A film about hooligans that is not cheesy, Stone Island!!!

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2004)

This film was just what the football follower/hooligan has been waiting for. Forget ID, which seemed staged, this is the real thing. Danny Dyer was born to play the part of one of the Chelsea foot soldiers, wrestling with his conscience/paranoia throughout the film and Frank Harper is nasty and believable as the psychotic 'general' of the firm. As in Lock Stock, he doesn't seem like an actor, he is genuinely menacing again here, especially one scene where he winds up one of the youngsters in the group (Coke addict, Zeberdee) before telling him he is pulling his chain just b4 Zeb s***s his pants. The story of the hooligan is told in an occasional voiceover by Dyer which really adds to the atmosphere and the story of the modern day hooligan and is intertwined with the tale of two old war veterans planning their retirement to Australia and the battles they went through in the war to fight for Britain. The story builds towards an FA Cup meeting between Chelsea and Millwall and culminates in an almighty ruck on a plot of disused land in 'Bandit Country'. Many scenes worth a mention and without spoiling it for you, here they are in one word, cricket bat, Magistrates nut, Taxi bore, wheelchair con, bmw bash. Watch the film and work them out, all in all, a football classic although no football is shown throughout the film, such is the way of the hoolie. If you are into football, hooligans, Stone Island, fighting, Cocaine, Blow, comedy, this should pull your chain. Tottenham away...LOVE IT!