring to mind as I feel like I have just bought a used car off him got half way down the road and the wheels have fallen off.

And just for the kids watching Danny Dyre films and asking mum for a stone island jacket for Christmas Cass has even treated us to a chapter of West Ham songs so they know what to sing in between pie munching.

I've read quite a few books on the subject & I must say that if I enjoyed reading most of them, this one is a major desapointement. West Ham & the legendary ICF have a reputation & nothing to prove. But Cass doesn't even tell you the story, his mates do it for him. And the "we steamed into them - they were one million, it was 10 of us" bla bla becomes boring after the second chapter. If only there was a bit of humour, that would make it easier to swallow. Oh well...

Cass Pennant offers an unapologetic account of the Inter City Firm. He's interviewed many of the former members and let's them speak in their words; granted he has a few tales himself.
This book does not glorify violence and those hoping to recreate this level of aggro at football grounds should look elsewhere. Football hooliganism belongs to another era and Cass points out the reasons that it shall never come back like it was in the 70's and 80's. Millwall and Cardiff are anachronisms.

What's amazing is the level of organisation (obviously prior to mobiles) and puts paid to the claim that it was all mindless violence. Cass doesn't delve into the sociological reasons for this violence. Others have tried from a distance and it's usually absolute dross. I shall never understand the attraction of rucking for fun. However, this book offers a glimpse into this way of life.