Decent working of Football Factory

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2004)

I've been a fan of John King's Football Factory trilogy for many years, following the exploits of Tommy, mark et al and wondered how they'd translate the episodic nature of the lives in a year of the many characters. I was pleased with the result. What could have been a sprawling, lost attempt to translate the book, has turned out a focussed interpretation of the essence of Football Factory. Set over a few weeks in the run up to Milwall v Chelsea in the FA Cup, we look at the lives of the central characters, the drinking, the drugs and casual violence with a relatively sympathetic view of the lives of a number what are currently termed 'chavs' in south west London. Fantastically paced with a storming soundtrack, this film is well worth checking out. My only minor criticism is the disassociation of these characters with football itself, which rather implies that anyone who enjoys the violence isn't a 'real' football fan, which i think unlikely, but hey, don't let that stop you.