Interview with ex member from The Chosen Few, Rochdale

1. Would you pleace introduce yourself for our members?

1. My name is Lee Doran. I’m 37 and support my hometown football club which is Rochdale AFC. Been a supporter from the age of 6 when i attended my 1st game it was Rochdale vs Torquay United. Rochdale have always struggled in the English professional leagues. We have since been promoted and start a new season in League 1. My first ever witness to violence at football was at the age of 10 when Rochdale played Bolton wanderers and fierce fighting kicked off in one of Rochdales stands in the stadium. It scared me at first but then i realised i wanted that buzz. The fear the adrenaline. At the age of 13 i had my first fight at football. It was Wigan Athletic away. We smashed a pub and had a fight on the streets in Wigan town centre. Since then i was hooked. I’m currently now serving my 3rd banning order for disorder. And currently serving a 4 year ban. I had a fight outside the ground on the first day of the 2013/14 season when it kicked off between Rochdale and Hartlepool United supporters for a good 25 mins in the car park of the stadium.

2. Are you member of some firm/group? Tell us a bit more about it.

2. Yes i was part of the Rochdale hooligan firm The Chosen Few. We were very active back in the 80s and 90s and even in the 2000s. On some of our games we were always mainly outnumbered but we would still stand our ground. On a good turnout for the chosen few we could pull around 100+ lads mainly against our local rivals Bury. Back in the early 90s our main rivals were Burnley the infamous Suicide Squad who did bring hundreds and we still give as good as we got. I think myself being outnumbered there’s more of a chance of getting a good kicking we was always aware of this. But to me that made it more of a buzz. The fear i loved more than anything. The chosen few aren’t as active anymore as the old bill have us all now on lockdown. Your lucky if you get the odd kick or punch. But i do have to say i think alot of other firms will be gunning for Rochdale this season esp since my tv appearance on channel 5 football hooligans and proud. I’m gutted I’m not out through my ban as this is going to be a very active season with the league one firms.

3. What you think about the old school days and the current situation with the hooliganism in England? Which one is stronger? Why?

3. The old school days were buzzing there was less banning orders being thrown about and you could get off with a fine back in them days. Now though the old bill have powers to arrest you just for swearing. Also stiff jail sentences are being handed out more frequently. It does still go on alot though people think that its been stamped out because the media dont cover it anymore. That’s because the government want others to think that football hooliganism is a thing of the past. They control the media and dont allow the them to print or televise hooliganism. It has gone more underground. Football hooliganism will never go away. It started back in the first days of the game when players used to fight each other. It only got recognized when the televised game between feyanoord and spurs kicked off in the 70s. Then it become more of a trend with young lads. Then the fashions started off. But yeah back to the question i think back in the oldskool days is where it was going on. Police powers and court orders being harsh it has eradicated the scene a bit. But you will always have the odd day where you just think right lets just steam in. The adrenaline kicks in and the court and police powers go right out of your mind and you have a good scrap.

4. What is your opinion about the arranged fights? They are typical mostly for the russian, polish and ukrainian hooligan scennes…
4. I was asked this by Phil Schofield on ITV This Morning in June and i don’t think they liked my answer. I think the way the eastern Europeans do things is fucking great. When the lads knocked out that’s it. They leave the lad they dont steam in and stamp all over him as you do get in the FV of uk football as over here you gotta be quick. So you crack anyone while you’ve got the opportunity. But over in places like Russia they have a meet kickoff. Knock shit out of each other then that’s it they walk off. Love watching them vids on youtube cause you know your going to see a good fight instead of running around avoiding the police and throwing the odd brick or bottle. So yeah fair play to polish and russians for that i say.

5. Whats your best away trip? Why?

5. Best away trip is always our nearest rivals but even if we are not playing them there’s always a buzz to go to the town centre in Bury and get it on with them. If they know Rochdale are in town then Bury can pull a fair size number of game lads. Its always good to go over there and cause mayhem whenever possible.

