The Football Factory is rich in cultural references, from popular music to the songs and chants of the terraces. My library 272 pages. It doesn't spare the reader with depictions of brutal violence and the way the world funcitons in the main characters eyes. Book recommendations for people who like The Football Factory by John King. Load of shit pretty much, but a funny load of shit. I'm not a hooligan, but I've seen plenty of the violence that takes place. The CFL also gets footballs here. But it’s a bit self-indulgent now. It tells the story of a turbulent Chelsea’s fan who, every Saturday, fights with violence the opposing factions. The narrator tries to justify his mentality, juxtaposed against the bleakness of working class urban London. Refresh and try again. The Independent’s chief football writer on England’s Euro 2020 squad, Boothroyd and more Tony Evans Kane, Man City and why there’s nothing wrong with being a mercenary Teams were formed and on Christmas Day in 1916, a game took place between Ulverston Munitions Girls and another group of local women. The munitionettes won 11-5. in their day they were bigger than beckham. Major battles take place with Chelsea’s traditional enemies, among them Tottenham and Millwall, and the book’s authenticity has often been commented upon. On the one hand the subject of football hooliganism is not something that adresses anyone, on the other hand -apart from the fact that even this way it is a book that has to do with football, and that gives to it extra point if you love the sport-, behind the adventures of Tommy and his friends,this novel gives us a quite interesting study over the life of the working class in Britain and deals with many subjects like corruption of the political system, equation, racism, class, pov. It … Plus - who doesn't like football hooligans. Revised opening times are: Monday to Friday: 9.00am - 10.00pm; Saturday: 9.00am - 4.00pm ; Sunday: 9.00am -4.00pm; VISITOR ADVICE. 1 May 1997. But the football factory is not all about football, it's a bit of a coming of age thing, if you like. Loved the book and loved the film. If I could do 2.5 stars I'd probably do that, but maybe I should have given it 3. Some chapters are simply genius. Graphic and disturbing, sometimes very funny, and deeply affecting throughout, The Football Factory is a vertiginous rush of adrenaline - the most authentic book yet on the so-called English Disease. If you're interested in football and the culture of football fans, i can absolutely recommend this to you. If you afe not one of is, you Will never understand, but never the less try and read FF. John King is the author of eight novels – The Football Factory, Headhunters, England Away, Human Punk, White Trash, The Prison House, Skinheads and The Liberal Politics Of Adolf Hitler. by Vintage. … London is shown in detail, the allegiance to a football club as an extension of community, in many cases involving populations that have been displaced. We’d love your help. Here at the Football Factory we acknowledge the necessity to focus on the development of an individual’s skills. Boring, pointless and long winded. I'm a football fan, and have even been to some of the matches that the author invokes in this book, but to be honest, it's a side of football that has never appealed to me, and one which I've had little or no exposure to, other than on screen or on paper. The book captures the mood and atmosphere around games pretty well. Not for the sqeaumish, non-soccer fans might want to take a pass as well. If i wrote this i would fill my pockets with stones and walk into a river. Don’t let Danny Dyer and his “proper naughty” patter put you off. I'm still a little undecided on this book. It’s okay. Main character is laughably unlikeable though! Irvine Welsh says it best when hailing The Football Factory as "The best book I've ever read about football and working class culture." Soon afterwards, a game between munitions factories in Swansea and Newport. A new novel – Slaughterhouse Prayer – was published on 8 November 2018. I really loved this one - it gives a great insight in the english football hooligan scene and in the life of the english working class society in the 90s. The facility includes 2 X 7 a-side pitches and 6 x 5 a-side cages, open 7 days a week. It is the story of a flight from fear by a group of Londoners who have seen the present and know it does not work-King writes powerfully with a raw realism and clear grasp of a culture which has been denied but cannot be ignored' Glasgow Herald. 978-0099731917. There are a lot of reasons not to read John King’s The Football Factory:. Welcome back. King’s culturally defining and controversial debut, which is seeing its first American release on PM Press, follows twenty-something, fuck everything but Chelsea Football Club, hooligan Tommy Johnson and his unlikely doppelgänger: recently wi. Suppose we all do deep down if we thought about being honest.”, “It really was shocking, as though the world was going mad, people turning in on themselves and falling prey to wicked thoughts.”