‘I was a West Ham hooligan – prison was not a punishment, it was just part of life’

A football hooligan has opened up on his life of violence and crime on the terraces, claiming a spell in prison was no punishment – instead, it was something that added to his reputation

Being sent to prison is the worst-case scenario for many people – but not for one football hooligan who saw the benefits to a stint behind bars.

Hooliganism rose to prominence during the second half of the 20th century, luring scores of men young and old into a life of violence on the terraces. The advent of CCTV and more severe policing has seen the pastime decline over the years, yet there are still many who willingly partake today.

Reputation is everything in the realm of hooliganism, where someone who views themselves as a nobody elsewhere can attain heroic status. One such mischief-maker revealed that even the threat of imprisonment wouldn’t deter him – instead, it was almost an enticement.

“When I got nicked, it didn’t really matter that much to me. And also, it was a bit of a badge of honour as well,” the anonymous ex-con shared on the Legacy podcast series (via Wales Online ), using the alias Jack Lewis. “It’s proof that you are legit, and you’re not just a hanger-on.”

Sam Diss, the creator of the series, describes football terraces as “a battleground not just for your club, but for identity [and] belonging” in his profile of working-class Britain. He reflected on how capitalism “hosed down the People’s Game” in the sport’s modern era, speaking almost with a tone of respect for the way things used to be.

Going by the name ‘Jack Lews,’ the West Ham fan opened up about how a life on the fringes can push some individuals to embrace football violence as an outlet. And his words shine a light on the struggles of the working class, who may romanticise hooliganism as a way to fill a void in their everyday existence.

“If you’re a young man from a working-class background in Britain, you probably ain’t got a lot else going on in your life,” he said. “If you’ve got a job, then it might not be one you’re excited about, or you’ve got big career prospects. [And] if you ain’t got a job, you’re sitting around doing f*** all all week. You ain’t really got much optimism about life [nor] a lot of hope.”

“So this little bit of recreational disorder and violence is your bit of excitement in life. And that’s really what it boils down to. This is how you have fun. And it also gives you a bit of status, a bit of meaning to your life. I think the reason people, especially in the media, really struggle to understand the mentality of it is because they’ve never been in a position where they’ve got no chances and no hope.”

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