UnOfficial Foxes Issue 2

Khan: Memoirs of an Asian football casual. – book review

I am expecting some flack just for reviewing this book. It deals with the ‘casuals’ – the groups of football supporters who engaged in violence with other football gangs in the 80s, and other criminal activities, but also had a strong interest in fashion and music. The critics will claim that it’s just painting criminal behaviour in a good light. However, the author Riaz Khan will deny that he is trying to glorify what he and his gang members got up to, more that he’s trying to relate what they did and why. It’s not a book that tries to list story after story claiming their ‘firm’ or ‘squad’ always triumphed, but it does try to examine why they got involved in the scene, and some of the antics they got up to. Part of it was the excitement of going to the match, home and away, and pitting your clan’s fighting skills against those from another city. For people like Khan and others from an ethnic background it was a chance to feel part of a community, to belong, at a time when racist attitudes were prevalent. Indeed, part of what made Leicester’s “Baby Squad” unique in Britain at the time was the inclusion of Asian members in their hooligan gang.

Another attraction which is perhaps understated, is that young men could show their worth to fellow football fans by being loyal to the tribe. A common cry to others when facing a big gang was to “stand your ground”. A member of the football clan (I remember in the day they were called “squaddies” not “casuals”) despite not being talented in other areas, could gain respect from his peers by being able to stand up to the opposing forces.

One reason I found the accounts in this book very authentic, is that it covers a time when I went regularly to see Leicester play, home and away. I went to watch to football, and was not a member of the Baby Squad, but there were times I’d see them (and opposing gangs) in action. I used to go and watch Leicester play with others from Loughborough, and there were times when we were saved from a beating from opposition fans by the Baby Squad’s intervention. Although we were more on the “scarfer” spectrum, we were of an age that made us targets to opposition firms. Not that all the members of the squad were angels; many loved violence and it was quite common to see fights break out between fellow Leicester fans I also found out in this book what had really taken place at certain games. I had been amazed by the size of an Arsenal squad that had come to the city and rampage down the streets; I was then astounded to see an even bigger Leicester squad (far bigger than I’d ever seen) turn up and force the Arsenal mob to run off. I saw quite a few beatings that day that disgusted me, and I stopped going for a while after that. It was not until I read this book that I found out there was something called the Derby Leicester Alliance in place for a short period, and the Leicester numbers were swelled on that day by Derby fans from the Derby Lunatic Fringe (DLF). Given the numbers of hooligans around that day, it’s no wonder the police failed to stop so much violence kicking off. It has to be admitted that part of the appeal of the casuals’ movement at the time (and it’s described several times by contributors to this publication) is the exhilaration at seeing violence break out. Chelsea’s fans are mentioned several times, for being both belligerent and racist, yet there was always an air of expectancy when their team came to play at Filbert Street. Fights would break out in different parts of the ground, and there would be seemingly co-ordinated fireworks and flares let off, which gave an impression of “shock and awe”. The combination of fear, excitement and expectation made this type of violent outbreak oddly attractive to the youngsters caught up in it. One of the best aspects of this book is that Riaz gets various exmembers of the Baby Squad to contribute to the story, and they strive to give a honest account of their actions, and also that of rival firms. The media like to describe the people involved as being mindless thugs, but the reality is somewhat different.

I’m struck by how many of the contributors matured and went onto further education in later life. Many of them admit that certain followings, like West Ham, Everton and Chelsea were feared opponents, and more than one contributor admits that the Millwall following were nearly impossible to back down. There is also a sense of admiration by some of the Leicester following, at the ambush carried out by the Portsmouth 6:57 crew on the Baby Squad at a London venue. One thing to be ambushed by Spurs or Chelsea in London, but Portsmouth? A lot of the conflicts that kicked off would involve unequal numbers, and often the smaller squad fighting against a bigger mob could gain glory by overcoming the odds and pushing the aggressors back. There is also the claim, common with a lot of the football squads of the time, that they only “fought against their own kind”. The narrative was they avoided picking fights with the normal fans, known as “scarfers”. Although this was usually true, it wasn’t uniform behaviour. The books’ contributors are also painfully honest in describing how they managed to obtain their desired fashion clothing –normally by stealing or shoplifting.

For those who into this subject, the book describes how and when violence “kicked off”, and benefits from getting witness accounts from various members of the “Baby Squad” (the book also explains how there was really a collection of different street gangs in Leicester who came together under that label just for the football games). I suspect it’s one of the best books you can read if you want to understand the phenomenon. If it does lack anything, it’s input from the police involved, and how they struggled at the time to adjust to hooligan tactics. Certainly in the early 80s the average football fan, still less a casuals hooligan, had little respect for the police’s ability to predict and prevent football violence, but this changed later with the advent of cctv, technology and intelligence actions. That’s a different subject, however. Riaz Khan has put together a book that explains how he, and various other casuals, got involved in soccer violence and why they found that way of life appealing. Even today when they have chosen a law-abiding life, many of them will admit to missing those days. If you read the book you will get a good insight into why they miss the Baby Squad years.

Verdict: A fascinating read ISBN 978-0993430909