"WhAt eLSe YoU GoNNa dO On A sATurDAy?"

“FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS, ORGANISED CRIME SYNDICATES OR SIMPLE MINDED THUGS?”

THE REPRESENTATION OF FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS IN THE MEDIA, PARTICULARY FOCUSSING ON THE FOOTBALL FACTORY.

My independent study focuses on the representation of football hooligans in the media, with my primary text being Nick Love’s “The Football Factory” (2004). I have used a variety of different researching methods. The one that was found most effective was watching other films, documentaries and television programmes that focussed on my desired topic, whereby I could make comparative notes on how these texts differed from Love’s “The Football Factory”. The texts that were most useful were Lexi Alexander’s “Green Street” (2005), Danny Dyer’s “The Real Football Factories” (2005), and Donal MacIntyre’s “MacIntyre Undercover – Football Violence” (1999). Other texts that will be relevant to my study are those of the ‘gangster’ genre, including Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels” (1998) and “Snatch” (2000), Brian DePalma’s “Scarface” (1983) and Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” (1990). This is due to the drug references, political power and control that they have over society, which in turn can then be related to “The Football Factory” where it can be determined whether they are single minded, ignorant thugs that get satisfaction out of extreme violence, or intellects that are of high authority in the criminal underworld. Particular scenes and quotes from the dialogue will be chosen to undergo close analysis. Reviews of the film will be useful, and further research has to be done into the books that I will be choosing.

Media Language:
Camera shots/movements relate to the superiority of the protagonist and allow the audience to identify with characters. Mise-en-scène, setting, iconography, dialect and behaviour are very important for the gritty realism to be obtained so that the film seems more accurate in its portrayal.

Institution:
Produced Vertigo Films. Directed by Nick Love. Premiered on television channel Film 4 as part of “The British Connection” season. Film 4 normally show arthouse productions and low budgeted films. Based on the novel of John King.

Genre:
Crime/Drama/Arthouse. Low quality of film reflects genre and obtains a gritty realism. Other generic conventions used are scenes of extreme violence, strong language and drug reference. Iconographic clothing associated with hooligans has been paid close attention to. Language, dialect and derogatory colloquial terms have also been closely researched to fit the setting of the film.

Representaion:
Young to middle aged men getting enjoyment from beating up other people. Shows their lives; involvement in drugs, alcohol and violence. Some have respectable jobs yet continue to involve themselves in this second life. It also shows how the youths are sucked into the world of hooliganism, looking up to the elders and see them as respectable role models.

Audience:
Targeted at males ranging from teenagers to men in their late their thirties, offering them a real life portrayal of football hooliganism, fulfilling their sadistic pleasures.

Ideologies and Values:
Reputation is the most important thing
Patriarchy
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Always be by your friend’s side and hold you ground

Narrative:
The main protagonist Tommy Johnson (Danny Dyer) is part of the Chelsea Football Club Firm, where on match days, fight other rival firms. We follow him through his life. Typical conventions of violence, drugs and alcohol have been assigned to the characters.

Social Context:
How men’s passion for sport has lead to rise of sickening destructive behaviour.

Historical Context:
The long history of hatred and wars between rival football clubs, and how now it has escalated.

Economic Context:
Low budget as most British films are.

Political Context:
Most narrative act as metaphors. This is true when it comes to modern texts as they often reflect the mood of the time. This is known as Zeitgeist.

Theories/Theorists:

Psychoanalysis and film - the mental states of the characters; why they do what they do?

Postmodernism

Levi Strauss - binary oppositions (rival firms)

Todorov - disequilibrium between characters resolved at the end

Other Texts:
Green Street
The Real Football Factories
Macintyre Undercover
Snatch
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Scarface
Goodfellas