Good Afternoon Gentlemen, The Name's Bill Gardner

I'm italian, so I bought the book to train my english and because I read in italian the other Pennant book "Congratulations,U've just met the ICF".
I gave to the book 4 stars just because I just read first 40 pages...the contents are not "stupid" but really deep.The book don't tell thingz like "I broke the head to Mr..." or "middlesbourgh supporters are Sxxt". The book talks about valours, courage, bravery, Respect, family, childhood, society problems etc... so is a very good content to strenghten our proper will.
Unfortunately the pages fly also to a non-english guy, so the book will finish quickly...
Do U know the truth?? I see many psicologists talkin about family problems or hooligans problems...well, Pennant and Gardner did a great job here. Here u have discussions on such arguments made by ppl who REALLY lived such situations, not from ppl who studied those from a book...so is also properly a "manual" to understand such situations of today or that belong to the past.
Obviously I don't like at 100% the fact they talk about great valours near events like bareknuckle fights or else...I always avoid struggles,so if they fought for years is also because they wanted it, not just because they had to protect theirselves...I love their way to fight in life but a little more self-examinations (sincerity) shouldn't waste the situation.
I concluded saying that they payed their bill to the Law,so now they'r free and they really love life anf the most beautifull things it can offers...family, love, friends...
Great purchase.

Mr. Gardner is not to be taken lightly. A good portion of the book is about his exploits as a younger lad when violence in football was more common. The stories are quite amazing and you just wonder how he would get out of some of those situations. However, out of all the great stories in the book, what I find speaks most to me is what sort of character Bill Gardner is. That is what I respect the most. His themes of honor and courage speak volumes of what people have forgotten in recent times. This man has values and will not sacrifice them for the sake of saving himself. I would give the book 5-stars based off Mr. Gardner. This is a role model who doesn't realize or wouldn't want that sort of attention. Excellent book.

Though Gardner does indulge in some whining and some defensive CYA rhetoric, his book exceeds the genre's standards because he actually speaks about the game and its players as much as the aggro that occurred off the pitch. Most of these books have very little to say about the game at all.

this gives a great account of the infamous bill gardiner from HIMSELF, not from many of the others who have included him in their hooligan literary works. surprisingly, he comes across as an easy going, loner type, who points out on several occasions he was never part of any firm, he always went alone. this is true to an extent, but from other readings youy can see people formed a firm around this guy knowing that when it hit the fan, this bloke was always the last man standing. so in effect he went alone, but others woudl follow... he is very passionate west ham fan, who would do anything for the club, including organising tours with fans and coaching and scouting for juniors. he shows his human side and how he got caught up in it, and then his perspective of west ham football club and where they are headed. i was expecting a series of violent bloody encounters but it let me down there, but it was good to hear about the feller from himself. he wasnt random in his violence, he did it because he wanted to watch west ham and wouldnt let anyone stand in his way.

A little disappointed. Gardner spent more time trying to disprove that he was a thug than providing the reader with real action. He was a true Hammer fan and I would love to share a pint with Bill and get the real story.