Two or three of them came over and asked what team I was . . . they followed me at a distance and when I looked across the platform I saw the other lads from the train getting a good kicking. I felt uneasy and was obviously next on their list for a hiding. I could not bottle it. I had to front it and act as normal as possible . . .

You don't choose West Ham—it chooses you. Following West Ham United is not about how many pieces of silverware the team can win. For true fans, it's a lifelong, sometimes agonizing, passion. In 1964, when soccer legend Bobby Moore held the FA cup aloft for West Ham, Micky Smith was in the crowd, experiencing the unique thrill of seeing his club emerge victorious. In 1967, when Manchester United came to the East End, Micky witnessed the birth of the football hooligan. This is the gripping, inside account of run-ins with the police, rivalry between firms, and events such as Heysel that changed the face of the sport.