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BBC Radio 5 Live

Former boxing champion and proud Evertonian Tony Bellew delves into the brutal world of football hooliganism. At its height in the 1970s and 1980s, it was labelled 'the English Disease,' a time when violence on the terraces was as much a part of the game as a half-time Bovril. Bellew hears from those who lived for the trouble, the men and women whose Saturdays weren't complete without a brutal punch-up.

He speaks to the innocent victims caught up in the mayhem, the families of those who lost their lives at the hands of thugs, and the undercover police officers who risked everything to infiltrate some of England's most notorious firms.

He also explores how government crackdowns, tougher laws, and the introduction of all-seater stadiums helped bring an end to widespread hooliganism.

Presenter: Tony Bellew
Series Producer: Emma Forde
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Development Producer: Holly Clemens
Production Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna & Sarah Green
Commissioning Editor: Louise Kattenhorn
Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

Gangster

What turns a fan into a fighter? When faced with a choice, do you turn and run, or stand and fight?

We meet the men who found themselves drawn into a world of running battles and riots during the 1970s and 80s. For some, joining a firm and fighting gave them a new identity. For others, it was the first time they truly felt they belonged.

From a young age, Bill Gardner, also known as Mr West Ham, found a home and a family he never had on the terraces of Upton Park, one he would fight for. For adopted Brummie Cockney Al, the early firms in Birmingham took him under their wing, but it was not long before he was up to his neck in it. In Manchester, a childhood plagued by bullying and racism led Fireman Sam to become part of United's hooligan mob, and for Chelsea fan Mark Alleway, being a football hooligan became an addiction.

But not everyone was signing up. Most fans just wanted to go to the game in peace, but trouble was never far away. Football writer Amy Lawrence and DJ Trevor Nelson recall how getting out unscathed on matchdays was not always easy.

The police and politicians soon realised they had a serious problem on their hands. But despite their best efforts, the mobs ruled the terraces. And for a while, it was chaos.

Presenter: Tony Bellew
Series Producer: Emma Forde
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston
Development Producer: Holly Clemens
With research assistance from Abe Atchia
Production Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna & Sarah Green
Commissioning Editor: Louise Kattenhorn

Hooligans 1. A Different Ball Game

January 2, 2003: The senseless murders of two teenage girls thrust a vicious West Midlands gang into the national spotlight. The girls' deaths mark the culmination of the Burger Bar Boys' long-simmering feud with their rivals, the Johnson Crew - a conflict that threatens to engulf the city of Birmingham in an all-out gang war. But how did this hatred fester and grow, and what were the decades-long origins of this bloodshed in the city? In this podcast, Livvy Haydock will unravel the complicated history of violence, telling a story that traces back to the post-war arrival of the Caribbean Windrush generation and the often-betrayed promises made to them.

In the 1960s, Enoch Powell delivered his incendiary "Rivers of Blood" speech in Birmingham, reflecting the racial tension in the area at the time. Two decades later, in the mid-1980s, the build-up of tension, along with friction between the police and Black and Asian communities, led to the Handworth Riots, resulting in parts of the city burning for two days.

In this opening episode, you will hear from those who lived through these decades, those who lost loved ones in the turmoil, those who fought for peace, and those who have had close encounters with one of the most brutal gangs to have ever existed in the UK. This is the story of the rise and fall of the Burger Bar Boys...

Presenter – Livvy Haydock
Series Producer – Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer – Nicky Edwards
Producer – Patrick Kiteley
Researcher – Megan Jones
Archive Researcher – Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica – Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant – Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive – Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners – Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer – Carl Johnston

The Burger Bar Boys: 1. Out of the Ashes

The story now takes us from the aftermath of the Handsworth riots in 1985 to the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, where we learn how violence in Birmingham was about to escalate to a whole new level. As the fires were extinguished and the shattered glass was repaired, there was relative calm for the remainder of that decade. The local homeboys of the Handsworth and Lozells districts of Birmingham quietly made their living through low-level crimes such as dealing weed and selling stolen car stereos. At the same time, the younger generation united to combat racism in their respective districts, but a new threat loomed on the horizon. A band of ruthless, fearless gangsters, who shared the same roots as the homeboys, were arriving in the UK, starting in London and then spreading to areas like Handsworth. They were the Yardies, and they aimed to muscle in on the action. Their brutality knew no limits, and with a life expectancy of less than 30, they were in a hurry. To counter this new threat, the homeboys decided to fight fire with fire and began to take up arms.

