As all football fans are well aware, the derby game is more than just another match in the season. Local pride is at stake and the ramifications of the result spill over into supporters' personal lives; the outcome on the pitch is only half the story. Having already written three books on the subject of football fandom, and hooliganism in particular, in Derby Days, the Brimson brothers turn their attention to games between local rivals and the events off the pitch that go with them. Having previously focused on the London hooligan scene in Capital Punishment, the authors here look mainly at the regional rivalries in other parts of the country, building a picture from accounts given by supporters and "hooligans" who have borne witness to events surrounding derby games. What is revealed provides a chilling collage of information, though strangely one not totally bereft of humour or humanity. What becomes clear, however, is that anyone thinking that bitter and frequently violent rivalries are confined to the biggest cities would be way off the mark. The sheer prevalence of the hatred between groups of supporters is amazing in itself. And anyone harbouring the notion that football hooliganism is a thing of the past should read a chapter or two.
Dougie and Eddy Brimson send this message to the authorities, and many, sure to recognise elements of their own regional football-related troubles in the stories told, would agree with that. --Trevor Crowe
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