Former World Champion boxer Tony Bellu is hosting a new six-part podcast for BBC Radio 5 Live.
Gang Present: Hooligans look at the rise and fall of Hooliganism and the socioeconomic factors that have led to its peak. It also explores the cultural impact it had on society and how police, government and football clubs worked so hard to put out the fire.
Over the past 60 years, the six-part box set reveals its lasting impact on the British community, from battle to fashion, from battle to fashion.
Speaking about the podcast, Everton fan Tony Bellow said: “There were no rules back then, there were weapons, and that was mayhem.
“In my opinion, it was a dark time. It was when football was in a really, really bad place. The terrace was chaotic, there was violence on the streets, there was violence in the city centre, train stations and on the grounds. No one is safe and things can escalate at any time.
“What people misunderstand about Hooliganism is that it comes from frustration. What I learned through this podcast is that these people are doctors, they are lawyers, they come from different paths of life, they go to these games and fight to escape the daily life with other fans.”
The podcast features not only members of the infamous “company” but also infiltrating police officers who have risked the lives that permeated some of England's most dangerous football gangs, as well as victims, families of those who lost their violence, and the lives they have at risk that have permeated some of England's most dangerous football gangs.
It also features archive news materials, famous soccer legends and conversations with fans. These include former soccer player and broadcaster Pat Nevin, radio DJ Trevor Nelson and television presenter Nick Owen.
The soundtrack goes back in time as Tony covers decades of “solid” football history from the '60s to the present.
The podcast highlights what was known as the “British disease” when British football fans had a global reputation for violence on and outside the football field across Europe.
It also includes the most notorious companies in British football, their origins, and some of them from the chaos they caused around the country.
From Manchester United's Red Army, via Chelsea Headhunters, West Ham City Company and the Zulu Warriors in Birmingham City, the gangster presents hearings from those who lived in for trouble.
These included “Cockney Al,” who moved to the Chelmsley Wood area in Birmingham when he was 14, and by the time he was 15 he was close to his neck.
He said: When you get involved, you are expected to participate every week, and that's what happened to me.
“I was 15 years old and I played West Ham in the evening, and West Ham came out of New Street Station, but a lot of people were scared of them. That was my first big fight and I grew from there.”
Gang Gift: Hooligans Boxset will be on sale at BBC Sounds on Friday, March 7th.