In this episode, we will take you from the streets of Handsworth to the infamous Tivoli Gardens district of Kingston, Jamaica, as we reveal just how terrifying the Yardies' methods were. We will also explore how the police, through their newly formed Operation Trident, and the homeboys of Birmingham responded. It was during this period that the fledgling Johnson Crew began to emerge. Simultaneously, a more ruthless offshoot of the homeboys was taking shape, and one brutal murder ignited the fuse for the war that would follow, as the Burger Bar Boys first flexed their muscles. With crack cocaine flooding the streets, the sound of gunfire began to fill the city nights...

Presenter – Livvy Haydock
Series Producer – Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer – Nicky Edwards
Producer – Patrick Kiteley
Researcher – Megan Jones
Archive Researcher – Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica – Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant – Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive – Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners – Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer – Carl Johnston

The Burger Bar Boys: 2. The Yardies

With the Yardie threat receding, the Johnson Crew and the Burger Bar Boys vied for dominance in the city. Guns became the weapon of choice, and nowhere felt safe; even the celebratory Handsworth Carnival turned into a scene of extreme gang violence. Territorial battle lines were drawn, with the Johnsons claiming the B6 postcodes of Lozells & Aston, and the Burgers controlling the B21 Handsworth area. It was in the 1990s that the names of key players began to emerge through the smoke of gun barrels. Known by their street names, the powerful and intelligent leader of the Burgers was dubbed 'the Godfather,' while others like S1, Little Dee, Charmer, and Honey Monster struck fear into the hearts of their rivals. Rumors circulated that S1 was so powerful that he was impervious to bullets due to a witchdoctor's protection spell, allowing him to survive multiple gunshot wounds.

At the heart of the Burgers' operation was Raleigh Close in Handsworth, a maze of alleys and connecting ring-roads offering multiple escape routes from their rivals and the West Midlands police. As the millennium came and went, tit-for-tat murders increased, putting a strain on the area's City Hospital, which constantly dealt with new types of trauma injuries and tried to keep the body count down. Crucially, it was the murders during this period that revealed the power of the rival gang leaders. Not only were they capable of cold-blooded murder, often in broad daylight, but they could be seen by multiple witnesses, and still, the public was too terrified to step forward and secure a conviction. As their rivalry escalated into all-out war, the gangs intensified their recruitment efforts, targeting neighbourhood schools to bolster their growing number of foot soldiers and street dealers. For the Burgers and the Johnnies, what would happen next would have global repercussions...

Presenter – Livvy Haydock
Series Producer – Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer – Nicky Edwards
Producer – Patrick Kiteley
Researcher – Megan Jones
Archive Researcher – Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica – Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant – Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive – Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners – Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer – Carl Johnston

The Burger Bar Boys: 3. Fall Out

As the new century begins, the gang war in Birmingham intensifies. Bloody retaliation follows each shooting and we eventually reach the point where there is no longer any trace of mutual respect between the gangs.

A gang war that began with vintage and adapted firearms had reached the point where submachine guns were the go-to weapon of choice. On January 1 in 2003, a group of innocent teenage girls were getting ready to celebrate the arrival of the new year together at a party in the heart of the Johnson Crew’s territory. Meanwhile, the Burgers were after revenge following the death of member Yohanne Martin and the failed attempt on the life of their ‘Godfather’, and they knew there would be Johnsons at the party.

The tragedy that would unfold was to draw the world’s attention to the city of Birmingham. It was now 4am, the party was in full swing, and the girls had stepped out for air. A car pulled up and a 9mm pistol and MAC-10 machine gun - a weapon capable of firing a thousand rounds a minute - were fired into the crowd. Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis were killed instantly. Charlene’s sister Sophie was seriously injured and their friend Cheryl also suffered a bullet wound.

In this episode we will hear the powerful and heart-breaking testimony of those closest to the girls and we hear how the girls’ senseless deaths became the turning point in the government’s response to gang violence. With the spotlight on Birmingham, the pressure was mounting on West Midlands police to bring those responsible to justice…

Presenter – Livvy Haydock
Series Producer – Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer – Nicky Edwards
Producer – Patrick Kiteley
Researcher – Megan Jones
Archive Researcher – Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica – Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant – Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive – Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners – Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer – Carl Johnston

The Burger Bar Boys: 4. The Murder of Innocents

Gerbil is on the warpath after being seriously injured in a drive-by shooting. What followed next takes the feud to another level of violence, with the police searching for answers.

Kevin Carroll is out for revenge, but seriously injured, he has to enlist others to exact retribution. This time, however, innocents are caught in the crossfire, and detectives have to employ all the tricks in the book to catch those responsible. The lid is lifted on the murky world of hitmen for hire.

