Sons of Albion

Book excerpt: "From the Clubhouse in the early Eighties, morphing into Section 5 in the heyday of football violence, West Bromwich Albion's hooligan element has a rightful place in the history of terrace culture. Stemming from a multi-racial region, the mix of black, white and Asian lads battled, home and away, for more than three decades. What started in the Seventies as small mobs clashing at Cardiff, Leeds and Forest, led to the organised, fashion-conscious masses taking centre stage at the Hawthorns in the Eighties before another wave came through in the Nineties. The book charts the exploits of three main faces who helped the firm earn its reputation as well contributions from other well known names that have played a crucial part over the years. Enjoying intense rivalries with neighbours Wolves and Villa, numbers swelled as hooliganism peaked. Many also followed England around the world which led to one lad's escapades hitting the headlines in Malaysia while others found themselves detained in Japan. Now the scene has faded and banning orders prevail, the lads look back over an era that hooked thousands up and down the country and give honest accounts of their time with a potentially underrated but respected firm.