Oh Yes, Oh Yes, We are the PPS - Full-on True Stories of Preston North End's Most Fanatical Followers

Book excerpt: ...Boys, lads, men and women are laying into us. One bloke in full motorcycle leathers crashes his helmet down onto our heads. We have to retreat towards the pitch-side hoardings, slugging back on the move. The locals look well pissed off! They must have got some shitty Crimbo presents that year, and with us being in their end, it was the icing on the Christmas cake. The turkey stuffing is well and truly knocked out of us, spilling over the barriers trying to hold it together - not a chance...Over the years, the mobs of Preston North End have fronted up to infamous football firms such as the Chelsea Headhunters, the Birmingham City Zulus and the Leeds Service Crew, to name just a few. Although the Preston lads were often lacking in big numbers, they were always prepared to stand their ground and have a go, knowing that it was quality, not quantity that would count when standing toe to toe with their rivals.In this brutally honest book, staunch PNE fan Bill Routledge recalls the days when the dawn of Saturdays signalled a rush of adrenalin and a wave of anticipation; a time for the lads to put aside the worries of the working week and experience the buzz of mayhem on the terraces. He describes a time when music and fashion were vital to the identity of the firms, as well as examining the history of violence at Preston North End, the roots fo the different factions and how they got their names.Together with other faces from the PNE firms, he details hair-raising tales of violent clashes with other mobs, as well as the fans' misdemeanours on foreign soil. This fascinating insight into life on the frontline is as shocking as it is exciting - but it's not short on laughs either. It is a truthful account of the highs and lows of being a devoted, passionate football fan waiting for glory.