For a who's who, please visit this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Czgw23hf0tqsb855CcPKPJ/who-s-who-in-the-story-of-the-daniels-and-the-lyons

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series producer: Paul Grant
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Journalism assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor and executive producer: Carl Johnston

The Daniels and the Lyons: 3. Pay the Piper

Gerbil is recruited for a kidnapping plot which doesn't go to plan. Meanwhile, he continues his reign of terror as he seeks to build his drug empire - leading to a growing number of enemies out to get him.

Gerbil's reputation is such that he is recruited to carry out a kidnapping by a Liverpool drug gang. Meanwhile, he doubles down on his efforts to take control of the drug trade in parts of Glasgow - taking dealers hostage and threatening them with violence. He gives one dealer an ultimatum and arranges a meet in a supermarket car park. But things take an unexpected and deadly turn.

For a who's who, please visit this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Czgw23hf0tqsb855CcPKPJ/who-s-who-in-the-story-of-the-daniels-and-the-lyons

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series producer: Paul Grant
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Journalism assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor and executive producer: Carl Johnston

The Daniels and the Lyons: 4. The Digger

After his public assassination in a supermarket car park, the hunt for Gerbil's killers begins. A death in the Daniel family heralds a brutal new chapter in the never-ending feud.

With such a high-profile murder, police are under pressure to catch Kevin Carroll's killers, and the manhunt takes an international twist. A high-profile member of the Daniel family dies and after a period of relative calm, the dispute between the two crime groups reignites in a series of brutal attacks. One man is even targeted as he drops his child off at school.

For a who's who, please visit this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Czgw23hf0tqsb855CcPKPJ/who-s-who-in-the-story-of-the-daniels-and-the-lyons

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series producer: Paul Grant
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Journalism assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor and executive producer: Carl Johnston

The Daniels and the Lyons: 5. The Pushchair Assassin

A brutal attack on a Daniel family member results in lengthy jail sentences for a number of Lyons associates. The feud continues in prison and there are fears it could go on for generations to come.

It was an attack so brutal that police initially thought the victim - a Daniel family member - had been shot in the face or injured by an explosive device. The attack was the culmination of the latest wave of violence in the bitter dispute. A police crackdown on the ongoing feud results in lengthy jail terms for a number of Lyons associates. Meanwhile, presenter Livvy Haydock discovers how Glasgow is successfully fighting back against the violence, with murders and killings now at an all-time low and community groups helping to steer young people away from gangs and crime. But there are still fears that the feud has become so ingrained that it could go on for generations to come.

For a who's who, please visit this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Czgw23hf0tqsb855CcPKPJ/who-s-who-in-the-story-of-the-daniels-and-the-lyons

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series producer: Paul Grant
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Journalism assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor and executive producer: Carl Johnston

The Daniels and the Lyons: 6. The Glasgow Smile

Former boxing champion and proud Evertonian Tony Bellew delves into the brutal world of football hooliganism. At its height in the 1970s and 1980s, it was labelled ‘the English Disease,’ a time when violence on the terraces was as much a part of the game as a half-time Bovril. Bellew hears from those who lived for the trouble, the men and women whose Saturdays weren’t complete without a brutal punch-up.

He speaks to the innocent victims caught up in the mayhem, the families of those who lost their lives at the hands of thugs, and the undercover police officers who risked everything to infiltrate some of England’s most notorious firms.

He also explores how government crackdowns, tougher laws, and the introduction of all-seater stadiums helped bring an end to widespread hooliganism.

Presenter: Tony Bellew
Series Producer: Emma Forde
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Development Producer: Holly Clemens
Production Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna & Sarah Green
Commissioning Editor: Louise Kattenhorn
Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

Gangster Presents... Hooligans

As Jamie Daniels' drug empire continues to grow, a violent feud begins with a rival crime family - one that will lead to an all out bloody war on the streets of Glasgow.

After serving time for heroin smuggling, Jamie Daniel is back in business. But a road rage incident involving a family member and a rival leads to a murder unlike any seen before in Glasgow. And there's more trouble on the horizon, this time with a family from the neighbouring Milton estate - the Lyons. What starts as a dispute over drugs leads to a series of increasingly violent tit-for-tat attacks and shootings. At its centre is a Daniel enforcer with his own vicious crew - someone who is known in the underworld as Gerbil.

For a who's who, please visit this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Czgw23hf0tqsb855CcPKPJ/who-s-who-in-the-story-of-the-daniels-and-the-lyons

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series producer: Paul Grant
Producer: Patrick Kiteley
Journalism assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor and executive producer: Carl Johnston

The Daniels and the Lyons: 2. Ollie and Mr Green

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