Danny Dyer’s Real Football Factory hooligans now – tragic demise to quitting UK

There was nothing like flicking through Sky TV back in the early noughties and finding something completely bonkers to watch on Bravo.

Picture it, turning on the telly and seeing a bloke claim: “When I was 18, I had a fractured skull, two broken cheekbones, lost 12 teeth, broken nose, broken jaw, four broken ribs and a broken collarbone and internal bleeding – and I still got up.”

You’re probably thinking this is a story from Jay Cartwright from the Inbetweeners – but it was actually a quote from notorious Millwall hooligan Ginger Bob. He was speaking on The Real Football Factories documentary hosted by Danny Dyer – which first aired some 18 years ago on May 6, 2006.

READ MORE: Troubled life of ‘Britain’s hardest man’ – who had legs broken by stepdad aged five

Click for more of the latest news from the Daily Star.

And if you don’t remember the intro to the show, Dyer, sounding even more cockney than usual, tells the audience: “I’m Danny Dyer, and this is The Real Football Factories. I played Tommy Johnson in the movie The Football Factories which was all about football violence. But that was just acting.”

He then explains how he is on a journey into the “brutal and brash world of terrace culture” before warning: “No fake blood, no stunt men, no makeup, this time it is just me and the country’s hardest hooligans. I meet the real top boys who tell you the score.”

Below we talk you through what happened to some of the hooligans Dyer interviewed all these years on.

Colin Blaney

Colin Blaney was once a member of the Inter City Jibbers and the life-long Manchester United fan spoke to Dyer about some of the dangerous side streets he lured rival firms into for a fight.

But by the time he was featured in the documentary, he was a changed man who had written books about hooliganism and gang crime in Europe.

In his work, he spoke about how his only options as a kid were to become a footballer, boxer or thief and he chose the latter.

He was known to many as ‘Beaner’ but in 2019 he sadly passed away from cancer at North Manchester General Hospital at the age of 63.

Blaney was a grandfather and photographer and after his death his brother Mark said the family had received warm messages from supporters of various clubs throughout the UK. He added: “We have been amazed at the responses and messages we have had since his death.”

Andy Nicholls

Travelling up to Liverpool to meet a renowned Everton hooligan, Dyer said: “Andy Nicholls is known to police as a ‘Category C hooligan’ – the worst kind. He has been nicked over 20 times for football violence and he is banned for life from every football ground in the country.”

Andy spoke to Dyer about his battles with Manchester United fans before declaring that the location of Goodison Park was a “hooligan paradise” because of its surrounding terraced houses and narrow streets.

But according to his X bio, Andy is now a “reformed and rehabilitated football nuisance” and he has since gone on to embrace charity work. He is also an author and his latest book Scally 2 The Peaceful Hooligan was released earlier this year.

Nicholls had been banned for life from Everton matches after spending time in prison but he has since been allowed back inside the famous old stadium.

Jason Marriner

Jason Marriner is often regarded as the most notorious football hooligan in Britain and 18 years ago he spoke to Dyer about his association with the Chelsea Headhunters.

He acknowledged that he had no idea where the name of the firm came from and that he was not a “top boy” – but was respected within the gang.

Marriner also told the actor how there was no hierarchy inside the Chelsea firm because it was a family based on respect.

But seven years before The Real Football Factories was released, journalist Donal MacIntyre infiltrated Marriner’s gang in an undercover sting for a BBC documentary.

MacIntyre uncovered sickening violence and far-right links with Marriner at the centre of it. ‘The General’ was already on the police’s radar when the documentary was released, and he was eventually nicked and spent time behind bars.

Marriner later ditched the UK for a “safer” country in Thailand and he said: “You ain’t got street gangs and all that and this and that… listen you’re going to get your odd looney tunes.”

And despite his days scraping on the terraces being long behind him, Marriner is still known to get into trouble.

He runs a shop for British expats and he caused offence when it emerged his chest freezer was emblazoned with an image of Lee Rigby, the British Army soldier who was murdered in May 2013, despite his family asking for his image not to be used in such a way.

The Chelsea fanatic was also reportedly involved in a UVF parade in Belfast in 2018 but he is now an author who has written three books – It’s Only a Game, Life As a Chelsea Headhunter and Kicking the Habit.

Cass Pennant

Cass Pennant was a founding member of the infamous West Ham Inter City Firm. He became a Hammer after his neighbour’s son invited him to a game when he was just eight years old – one year after England won the World Cup.

He spoke to Dyer about leading the gang and how Millwall were their biggest rivals.

However, the reformed hard man is now living proof that people can transform their lives. His upbringing was dramatised in a 2008 film called Cass and Pennant went on to become a writer, actor and film producer. One of the short films he has produced is called Beverley and stars Vicky McClure.

He also has his own clothing range called Old School FC and when he is not working on projects he can usually be found supporting his beloved team at The London Stadium.

Ginger Bob

His quote to Dyer in The Real Football Factories was so eye-catching that we can’t but help remind you of it again.

Speaking from a boozer, with the cameras rolling, he boasted: “When I was 18, I had a fractured skull, two broken cheek bones, lost 12 teeth, broken nose, broken jaw, four broken ribs and a broken collarbone and internal bleeding – and I still got up.”

The ex-thug, now 66, also explained how Millwall was the toughest firm in the country because it was made up of former boxers, martial artists and special armed forces men.

Not much has been published about him since the Dyer documentary – because according to him, it was “so secretive” at Millwall.

But last year he spoke on the Anything Goes with James English podcast because he wanted to get his stories out there after a near death experience.

His son is now a bank manager for Lloyds and Halifax but speaking about the toughest firm he faced, he said: “I’ve got to give it to Cardiff City. Cardiff had an around 3-4,000-person-strong firm while Millwall – with around 300 – had nowhere to run. My mates thought they were going to die.

“The best row I had ever seen was on March 18, 1976. We had 300 firm and they had 2,000… and some of our people were getting stabbed. One of my friends got captured by Cardiff and he was being beaten to death… so I’ve gone back into Cardiff’s firm and pulled him along the floor.

“Because of the adrenaline I managed to pull him back, but when we got back to the station Cardiff’s firm and the police were all laughing.”

Ginger Bob is now a grandad with a home in Blackpool where his eldest daughter and her children are based. He also has a rented flat in London – saying he will never totally leave the capital.