Guvnors: The Autobiography of a Football Hooligan Gang Leader Paperback – 3 Dec. 1997

Cracking book and very knowledgeable story. ComeOnCity

Didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book but I found it very interesting and well written. It was interesting to read how the rival fans operated and what has happened to them since. In particular the author seems to have done well sin giving up hooliganism and turned his life around

I guess this book should get a but more praise because it is one of the earlier 'hooligan' books but the simple fact of the matter is if you have read one you have read them all.Story begins with his childhood, born in rough working class area, dad used to slap him around, mum worked her guts out but both were the salt of the earth. Joined a firm, was a life long fan, police make an operation against the firm, court case goes on, gets sent down, comes out becomes a bouncer yeh you have just about read the same thing with just about every hooligan book around.Still, this does have some things of interest. Francis is pretty honest with his many encounters with rival firms describing how he and his firm were not only turned over more than once but that on many occasions he had the living daylights kicked out of him. He is honest about his own firms use of knives and how other firms also used them recounting occasions when the City firm have slashed a few people. He is honest about the thieving that went on how they were far from the best dressed people around (in fact being honest enough to say they dressed like scruffs) Which is a damn site more honest than some of the books you will find out there with there obligatory chapter dedicated to nothing more than designer labels and myths about how they were such 'dresses' (Anyone seen the pictures in the Birmingham Zulus book? V-Neck jumpers with black suit jacket, yeh lads you were the height of fashion)Mickey was a mixed race lad and is not daft enough to think that racism didn't exist on the terraces. He more than once tells us how his firm fought City firms who were NF and some of the racist abuse that the Cool Cats received in Liverpool (From both Liverpool and Everton) Leeds, Millwall and Chelsea and even more so the shock value a mixed race firm received in places like Newcastle and Leeds.Not a bad read, you will probably get through it in about an hour at best.

This book is a true portrayal of gang culture on the terraces. It’s told by a Manchester City fan who still goes to the games now. Mickey Francis and his brothers tell the exact story of their years in football violence. He tells it like it was to be a fan in the Seventies and Eighties when there was a lot more violence around the grounds up and down the country. It’s a highly recommended to anyone with an interest in football or gangs. It’s definitely worth reading, keep you hooked the whole time.

Excellent read although of its time (just like me) however u can relate to the author & his path in life, not just a book revelling in violence but one that makes plain the camaraderie of the group, the consequences of such behaviour, and what could be lost, have no doubts of the authenticity of the authors involvement and authenticity of the content which is written clearly and concisely without being boastful or exaggerating his own role - you will struggle to put this down

Generally a good book written honestly and how it was. Reviewing the behaviour is not the object but as a good read it was worth purchasing

Did exactly what it said on the tin,but maybe as the book is 20 years old, just reads as dated and tedious

Found this book only OK. The narrative jumps around too much and goes very quickly from story to story. Not much detail of what went on so it's hard to get into the action. These guys appear to have been heavily involved in the 70's and 80's but there are better books of this genre out there.

My wife was shocked when I told her it's one of the strangest books I've read. Her comment was, "It must be really weird!" All the violence in the book seems to be just for fun. It reads as a catalog of brawls. I can't say it's bad, but the banality of it wears on you. There isn't much insight into the 'hooligan' culture, other than they just enjoyed beating the living hell out of each other.

This book came across as a pretty honest account of Mickey's life. It however lacked some detail of the actual clashes between firms which would have made for a much more hard hitting biography. I lived in the Manchester area for 30 years and had knowledge of a lot of what is written, I enjoyed reading it and remembering those days very fondly, even though some of it got out of hand. It is a thin line between being a very passionate supporter and a hooligan and some of that came out in the book. It was also clear that Mickey's upbringing played a massive part in his life as a hooligan.I would recommend this book if you actively supported your team in the eighties.

Funny and frightening at the same time in some parts, but somehow it is a bit the same stuf chapter after chapter. A bit of perspective and analysis would have been appreciated (even though it is clearly stated it is the aim of the book)

M. Francis beschreibt die andere Hälfte der Stadt Manchester. Das kann man so deutlich sagen, denn sie ist wirklich in Man City und ManU aufgeteilt. Die etwas unbekanntere City-Seite und ihre "Fans" werden in dem Buch beschrieben. Ebenso wie Lebensabschnitte des Authors. Hauptsächlich aber geht es um Rowdytum in der Fussball-Szene und im Gegensatz zu manch' anderen Schriftstücken zu dieser Thematik, wird das Kernthema hier nicht verfehlt. Gutes Buch!