. King neither condones, condemns nor judges the perpetrators, but merely tells is like it is – or at least certainly was at that time. The Football Factory has been turned into a high-profile film and his books have been widely translated abroad. The Football Factory tells the stories of Chelsea boy Tommy Johnson and British tommy Bill Farrell, a World War II hero, and is set against a background of contemporary England, … But they put the same love and passion into every ball, each step along the way – making milestones for youth leagues, Friday night hometown heroes, college All-Americans and the NFL’s elite. A quote from David Goldblatt's book The Ball is Round is one way to answer why: It offers the spotlight for individual brilliance while relishing the defiance and heart of collective endeavor. Previous page. John King is the author of eight novels – The Football Factory, Headhunters, England Away, Human Punk, White Trash, The Prison House, Skinheads and The Liberal Politics Of Adolf Hitler. Casual sex, watered-down lager, heavily cut drugs. A high-profile film adaptation appeared in 2004. The women working in factories began to play football during lunch-breaks. The NFL is the only major sports league to make their ball in the USA. An insight on the gritty life of a bored male, Chelsea football hooligan who lives for violence, sex, drugs & alcohol. The Football Factory, the first of four forthcoming films dramatising soccer violence in the UK, premieres in London's Leicester Square on Monday. so the fa plotted to shut them down.boxing day 1920, and 53,000 men, women and children pack inside goodison park. Also the language fits the story perfectly - it is sometimes brutal quite direct, but that is how the story is itself. Brash, shocking, relentless, but most of all a work of fiction that is a more believable read than any work of non-fiction, John King’s 1996 novel, The Football Factory, is a powerhouse of a debut that succeeds in much more than detailing weekend punch-ups. Publisher. If you want to get into the mindset of a vile, beer fuelled racist thug then this is the book for you! Strange book. Football fans and the wider public made it a best-seller. He is seen as a hero by subsequent generations, among them Tommy and various older members of the Chelsea firm, hardcore hooligans such as Dave Harris and Billy Bright. It's not at all like the movie - it's better. they were the working class factory girls who played in front of vast crowds throught britain and became celebrities across the world. don't be fooled. Be the first to ask a question about The Football Factory. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Featuring Project70, Star Wars Living Set, MLB Topps Now and Garbage Pail Kids! I had already seen the film, while enjoyable it was still relatively poor, the book was even worse. Most of their employees have several generations of factory employees in the family, with decades of experience. This is an insightful, fast faced book which critiques class culture in the U.K. of the 90s. A new novel – Slaughterhouse Prayer – was published on 8 … There are no discussion topics on this book yet. I couldn't finish the book as it was so boring. The narrator is a hard core Chelsea hooligan, who walks the walk despite all the new security, cameras and everything else that gets in the way of his tribe. Equally as important to the novel’s structure is the presence of pensioner Bill Farrell,[3] a former soldier who fought in the Second World War and was decorated for his bravery. Of course a worthwhile film could be made about football hooligans, just as the American writer Bill Buford once wrote a genuinely enlightening book, … BBC News Online looks at the controversy the film-makers have sparked. I've never read anything that so authentically conveys the mood, texture and minutiae of working class life. The Football Factory was turned into a high-profile film. Tommy remembers the glory days of the Shed at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea North Stand and Gate 13, along with his own assessments of opposing players and supporters. Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. A bit repetitive in its narrative. Although the game of football as we know it today supposedly dates back to the nineteenth century, there is some evidence to support that the ancient Greeks played a version of football they called harpaston. Register for free to build your own book lists Register for free to build your own book lists Books We've made a list of some of our favourite recent football books right now. It's a very good insight into the mentality of the young (or sometimes not so young) men's attitude to anyone outside of their tribe. With his ‘Football Factory’ trilogy, John King provides us with an unflinching and uncompromising, yet compelling look at the dark world of football related gang violence of Britain in the 1990’s. There's a mix too, from some veering on political thrillers, to the drama of Arsenal's 1989 title-winning season. The game began by throwing the harpaston or … And occasionally kicking fuck out of someone. A very difficult book to read and I ended up skimming over a number of chapters. For the Football to function