The family game - Michael James

SOCCER VIOLENCE BECAME rife in Britain over 25 years ago, and there were some pretty bad incidents. It was no surprise people turned away from soccer in droves. RL, as quick as a flash, nipped in with the slogan 'Rugby League: A Man's Game For All The Family' in a bid to entice some of the disenchanted. While it is true Rugby League has never suffered the same problems of organised violence, the slogan did have a hollow ring when sporadic outbreaks occurred at our matches. Rugby League rightly enjoys a reputation as being a game that all the family can come and watch in safety. Yet it hasn't always been that way - from the late 70s and throughout the 80s off the field violence occurred at and around Rugby League matches. This book is one man's story of life as a Rugby League hooligan in those days. Following his introduction to the world of organised violence at an early age, it takes in his travels round the Rugby League community and the shocking incidents that occurred along the way. It honestly and graphically describes what used to go on, why he was involved in it and, equally as importantly, why he stopped getting involved and how the violence eventually died out.;With vivid descriptions of the battling that took place, culminating in the day a fan was stabbed in St Helens, this is a book that will be of interest to all people who wonder why intelligent people immerse themselves in such a violent pastime. Also featuring contributions from around the Rugby League world, for the first time a book explores the untold story of hooliganism that used to exist in Rugby League.