With the 2020 Euros well under way and the 2021 Premier League season coming to a close I was itching for some hooligan content. If you’re not familiar a hooligan is an English football supporter who causes mayhem in the name of the team they support. What kind of mayhem? Well in the 80s they were involved in riots, vandalism, gang violence, drunken disorderly behavior and homicide. All in the name of their beloved football club. Buford steps into this subculture by becoming a member of some of the key hooligan firms like Manchester United’s, Chelsea’s and West Hams’s – some of the most dangerous crews back in the day. While the violence is inexplicable, the way Buford describes his experiences over the years is rooted in crowd violence and behavior. He does a great job of peeling back the human behavior of how these young lads think and act when coexisting in a crowd. Their motives and actions all tied to a singular driving force: their club. From beating up strangers, to stoning the police and at its worst biting someone’s eye out the violence these lads exhibit is truly remarkable and wholly disturbing. I was shocked to learn how far the hooligans would go just because they drank twenty beers and watched a football match. Beautifully told with real life experiences running with these crews Among the Thugs is a crazy illumination of one of the most interesting subcultures in international history.