Barmy Army [Paperback]

Yet as this last year has proven, whilst the hooligans in other nations cause as much, if not more, trouble than their English counterparts, it is the activities of the fans from this country which always seems to attract the greatest scrutiny. And with good reason.

For hooliganism is on the rise in England again.

And from amongst their number has emerged a new breed of thug, more dangerous and cunning than their predecessors ever were. Hooligans who have adopted the style and mannerisms of the old school casuals whilst embracing the technology of the mobile phone, the pager and more importantly, the Internet. How has it come to this? And why? More importantly, how can we stop them?

Using the hard-edged, in-your-face style of his previous books, Dougie Brimson explores every aspect of the hooligan issue and lays it bare. From the birth of the problem in the fourteenth century to the explosion of organised violence via the world wide web, Barmy Army examines the people, the causes, the methods and the history of this frightening, yet fascinating problem.

Once described by The Times as 'football aggro's pornographer in chief' and The Independent as 'the yob laureate' the success of the former servicemans numerous non-fiction books have established him as possibly the leading commentator on the culture of European football. More recently, the success of his fictional writing -in particular the Lynda La Plante inspired thriller The Crew and the recent comedy novel Billy's Log- has attracted a whole new audience to his work with the result that his books have become obligatory reading for anyone with an interest in the male culture. As a result, they sell around the world.