6. Biggest riots you attended?

6. One of the major riots ive been involved in was in the Euros down at wembley. About 1 mile outside of the ground there was just madness. We had the Germans there. It was full out mayhem. It was like we just didn’t give a toss that day. There were police cars getting destroyed and smashed to bits in less than a minute. We would then go and get hold off pub chairs tables glasses bottles they were being thrown about all over the place. It looked like it was actually raining chairs and glasses. We were all fucking diving out the way one min then grabbing hold of a chair and launching it anywhere. Police had blood over them alot of lads got stabbed with bottles and cut open faces from pint glasses. I look back on that now and think how anyone wasn’t killed that day is a miracle.

7. Your biggest enemies in England? Why and when started your rivalry with them?

7. Bury are the main ones. Its the next town. A little town called Heywood is all that separates the 2 towns. Its really in walking distance. We hate each other. All though back in the early 80s and so on we weren’t in the same leagues that often not like we are now. So yeah. Our main rivals used to be Burnley and Burys was Bolton wanderers. But recent seasons has seen Rochdale and Bury fight it out in the basement league of the English tiers. But ive gotta say i dont even like shopping in Bury. On matchdays though its electric. Although people go on about the main English derby games and 40,000 plus crowds i dont think that matters. When we play each other we may get over 6,000 fans but in a small ground were your all packed up and close to each other the atmosphere can sometimes be overwhelming. The game hardly gets watched as were always to busy weighing each other up and calling it on. The chanting is loud by both sets of fans and sometimes it does boil over where fans invade the pitch and then when the games over the police dont have a clue what we have arranged with each other. There’s been a meet up hours after the game finishes there’s always something that happens then whoever ran who the next game would bring out more lads or do something unexpected just so we can get revenge on each other. Its that bad between us even on non match days there’s been a kickoff between us both. Its always nice to get one over on your main rivals. Passion and fear and hatred nothing better than that

8. Top firms in England? Why?

8. My top firms in the country have to be not in any order but Cardiff City. Portsmouth. Bristol City Birmingham City Burnley. Bolton Wanderers. Liverpool. Manchester United and City. Wolves. There’s a few and got to mention Bradford City also there’s a few more but ive picked some of these because ive come up against some of these. Wolves And Bradford and Cardiff City. But there is one that stands out in my eyes over the past few seasons ive not ever come across these lads but know they are all keen through links ive been sent. The firm im talking about is the CSF Bristol City lads. They are keen as fuck like watching them on vids. There are 2 ive left out though till last. That’s Leeds United and Millwall. Them have got massive numbers and although lads say they are shit firms having banter you have to admire lads like these. There’s also West Ham and whenever Millwall and West Ham meet up there’s always going to be fun and games down there. There’s also alot of lower league clubs in England who do have pretty big turnouts. Like Lincoln City and Luton Town you’ve got clubs like Port Vale and Oxford United even the likes of Oldham Ath can pull a mass firm out.

9. Top firms in Europe? Why?

9. Top firms in Europe are mainly the Italians Lazio and AS Roma always bring a good set of lads when they are in England. Also Ajax and the mighty Feyanoord which i do have a few lads from Holland and these clubs on my hooligan banter Group and the pics they have posted of there lads all standing for the photo is unreal when you actually see them all. The polish Firms are mad as fuck. Like Warsaw and Krakow. I think the European clubs are far more organized than us English lads as we are just all running around whilst fighting the European firms will be sly and sneaky and plan on an ambush even if the lads they kicking shit out of aren’t hooligans i lts just the English clubs abroad that they attack any English they can. The Turks are horrible they just go around with knifes and stab people for fun. I’m not into that scene. If your going to have a fight then use your fists not weapons any cunt can stab someone that’s not winning a fight in my eyes. But yeah there’s alot of top firms in Europe and whenever the English are in town there seems to be alot of European lads hell bent on giving any English lad a good fucking hiding. That’s because they all know they all want to take us English as to them we are the ones that every hooligan worldwide wants to take on.

10. Thank you for the interview.

10. Good luck to Hooligans TV.

 

Rochdale lads in Blackpool on way to Fleetwood Town 2 seasons ago

Bury vs Rochdale on the programme Cops with cameras 2008/09 season