West Ham’s notorious Inter City Firm, which inspired a string of gritty hooligan flicks like ‘Green Street,’ had the football terraces trembling during the 80s.
Former ICF frontrunner Carlton Leach recalled one particular bone-chilling incident when he thought he’d bitten off more than he could chew.
Speaking to the Daily Express’s On The Edge podcast he reminisced about the potentially deadly encounter with Middlesbrough fans that left him shaking in his boots – even scarier than run-ins with Millwall or Chelsea hooligans.
He shared: “Our biggest thing was to try to get in their end… just run in and start fighting. That was your trophy for the day. If you could do that, that was a big thing.”
(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga)
But when the police cut off most of their crew, Carlton and old-hand Bill Gardener became stranded amidst a sea of Boro supporters at Ayresome Park, facing down one of the toughest crowds out there.
Admitting it was one of the scariest moments of his fighting days, he said: “Everyone talks about Sunderland and Newcastle, but Middlesbrough’s one of the worst…they’re hard as nails.”
However, while Carlton was apprehensive about being surrounded by a horde of rival fans, Bill coolly instructed him to accompany him to the very heart of the home team stands.
“I remember thinking we’re going to get absolutely murdered, smashed to bits,” Carlton confessed.
Then, Bill intentionally heightened the tension by revealing his claret-and-blue scarf from beneath his jacket, arranging it neatly around his neck and launching into the team’s signature song I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles. Carlton nervously joined in, anticipating an attack at any moment.
“But then a big gap appeared around us, we shouldn’t have walked out of there in one piece,” he admitted, attributing their escape to the Middlesbrough fans presuming they were “a couple of psychos” and wanting no part of them.
Before things could escalate further, the police intervened, escorting Bill and Carlton back to their own end, with Carlton remembering how his fear transformed into bravado as the Hammers fans began applauding them.
But that near-death experience has remained with him. “In moments like that, yes, I was scared,” he confessed.