Where football hooliganism is a sober servant to the state
The 20012002 season had been an ugly, exhilarating, frightening, intoxicating one of violent disorder as Millwall pushed for its first promotion to the Premiership. At the playoff semifinal against Birmingham City on May 2, everything came to a head. A riot was triggered, next to which the beatings, slashings and glassings of earlier in the season felt like child’s play.
Outside the ground, a car had been set alight. Its black smoke, thickened by bottles, stones and bricks, had turned grey under the beam of the police helicopter searchlight, enveloping the ■00strong mob that charged repeatedly beneath it like theatrical dry ice. Their target was a line of riot police, assembled to protect the victorious Birmingham fans, among them 200 of their notorious Zulu firm, who were as keen as us to get it on. Had they done so, there would have been fatalities. In 40 years of watching football, I had never experienced an atmosphere so sinister. Behind me, higher up on Ilderton Road, a second front was develop ing. The Old Bill began lashing out ferociously at us with extendable truncheons. One split open the bald head of a middleaged man standing next to me. Blood streamed from the wound down his face, blinding him. Some backed off. I stood, shouting, “Stand Millwall! Stand!” our rallying cry in the face of all opposition. For 30 years I had sought out and enjoyed situations like this. I knew not to turn my back. Confrontation carried risks, but that was part of the buzz, the fizz of the adrenaline rush. And then there was the camaraderie; the drinking together beforehand, the storytelling after.
I was 12 when the bug first bit me, in 1971. Josie, a Chelsea fan, had stood me up on a date at the school gate, so I went to the game without her. It was Peter Bonetti’s testimonial against Standard Liege, nothing of consequence, but the famous Shed was out in force. Fireworks flew through the air. Some exploded in front of my face. Skinheads in pleated, white Ben Sherman shirts,