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Cass
Cass Pennant is a man who lets his fists do the talking. One of the hardest men in Britain, he lives his life on the edge of the law, giving respect where respect is due and dishing out terrible retribution upon anyone who dares to cross him. In this stunning autobiography he tells the amazing stories of how he once saved the life of World Boxing Champion Frank Bruno when skinheads were attacking him with knives; and how he was shot three times in the chest in a South London nightclub but still kept on fighting. A true legend in his own lifetime.
- GenresNonfictionTrue Crime
331 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 22, 2017
"All four had blades but I didn't care - I was going to rip them apart with my bare hands!"
All I really knew about Cass Pennant before I picked this up at a charity shop for £1.00 yesterday - is that he was one of the leaders of West Ham Football Club's notorious yet highly organised hooligan outfit the Inner City Firm. This autobiography does touch heavily on that part of his life, however; it is so much more than a memoir of brawls within the football stands, scraps in pubs and details of fighting all over the United Kingdom whilst following "The Hammers"
C'MON YOU MUGS! WE'RE WEST HAM!!
(Note to American friends. Football in this review relates to what you refer to as soccer and "The Hammers" is West Ham's nickname).
The book talks a lot about the state of racial affairs in Britain within the 70's,80's and 90's when this narrative is set. Cass Pennant (his birth name was Carol but he soon changed that!) was a young black orphan raised by a white family in the 100% white dominated middle-class of London. Negro children were unheard of in this age and Cass found his school days initially distressing until he understood "stick and stones could break (his) bones but words could never hurt him." During this stage, he understood he wouldn't get any handouts or easy rides in the working class London world so he fought his way through problems until he was respected. The racial undertones, slurs, and difficulty he must have had throughout his whole life is presented at different stages, from youth, to being one of the only black men in a firm that was initially believed as being "Northern Front/ Racist" to how his race played a part during his experience in prison.
Due to his "no fuck's given" attitude to fighting, the fact that he knew how to use his two fists admirably and that he was a giant for his age; he ran quickly through the ranks of the ICF to become one of the most known football hooligans in Britain. He frequently talks about his experiences in the fights and also the relationships with other firms. West Ham and Millwall fans don't get on would you know? He then spends time in jail for his antics. He was the first football hooligan to be imprisoned as the government were tackling down on this cancer of the terraces and suffered 3 years in jail. That was not his only visit to Wormwood Scrubs Prison. A standout prison scene was him fighting in prison with crazed roommate Zulu who referred to him as being a "choc-ice" - a white man in a black man's body. Cass reflects that on the streets all people noted was that he was a 6'4" black man and they couldn't see passed that however; in jail, he wasn't black enough to be fully respected by this specific prison race group.
The book also follows his time doing legitimate jobs as a taxi firm owner, a painter and decorator and also as a bouncer on the doors of the roughest clubs in London such as Kisses nightclub. This was known as being where 'Devils Danced with Angels' and one picturesquely violent scene is described when 40+ Rastafarians with axes and machete's attack Cass and his bouncer friends at work. These tales on the doors are just as harrowing as anything that happened on the road as a football hooligan when they actively went out for the adrenalin kick on a Saturday afternoon. The incidents whilst working the doors includes him being shot three times by a young nobody who was drugged off his face. He offered his security skills when they were requested to celebrities including members of the Labour Party and he also built up a long lasting relationship with former heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno after Cass saved his life in a train station. Furthermore; he helped authors and screenwriters create Football Violence based projects, an example being one in which Gary Oldman asked Cass for advice on how to play his role as a hooligan convincingly.
Arguably the most notable and the most touching part of this book is his loyalty to his friends and his relationship with his family. After he gets shot he decides the life of the doors and the football violence are no longer suited to him. He could look for revenge but with his wife and children he analyses he now has too much to loose. He also goes on to find his birth mother and father which are some very nice and highly emotionally charged scenes.
This book comes across as being very true and legitimate and is polluted with London slang such as:
* Geezer - bloke
* Uncle Stan - Stanley knife
* Snouts - police informers
* Screws - prison officer.... etc....
Cass Pennant is a very intelligent individual and this book is written in stunning fashion. Some autobiographies are presented that an accompanying author/ journalist really has had to hold the subject's hand to present the story but I don't believe that is the case here. Cass is a very competent writer himself as can be clearly seen.
I recommend this book highly if you are into autobiographies that discuss violence, prison, and racial discrimination. You should also check out the film which supports the same name.