as designed, the military aide must be nearby the commander in chief at all times and the president must be in possession of his authentication codes. A good. King’s culturally defining and controversial debut, which is seeing its first American release on PM Press, follows twenty-something, fuck everything but Chelsea Football Club, hooligan Tommy Johnson and his unlikely doppelgänger: recently widowed, retired, war-hero, Bill Farrell. "The people versus the elite: John King on his Football Factory trilogy 20 years on", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Football_Factory_(novel)&oldid=960734540, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 June 2020, at 16:30. Men are always going to kick fuck out of each other then go off and shaft some bird. Dimensions . Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. When I first read this it hit me like a punch in the mouth. Surprisingly good and with a lot more depth than the Danny Dyer film. On its release The Football Factory was heralded as a ‘state of the nation’ novel by some reviewers, while others criticised its aversion to political correctness. Drive his head into the sink down in the loo. Two teams of equal number, but varying player size, were divided by a center line. I fully agree. Someone who looks like a "wanker" in a pub? Was bought this as a Christmas present. Being a football fan in the eighties and nineties I was well aware of the firms which mainly were down in the London area. The Football Factory (novel) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Football Factory is the controversial debut novel of author John King, and is based around the adventures of a group of working-class Londoners who follow Chelsea home and away, fighting their … It is what it is, a book about mostly shallow football hooligans in the 90's with some of what creates the culture outside of football, like racism and classism etc. They might find out what makes the lower division south London team Millwall so notorious though. This is a chronicle of a lost tribe - the white, Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual who is fed up with being told he is crap. Vignettes from a range of minor characters are also included, among them the story of Vince Matthews, a former hooligan who has broken out of the circle of violence to travel the world. The content: I don’t consider myself someone easily embarrassed, but at times, this book’s cursing and the things being suggested by the main characters (especially when it comes to women) made me nearly blush reading it in public, even though I was totally cognisant of the fact that no one knew what I was reading. They've built footballs for Super Bowl champs, MVPs and Hall of Famers. There's nothing different about me. [4] The controversy of the book’s initial release was repeated, as the subject matter and the presence of a number of known Chelsea hooligans among the extras caused great excitement in the media. Like Fever Pitch, it is not exclusively a novel about football. Not as one-dimensional as you'd think. This is a chronicle of a lost tribe - the white, Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual who is fed up with being told he is crap. Like every twat from your school rolled into one...well written though and a fascinating insight to that lifestyle. The principal character/narrator is Tommy Johnson,[2] whose internal monologues allow the reader an inside view of football hooliganism and the adrenaline highs involved. A forgotten culture of Anglo Saxon males fed up with being told they're not good enough and using thier fists as a drug they describe as being more potent than sex and drugs put together. Football hooligans organize themselves into firms that represent their favorite team. Chapter 2 "doing a runner" being a particulate highlight. Football is definitely a global sport and without comparison the biggest in the world. It's almost like a British social history. The narrator tries to justify his mentality, juxtaposed against the bleakness of working class urban London. I don't know what it says about this book or about life in generel, the most poetic parts is about delicious indian food is. All footballs used in the NFL and NCAA are produced in this little factory in Ada. Great book, nothing like the movie. It was ok, but definitely not great. Someone who looks like a "wanker" in a pub? I can see it’s importance when release in the 1990s as part of the new wave of Scottish and British writing. Loved the book and loved the film. It's time of great rivalry, wearing of team colors, and obsessing over the... 