Terrible!

Rating: 3/10 (8 March 2006)

I'm a West Ham fan from East London and had to see the film because it was based on my football club, in my area and about West Ham's hooligan element. Of course I knew it was a fictional adaptation of the Intercity Firm (ICF) under the moniker of Green Street Elite, but can't see why.
*SPOILER* From start of the film and hearing Charlie Hunnan's Cockney accent I knew this film was going to be a massive disappointment. The first fight scene would have been more at home in a kung-fu film then a movie about football hooliganism. I'm all for watching Tottenham get smashed all over the gaff in any light, but not when it looks like it's been glazed over by the Hollywood treatment.
Looking at the inner-city area where the pub was did actually remind me of the Boleyn Pub which is on the corner of Green Street next to the ground as is home support only, even the authentic chants inside made me smile a little. The banter between the boys when the Yank got there isn't too far from how English boys are either, but that's where it all ends for me. No more smiles after that, just disappointment over and over. When they got to the game and made their way inside the game, we're led to believe that West Ham are at home to Birmingham City when it's clear as day that West Ham were playing Gillingham. Now that might seem insignificant to people who either don't follow football or have no idea about the English leagues/teams, but when you are in the know and someone who attends regular it comes across as all wrong and made predominantly for an American audience. Even the Birmingham fans were all wrong. The black fellas sounded like they were from Jamaica and the white fella who was with them is clearly a Scouser. (Liverpudlian) Now yet again, to an American audience that's insignificant, but to a British/English audience it's noticeable and annoying.
The trip to Manchester made me laugh because of how bad the scene was. First off, if you're about to have an off with Man United's firm, you're not gonna take 6 blokes and a 5ft nothing Yank who's never had a row. Second was the fact that about 30 Manc's are hanging outside the station waiting for the 'GSE' to come out. Now anyone who has the most minute idea about football violence would tell you that the Police would be bang on them and an escort waiting for the West Ham mob attending Old Trafford. In this day and age, you don't get the freedom to stand about outside stations waiting for a row. You're on film, Police are everywhere, especially for a fixture like Man United v West Ham and any mob that's worth it's grain would never in this day and age come out of the main station. It's like going to south Bermondsey on an away trip to Millwall, you just don't do it because Old Bill (Police) will be there to wrap you up and take you straight to the game.
Other things that made the film tacky were the fact that you never see contact made between firms prior to a meet. You also never see firms actively looking for each other, but instead standing around making themselves stand out like a sore thumb and that aggravating because you know that's not something that happens at football in this day and age.
The Millwall firm looked far more convincing then West Ham. They looked half decent, where as the West Ham lot looked liked a bunch of kids. The whole film ended up getting up my nose and made me cringe watching it with my mates who ain't West Ham. They could see how ridiculous it was and how apparent that it'd been Americanized. The film feels like it was thrown together to shock Americans and show the 'ugly side' of football in England. It might have done that, but for people living on this side of the Atlantic, it was diabolical.
One thing that got to me personally was the little research that went into the film and the location. If it wasn't for the West Ham fans in the 'Abby' there would be no way of foreigners knowing that West Ham are based in East London and Millwall football club is in south London, not Tower Hamlets which is a borough in East London. Millwall is in East London, but that's the place not the football club and it's not in the borough of Tower Hamlets either.
I could in all honesty pick this film apart all day because I feel it was that bad. I've nit picked on certain things, but when I watch a film, especially based on a subject that I have a lot of knowledge on, I want it to seem authentic as possible, which it didn't at any point.
You can call this more of a rant then a review.