"She knew that while a lowlife's bullets couldn't break me, the tears of someone I loved so much would"
You have just read a review by James Tivendale. I.C.F - West Ham United.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
All I really knew about Cass Pennant before I picked this up at a charity shop for £1.00 yesterday - is that he was one of the leaders of West Ham Football Club's notorious yet highly organised hooligan outfit the Inner City Firm. This autobiography does touch heavily on that part of his life, however; it is so much more than a memoir of brawls within the football stands, scraps in pubs and details of fighting all over the United Kingdom whilst following "The Hammers"
C'MON YOU MUGS! WE'RE WEST HAM!!
(Note to American friends. Football in this review relates to what you refer to as soccer and "The Hammers" is West Ham's nickname).
The book talks a lot about the state of racial affairs in Britain within the 70's,80's and 90's when this narrative is set. Cass Pennant (his birth name was Carol but he soon changed that!) was a young black orphan raised by a white family in the 100% white dominated middle-class of London. Negro children were unheard of in this age and Cass found his school days initially distressing until he understood "stick and stones could break (his) bones but words could never hurt him." During this stage, he understood he wouldn't get any handouts or easy rides in the working class London world so he fought his way through problems until he was respected. The racial undertones, slurs, and difficulty he must have had throughout his whole life is presented at different stages, from youth, to being one of the only black men in a firm that was initially believed as being "Northern Front/ Racist" to how his race played a part during his experience in prison.
Due to his "no fuck's given" attitude to fighting, the fact that he knew how to use his two fists admirably and that he was a giant for his age; he ran quickly through the ranks of the ICF to become one of the most known football hooligans in Britain. He frequently talks about his experiences in the fights and also the relationships with other firms. West Ham and Millwall fans don't get on would you know? He then spends time in jail for his antics. He was the first football hooligan to be imprisoned as the government were tackling down on this cancer of the terraces and suffered 3 years in jail. That was not his only visit to Wormwood Scrubs Prison. A standout prison scene was him fighting in prison with crazed roommate Zulu who referred to him as being a "choc-ice" - a white man in a black man's body. Cass reflects that on the streets all people noted was that he was a 6'4" black man and they couldn't see passed that however; in jail, he wasn't black enough to be fully respected by this specific prison race group.
The book also follows his time doing legitimate jobs as a taxi firm owner, a painter and decorator and also as a bouncer on the doors of the roughest clubs in London such as Kisses nightclub. This was known as being where 'Devils Danced with Angels' and one picturesquely violent scene is described when 40+ Rastafarians with axes and machete's attack Cass and his bouncer friends at work. These tales on the doors are just as harrowing as anything that happened on the road as a football hooligan when they actively went out for the adrenalin kick on a Saturday afternoon. The incidents whilst working the doors includes him being shot three times by a young nobody who was drugged off his face. He offered his security skills when they were requested to celebrities including members of the Labour Party and he also built up a long lasting relationship with former heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno after Cass saved his life in a train station. Furthermore; he helped authors and screenwriters create Football Violence based projects, an example being one in which Gary Oldman asked Cass for advice on how to play his role as a hooligan convincingly.
Arguably the most notable and the most touching part of this book is his loyalty to his friends and his relationship with his family. After he gets shot he decides the life of the doors and the football violence are no longer suited to him. He could look for revenge but with his wife and children he analyses he now has too much to loose. He also goes on to find his birth mother and father which are some very nice and highly emotionally charged scenes.
This book comes across as being very true and legitimate and is polluted with London slang such as:
* Geezer - bloke
* Uncle Stan - Stanley knife
* Snouts - police informers
* Screws - prison officer.... etc....
Cass Pennant is a very intelligent individual and this book is written in stunning fashion. Some autobiographies are presented that an accompanying author/ journalist really has had to hold the subject's hand to present the story but I don't believe that is the case here. Cass is a very competent writer himself as can be clearly seen.
I recommend this book highly if you are into autobiographies that discuss violence, prison, and racial discrimination. You should also check out the film which supports the same name.
"She knew that while a lowlife's bullets couldn't break me, the tears of someone I loved so much would"
You have just read a review by James Tivendale. I.C.F - West Ham United.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
October 29, 2007
it was kind of boring to me, but he led a very interesting life, so i couldn't stop reading it.
May 9, 2020
Was very intrigued to read this book, being a West Ham fan myself and found it enjoyable. It does get repetitive towards the beginning but as you dive in deep with Cass’s life (especially the last quarter) it’s very touching and honest. The vocab is hilarious but genuine as there’s no other way to describe the events of what actually happened. Big respect🛠
September 17, 2021
Enjoyed this book, a real interesting look into the football hooliganism of the day, the struggles against racism within the country, the press, the met and every where else at the time.
May 21, 2010
True life story of one of west hams hooligan topboys of the icf.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews