The Inter City Firm (ICF) is an
English football hooligan firm associated with
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
, which was mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The name came from the use of
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
trains to travel to away games.
They were the subject of a 1985
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
documentary, ''Hooligan''.
History
The firm formed out of a number of other West Ham groups, including the ''Mile End Boys'' and ''Essex East London Firm''. ICF formed in the 1977/78 season.
The most notable figure associated with the ICF is
Cass Pennant, who wrote on football hooliganism in the 1990s and 2000s. In his book, ''Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF'', as a black Londoner, Pennant maintains that the ICF was not
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
or
right-wing
Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
.
, a member of the Mile End Boys, appears on the front-cover of the original print of the book.
Carlton Leach
Carlton Leach is an author, occasional actor, and a former criminal.
Early life
Leach was born in Canning Town. A fan of West Ham United F.C., he became involved in the Inter City Firm, a gang of hooligans who followed the East London c ...
, the main character in the film ''
Rise of the Footsoldier'', is also associated with the firm. He, along with Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe, later started to get involved in the
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
underworld in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
. They strayed away from the dangers of football fights, to focus on
selling drugs and extorting drug dealers. Tate, Tucker and Rolfe met a brutal end in the
Rettendon murders in
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
.
The ICF pioneered
calling cards that were left on victims.
They read "Congratulations, you have just met the ICF". Calling cards would also become popular at other football clubs.
In the very late 1980s, the ICF was regularly linked to the
UK pirate radio
Pirate radio in the United Kingdom has been a popular and enduring radio broadcasting, radio medium since the 1960s, despite expansions in licensed broadcasting, and the advent of both digital radio and internet radio. Although it peaked through ...
station
Centreforce through its founder Andy Swallow. Swallow was a one-time member of the Essex East London Firm also.
The ICF again came to prominence in 2018 when former members re-grouped as the ''Real West Ham Fans Action Group'', organising protests against the club board.
In popular culture
The ICF were the basis of
Alan Clarke's 1988 film, ''
The Firm''.
Gary Oldman
Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
plays Bex Bissell, the leader of the ICC - Inter City Crew. Members of the ICF were used as consultants on the film.
The 2005 film ''
Green Street'' (and its sequels) are also based on the ICF, but instead the initials GSE ('Green Street Elite') were used. The ICF make an appearance in
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist and short story writer. His 1993 novel ''Trainspotting (novel), Trainspotting'' was made into a Trainspotting (film), film of the same name. He has also written plays and screenplays, ...
's novellas ''
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance''.
Further reading
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References
{{West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United F.C.
British football hooligan firms
1970s establishments in England
Gangs in London