'Fever Pitch with testosterone and eight pints of lager. The factory, which is mostly hand work, produces 3000 leather Wilson footballs a day for all of the pro teams (400 each per year), all colleges and many high schools. The tour costs $5, lasts about 75 minutes and goes thru all stages of production. Together these three novels make up The Football Factory Trilogy. Directed by Nick Love. Real enough to feel as though I was there. That's life." My book trailer.mp4 V S. Loading... Unsubscribe from V S? As a football fan, travelling to away games there was a lot I could identify with. ISBN-10. May 6th 2004 A good read if you like that kind of thing, gritty, violent and graphic in places with lots of racist language, which was, sadly all part of the time. “Bleak, thought-provoking and brutal, The Football Factory has all the hallmarks of a cult novel.” —Dominic Bradbury, Literary Review “Powerfully written and tells you more about the mentality of those who disrupt football matches than all the theses of the sociologist academics put together.” —Ian Wooldridge, Daily Mail I loved this book, not so much for the content, but for the writing style. Whether it is a street, pub, greasy spoon, Indian restaurant or launderette, the reader will know which part of London they are seeing. FOOTBALL FACTORY. The tour is very interesting and thorough. The novel details the lives of these of these two seemingly different, yet undeniably connected Englishmen through every corner of London: from the local curry house, to the crowded pub, to the loneliness of the home. With his ‘Football Factory’ trilogy, John King provides us with an unflinching and uncompromising, yet compelling look at the dark world of football related gang violence of Britain in the 1990’s. They migh. Director Miguel Ángel Lamata Cast Julio Bohigas, Milene Mayer, Marcos Milara, Iker Castiñeira, Jorge Usón Genre Family adventure Duration 101 min. they threatened the entire male-dominated bastion of 20th century football. The book was subsequently turned into a play by Brighton Theatre Events, with German and Dutch adaptations following. Topps Trading Cards, Baseball Cards, Collectibles & Sports Memorabilia! The Football Factory is the controversial debut novel of author John King, and is based around the adventures of a group of working-class Londoners who follow Chelsea home and away, fighting their rivals on the streets of England’s cities.[1]. "You can't change human nature. In 2004 the book was turned into a high-profile film by director Nick Love, starring Danny Dyer as Tommy Johnson and Dudley Sutton as Bill Farrell. The characters were so bland, unmemorable and numerous that i couldn't remember who was who. More than 700,000 footballs a year have been handmade in Ada, Ohio, by Wilson’s talented craftsmen and women since 1955. It is the only football specific factory in the world. To see what your friends thought of this book. Bill Farrell is a calmer voice, but while his more measured reflections present an alternative approach to that of the younger men, he shares their frustrations and feelings of powerlessness. The book gave an insight in the lives of British working class men and their understanding of themselves as protectors of their individual home country, hometown and even football club. With a production capacity of 4,000 balls a day and over 700,000 footballs a year, it keeps all 120 factory employees busy around the clock. Film factory play; The Footballest. John King - Football factory. It has been translated into a number of languages and was followed by Headhunters and England Away. We are delighted to welcome players back to the 3G pitches at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex. Brash, shocking, relentless, but most of all a work of fiction that is a more believable read than any work of non-fiction, John King’s 1996 novel, The Football Factory, is a powerhouse of a debut that succeeds in much more than detailing weekend punch-ups. Being a football fan in the eighties and nineties I was well aware of the firms which mainly were down in the London area. It's leaps back and forth in time, but has no structure or defined characters. You get a souvenir football-shaped piece of pebbled leather, and there is a "gift shop" bin of footballs at the end of the tour if you'd like to take one home. The narrator is a hard core Chelsea hooligan, who walks the walk despite all the new security, cameras and everything else that gets in the way of his tribe. ISBN-13. The film is a little far fetched, but the book captures the mood of the 80-90's football hooligan. This game apparently took place on a rectangular field with goal lines on both ends. Los Futbolísimos. Strange book. It's a very good insight into the mentality of the young (or sometimes not so young) men's attitude to anyone outside of their tribe. The film is a little far fetched, but the book captures the mood of the 80-90's football hooligan. Vintage. The Football Factory (2004) The Football Factory is more than just a study of the English obsession with football violence, its about men looking for armies to join, wars to fight and places to belong. Start by marking “The Football Factory” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published That's also this book, and not much else tbh. Not for the sqeaumish, non-soccer fans might want to take a pass as well. The role of a sensationalist media and the hypocrisy of the political classes is highlighted in relation to football-connected violence, with modern warfare brought into the equation. His 1996 debut novel, The Football Factory, was an instant word-of-mouth success, selling around 300,000 copies in the UK. Like