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Product Description
Yorkshire Post
A new book chronicling the exploits of one of the most infamous hooligan gangs of them all.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
DAILY SPORT
'Explosive, violent and unmissable.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is very poor indeed. As other reviewers have said it skips wildly from one era to another. I have read countless books on football violence but this is easily the dullest and most disjointed. I thought a serious account of one of the country's most notorious football firms would be told but instead the book is a thousand snippets of confrontations that bare little relation to one another save the fact that football violence is involved. The development of the gangs is barely touched upon.
Instead of trying to piece together the actual story of the gangs all it contains is a simple mish mash of accounts of fights without any apparent flow whatsoever. One Leeds fans description of an incident is followed by another's account of some other fight at an unrelated match, and so on and on and on.
The modern era is narrowed down to a few chapters and one of the most notorious occasions (in Istanbul in the UEFA Cup a few years ago where Leeds fans were ambushed and murdered) is inexplicably limited to roughly half a page. Instead more of the football club's on pitch performances and boardroom errors are highlighted.
Seriously - avoid this book. It's appalling! I hate to think what the Leeds firm members who contributed to this must think.
Instead of trying to piece together the actual story of the gangs all it contains is a simple mish mash of accounts of fights without any apparent flow whatsoever. One Leeds fans description of an incident is followed by another's account of some other fight at an unrelated match, and so on and on and on.
The modern era is narrowed down to a few chapters and one of the most notorious occasions (in Istanbul in the UEFA Cup a few years ago where Leeds fans were ambushed and murdered) is inexplicably limited to roughly half a page. Instead more of the football club's on pitch performances and boardroom errors are highlighted.
Seriously - avoid this book. It's appalling! I hate to think what the Leeds firm members who contributed to this must think.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
From a personal point of view this book was a huge disappointment. I did get through it but just found the whole thing ill thought out and superficial. A huge surprise to read that the author is supposedly a journalist, there seems to have been precious little research carried out other than regurgitating banal anecdotes. On the same page you could read about an incident in 1987 quickly followed by one in 1993 and the we could be back in 1978!
The level of stuff which made it into the book really suggests to me she was scratching around for material eg. once in 1978 Bozo was standing outside a chippy when a bloke asked him 'if he was Leeds' he told him to 'P*** off!' This actual piece isn't in the book but something similar is, I just couldn't be bothered to find the page!
An easy if somewhat superficial and repetitive read which wont enlighten you much - overall very disappointing!
The level of stuff which made it into the book really suggests to me she was scratching around for material eg. once in 1978 Bozo was standing outside a chippy when a bloke asked him 'if he was Leeds' he told him to 'P*** off!' This actual piece isn't in the book but something similar is, I just couldn't be bothered to find the page!
An easy if somewhat superficial and repetitive read which wont enlighten you much - overall very disappointing!
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have just finished reading the Service Crew book and, as someone who saw a lot of it going on in the late 80's and early 90's, can say that as much as some of sounds a bit, "we did them....and then we did them...", the truth is that it is pretty much how it happened.
It also acknowledges the fact that whilst Leeds had the Service Crew, there were always other smaller mobs of Leeds off to one side doing "their bit" as well.
The book describes how Leeds had a massive firm who did the business at home and away, but I like the fact that it sometimes gives the view from opposing fans, as what one firm sees in one place isn't always what the other firm saw. It also doesn't shirk on describing the odd time our firm came off second best.
It seems funny now to see the lads carrying on in big flares and looking like the Bay City Rollers, especially as someone who grew up with the townies and dressers, where designer clothes were the norm, but this book deals with it all the way from the Shipley Skins right up to the present day.
It differs from a number of books on this subject in that it is written by an author who has researched the information, rather than being the "memoirs" of one particular lad, although there is loads of input from various sources within the Service Crew, and later on the VYT and IHS.
All-in-all a good read, and one which lads who enjoy reading about this subject will enjoy. It will obviously sell well in Leeds, where bookshops have sold out already, even at 17 quid a pop, which is a bit steep.
The last word is that it is about time the Leeds story was told. There are so many other firms out there who have told their story, and I am pleased the Leeds firm have finally broken their silence and put pen to paper.
It also acknowledges the fact that whilst Leeds had the Service Crew, there were always other smaller mobs of Leeds off to one side doing "their bit" as well.
The book describes how Leeds had a massive firm who did the business at home and away, but I like the fact that it sometimes gives the view from opposing fans, as what one firm sees in one place isn't always what the other firm saw. It also doesn't shirk on describing the odd time our firm came off second best.
It seems funny now to see the lads carrying on in big flares and looking like the Bay City Rollers, especially as someone who grew up with the townies and dressers, where designer clothes were the norm, but this book deals with it all the way from the Shipley Skins right up to the present day.
It differs from a number of books on this subject in that it is written by an author who has researched the information, rather than being the "memoirs" of one particular lad, although there is loads of input from various sources within the Service Crew, and later on the VYT and IHS.
All-in-all a good read, and one which lads who enjoy reading about this subject will enjoy. It will obviously sell well in Leeds, where bookshops have sold out already, even at 17 quid a pop, which is a bit steep.
The last word is that it is about time the Leeds story was told. There are so many other firms out there who have told their story, and I am pleased the Leeds firm have finally broken their silence and put pen to paper.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
one sided
I bought the leeds service crew book after reading the reviews on amazon some were good some were bad reviews but a gave it ago and to be honest i have to agree with the bad... Read more
Published 7 months ago by spursmac
Service Crew: Inside storyof Leed's United's Hooligan Gangs.
This is a good read and not as 'far fetched' as some of the other
'Firm's' books I have read. I enjoyed it as I did 'The Zulu's'
by the same author. Read more
'Firm's' books I have read. I enjoyed it as I did 'The Zulu's'
by the same author. Read more
Published 12 months ago by T. Gussmann
read only if your a leeds fan
quite a poor book. just constant tales of fights. no real insight or characters. its hard to relate to or care about anyhting that goes on. Read more
Published on 1 July 2009 by B. Gash
BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
As a Cardiff City fan and after living in Leeds I was expecting this book to be all one sided, but to be fair Leeds fans have given a lot of Respect to some of their Rivals. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2009 by Mr. A. Abraham
Premier League standard Firm. Conference standard book.
Leeds were always thought as one of the top firms, and a book about their exploits has been eagerly awaited. Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2008 by Mythbuster
Must do better
This book could have been SO much better. I find it hard to believe Miss Gall is a Journalist, the book is disjointed, follows an illogical pattern and is badly researched. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2008 by J. Smith
blue max
this book is a huge let down starts o.k then goes very week swerve it
Published on 17 Feb 2008 by oliver crowell
The great white hope
There's some points i would like to clear up .
I think Caroline as done a reasonable job .I wouldn't call it the definitive account of The Leeds service crew to do that the... Read more
I think Caroline as done a reasonable job .I wouldn't call it the definitive account of The Leeds service crew to do that the... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2008 by dark white
best by amile
This is by far the best hoolie book released for a long time and believe me Ive read them all.The book covers everything from the late sixties to the present day . Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2008 by nbd9
LUFCW
WOULD JUST LIKE TO START BY SAYING CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROLINE GALL AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE ORGANISATION IN WRITING THIS(GREAT)BOOK,CANT IMAGINE HOW HARD IT... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2008 by LUFCBFD
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