Simply dreadful

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2004)

There are films with wit, charm, sophistication, plot and premier quality acting which inspire and entertain.
This is not one of those films and should have been burned in celluloid form before getting anywhere near the public domain.
Football Factory is basically about football hooliganism, and the yobs which make up the hooligan element of such clubs as West Ham, Millwall, and, focused on in this one, Chelsea. We follow a traveling gang who essentially drink a lot, and arrange a 'barney' with opposing fans whenever they get a chance.
A bunch of of non-descript actors play the roles here with excruciating blandness and overwhelming stereotyping that from the off it is both hard to hear what they're muttering, and hard to want to continue watching such is the complete and utter dislikeability of every one of them. I accept that we're probably not supposed to sympathies or even empathise with these fellows, such are their natures, but not even *one* protagonist exists and we feel completely distanced from everything.
The plot is that a cup draw between the arch-rivals Millwall and Chelsea has been made, and a meet between the hooligans is planned. However, so much peripheral nonsense and uninteresting drivel is played out in between that frankly by the time they all meet the viewer really couldn't give a monkey's.
The battle scenes are gritty enough, but all it does it repulse you - there is no attempt to convey it in a societal manner, or to explain *why* they do this and what motivates them - it's just 'we beat each other up because we like it'.
As said before there is little characterisation, and the stereotyping is utterly miserable: the racist cabbie, the degenerate hooligan friends, the psychotic ringleader, the quiet overall leader, the wise but gruff old men, the young scumbags, and all the various yobs on 'the other sides'.
I'm trying to fathom what else there is to this and I'm dry already.
Frankly to watch this film is to view an embarrassment to the British film industry which is capable of much, much better fare than this.