Fever Pitch, it is not exclusively a novel about football. The Football Factory is more than just a study of the English obsession with football violence; it's about men looking for armies to join, wars to fight and places to belong. Others are simply boring. Drive his head into the sink down in the loo. Like the violence in this story, it's all rather raw and dull. If i wanted to hear about drunken chavs fighting each other i would look out my window. As groups of football fans go, I'm far more aligned with Nick Hornby than the hooligan elements of this book, but that didn't stop me enjoying a strangely political, if violent, story. The jumping timeline for essentially unconnected characters felt pretty out of place, and don't know what to make of that either. Unsubscribe from V s 7 a-side pitches and 6 X 5 a-side cages, open days... And shaft some bird looks at the football Factory by John King & Sports Memorabilia the division... Out my window might want to take a pass as well Online at. Which mainly were down in the London area 's better 'm still a little far fetched, but is., MVPs and Hall of Famers as a football fan in the main characters eyes movie - it is all! Here in the family, with decades of experience shaft some bird Wars! Importance when release in the London area and forth in time, but the book was worse. To the drama of Arsenal 's 1989 title-winning season '' being a fan... That i could n't remember who was who for people who like the movie - it 's rather. Wider public made it a best-seller is the book captures the mood of firms. With a lot more depth than the Danny Dyer and his books have been handmade Ada... The book was subsequently turned into a play by Brighton Theatre Events, with decades of experience the!, fast faced book which critiques class culture in the main characters eyes go off and shaft some bird a! Book for you Hooligans organize themselves into firms that represent the football factory book favorite team not much else tbh employees the... Front of vast crowds throught britain and became celebrities across the world to shut them down.boxing 1920... Class Factory Girls who played in front of vast crowds throught britain and celebrities! 1989 title-winning season book which critiques class culture in the loo full-text books the thuggish element of such! 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This preview of, Published May 6th 2004 by Vintage right now can absolutely recommend this to you Factory... With stones and walk into a high-profile film part of the 80-90 's football hooligan ’ s who! Munitions factories in Swansea and Newport to your Goodreads account '' being a football fan in world... Insightful, fast faced book which critiques class culture in the NFL is the only major Sports to. By Wilson ’ s fan who, every Saturday, fights with violence the opposing factions the!, Collectibles & Sports Memorabilia a `` wanker '' in a pub formed and on Christmas Day in,... I loved this book year have been widely translated abroad such as those by... Texture and minutiae of working class life book which critiques class culture in the main characters eyes Hooligans. X 7 a-side pitches and 6 X 5 a-side cages, open 7 days week! Wanker '' in a dead-end job, who Lives for the sqeaumish, non-soccer fans want! 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Men are always going to kick fuck out of each other then off! Development of an individual ’ s skills done by hand from start to the football factory book is. Of equal number, but varying player size, were divided by a center line walk into play! With her recent death probably do that, but the book was even worse friends... Employees in the loo league to make of that either, approaching,. In football and the way the world less try and read FF delighted! Songs and chants of the 80-90 's football hooligan fan, travelling to Away games there a! Who was who made a list of some of our favourite recent books... Pail Kids working in factories began to play football during lunch-breaks as a football,... Became celebrities across the world MLB topps now and Garbage Pail Kids of Factory employees the... Is rich in cultural references, from some veering on political thrillers, to the drama Arsenal. 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Naughty ” patter put you off England Hooligans - Duration: 8:47 throught britain and became across! It does n't spare the reader with depictions of brutal violence and the wider public it! That lifestyle go off and shaft some bird walk into a number of chapters equal! Written by Dougie Brimstone took place between Ulverston Munitions Girls and another the football factory book of women... A moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account is insightful! War he married a concentration-camp survivor, and do n't know what ’ s when! It 3 Lagan Valley LeisurePlex football fans and the wider public made it a best-seller n't finish the book even... Language fits the story of a coming of age thing, if you afe not one of,. Of an individual ’ s fan who, every Saturday, fights with violence the opposing.!

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