‘I was top boy in West Ham hooligan firm & shot 3 times – now I’m film producer’

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    He was the ringmaster of one of the most notorious football hooligan firms in the country before turning his life around.

    Cass Pennant has led an incredible life, blighted by racism and violence in his early years but becoming a successful writer and documentary maker. Born ‘Carol’ – a popular male name in parts of the West Indies – in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in 1958, Pennant was abandoned by his mother and fostered by a London-based couple.

    As one of the few black children in the area, he was subjected to racist bullying “from day one”, he recalled. He found an outlet in football, having been invited to a West Ham United game by his neighbour’s son, a Hammers season-ticket holder, shortly after England’s 1966 World Cup triumph.

    READ MORE: Britain's most notorious football hooligans now – from MMA fighter to film producer

    That triggered an obsession in football, as Cass recalled: "My first away game was Wolverhampton, and we were set upon during the walk back to the train station. We were on the other side of the road when we saw a fight.

    "Being black, I was spotted and, even though I didn’t know who these lads supported, they came after me. We split up and ran for our lives.

    "A policeman, who could see we were being chased, was no help – he even said it was our fault for being there! We continued to run from one gang and met another heading in the direction we had come from. The leader stopped me and asked why I was running.

    What's your favourite football hooligan film or documentary? Tell us in the comments section

    "When I explained, they left me and went looking for the gang chasing me. I had turned to police and got no help, I had been split up from the only people I knew and, alone in a hostile city I did not know, I tagged along."

    Things took a sinister turn, though, when he co-founded West Ham’s Inter City Firm (ICF) in the 1970s. Having changed his name to Cass – after being inspired by boxing icon Muhammad Ali, whose birth name was Cassius Clay – his hooligan exploits led to time in prison while he was shot three times amid gang-related feuds.

    However, the reformed hardman is living proof that people can transform their lives. After retiring from hooliganism, he wrote an autobiography called Cass in 2002 and acted as a consultant on programmes such as The Real Football Factories with Danny Dyer, the star of the film The Football Factory.

    After appearing in a documentary called Football's Fight Club on Channel Four, documenting football terrace violence in the 70s, he worked as a consultant for the film Green Street.

    He also wrote a series of books that proved extremely popular such as Congratulations, You Have Just Met the ICF and his life was dramatised in the 2008 film, Cass. Pennant wrote the foreword for Manchester United football hooligan Colin Blaney's book Undesirables, contributing a piece about Manchester United's rivalry with West Ham.

    He has also produced films, including a short picture called Beverley, starring Line Of Duty actress Vicky McClure.

    One major influence on his career was diehard West Ham fan and top actor Ray Winstone. Cass told Hammers News: "One of the most famous actors I can think of that’s a true Hammer is Ray Winstone. Like most of us, I’m a big fan of all his work and always thought he would have been a great fit for the Cass film.

    "The director was on-side and I was optimistic that we had half a chance of landing him in a lead role. This was down to a chance encounter with Ray when I had the street stall in Green Street. Whilst packing away after a game, a motor with dark windows paused in the crawling traffic and a hand waved me over and there inside was Ray.

    "We had a quick chat and I confirmed that the film was happening and in return he offered me a piece of invaluable advice. 'It’s all in the script son, don’t lose sight of the script, any advice I can give yer I’ll give yer, COYI!'

    "These brief Green Street meetings got to become a regular thing at games but getting him involved in the film wasn’t meant to be as Ray was in high demand and had two years advanced filming already booked up.

    "He was only interested in helping a fellow Hammer who was now making headlines for all the right reasons. His advice was extremely helpful as I made the transition from the book to the film industry – thanks Raymondo!"

    Pennant, now 65, has spoken regularly about how he has transformed his life, proving an inspiration to people looking to turn away from a life of crime and violence.

    “Everyone has more than one path in their life,” he told the Evening Standard. “I am proof that you can turn your life around.

    “I never preach or tell people not to do certain things — it doesn’t work. I just tell them my story and how I tried to make sense of my life through writing books in prison and how that then led to where I am now. I want to open doors for them and open their eyes.”

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