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Awaydays
I am the product of a blank generation. I live for kicks. I live for me.
Birkenhead, 1979. The Pack, a violent mob of Stanley-knife-wielding football hooligans, follow their team across the Northern wastelands to their away games – earning a reputation as the nastiest crew in the Third Division. For the young working-class men with no way out, their lives revolve around the fashion, the music and the mayhem. But for two of them, Carty and Elvis, escaping towards a different future might mean leaving each other behind.
Quickly gaining cult status when first published, Awaydays is both a powerful evocation of a time and a culture, and a poignant coming-of-age story about finding your identity, escaping your circumstances and the unspoken intensity of male friendships.
Birkenhead, 1979. The Pack, a violent mob of Stanley-knife-wielding football hooligans, follow their team across the Northern wastelands to their away games – earning a reputation as the nastiest crew in the Third Division. For the young working-class men with no way out, their lives revolve around the fashion, the music and the mayhem. But for two of them, Carty and Elvis, escaping towards a different future might mean leaving each other behind.
Quickly gaining cult status when first published, Awaydays is both a powerful evocation of a time and a culture, and a poignant coming-of-age story about finding your identity, escaping your circumstances and the unspoken intensity of male friendships.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2024
About the author
Kevin Sampson
30 books46 followersKevin Sampson is the author of seven novels - Awaydays, Powder, Leisure, Outlaws, Clubland, Freshers and most recently, Stars are Stars - and a work of non-fiction, Extra Time. He lives and works in Liverpool.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 24, 2025
My goodreads reviews have become sporadic to say the least; I needed a real belter to bring me back and shout into the void about books I've recently read.
Awaydays is that book! Why it's seemingly undiscovered I've no clue, but if you live in England and have a remote interest in football, particularly football fan subculture, then it's a must-read.
The first book I've read cover to cover in a single day for a long, long time, it finely balances hooliganism and unbridled violence with deeper reflections on why people do such a thing, and why people do anything at all.
I can't stress highly enough how much I want people to read this book, and if anyone fancies getting a little group together for the Arsenal PSG champions league tie, I'm a black belt in jujitsu so could defo hold my own in a pre-match brawl outside the Parc des Princes 👀🤣
Awaydays is that book! Why it's seemingly undiscovered I've no clue, but if you live in England and have a remote interest in football, particularly football fan subculture, then it's a must-read.
The first book I've read cover to cover in a single day for a long, long time, it finely balances hooliganism and unbridled violence with deeper reflections on why people do such a thing, and why people do anything at all.
I can't stress highly enough how much I want people to read this book, and if anyone fancies getting a little group together for the Arsenal PSG champions league tie, I'm a black belt in jujitsu so could defo hold my own in a pre-match brawl outside the Parc des Princes 👀🤣
April 15, 2025
humorous in a couple of places but a sad indictment of the times, you would never guess the author had 9 GCE's and worked for HMRC. Quite sad really.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews