''The Football Factory'' is a 2004 British
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
written by AJ Lovell and directed by
Nick Love
Nick Love (born 24 December 1969) is an English film director and writer. His credits include the films '' The Football Factory'', '' The Business'', '' Goodbye Charlie Bright'', '' Outlaw'', '' The Sweeney'', and a 2009 remake of football ho ...
and starring
Danny Dyer
Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...
,
Tamer Hassan
Tamer Hassan (born 18 March 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Millwall firm, opposite Danny Dyer, in '' The Football Factory''. Hassan has also appeared in ''Batman Begins'', Declan O'Brien's '' Wrong ...
,
Frank Harper
Frank Harper (born 12 December 1962) is an English actor and film producer. He is best known for his "hard man" roles, such as Billy Bright in '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and Dog in ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998).
Career
F ...
,
Roland Manookian,
Neil Maskell
Neil Maskell (born 1976) is an English actor, writer and director who is known for his appearances in British crime and horror films such as '' The Football Factory'' and ''Kill List''.
Early life
Maskell was born in London. As a youth, he pl ...
and
Dudley Sutton
Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was arguably best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television drama series ''Lovejoy''.
Early life
Sutton was ...
. The film is loosely based on the
novel of the same name by
John King and the first foray into filmmaking by video game producers
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...
(creators of games such as the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, among others), credited as executive producers. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2004.
In 2004,
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football ...
football supporters'
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
''cfcuk'' produced a special edition, titled ''cfcuk - The Football Factory'' to coincide with the release of the film.
Plot
Tommy Johnson (
Danny Dyer
Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...
) is a member of a violent
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
hooligan
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a ...
firm
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
. His friends and fellow hooligans include Tommy's best friend Rod King (
Neil Maskell
Neil Maskell (born 1976) is an English actor, writer and director who is known for his appearances in British crime and horror films such as '' The Football Factory'' and ''Kill List''.
Early life
Maskell was born in London. As a youth, he pl ...
), the hot-tempered Billy Bright (
Frank Harper
Frank Harper (born 12 December 1962) is an English actor and film producer. He is best known for his "hard man" roles, such as Billy Bright in '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and Dog in ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998).
Career
F ...
), and impulsive younger members Zeberdee (
Roland Manookian) and Raf (Calum MacNab). Tommy spends his days
drinking
Drinking is the act of ingesting water or other liquids into the body through the mouth, proboscis, or elsewhere. Humans drink by swallowing, completed by peristalsis in the esophagus. The physiological processes of drinking vary widely am ...
,
using drugs,
womanising and fighting, much to the disappointment of his grandfather Bill Farrell (
Dudley Sutton
Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was arguably best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television drama series ''Lovejoy''.
Early life
Sutton was ...
), a pensioner and veteran who plans to move to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
with his best friend Albert (
John Junkin
John Francis Junkin (29 January 1930 – 7 March 2006) was an English actor and scriptwriter who had a long career in radio, television and film, specialising in comedy.
Early life
Born in Ealing, Middlesex, the son of a policeman, he and h ...
).
Tommy has an
epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
about his lifestyle during a fight with the
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
hooligan firm. Tommy, Billy and Rod are arrested for assaulting two
Stoke City fans whilst travelling to an away match. These actions draw the fury of Harris (Tony Denham), the leader of the Chelsea firm, whose attempts to keep order are thwarted by Billy's aggressive outbursts.
Rod begins a relationship with Tamara (Sophie Linfield), the court clerk at their arraignment, and she pressures him to skip his weekend meets. Zeberdee and his friend Raff accidentally burgle Billy's house and are forced to stand in his living room, whilst Billy's children throw darts at them. Billy deals with his increasing loneliness after he overhears Harris discussing his irrelevance. Bill's plan to retire to Australia are postponed when Albert dies the night before they are to leave.
Early in the film, Tommy is caught and held hostage by the brother of Sian (Michele Hallak), a girl he picked up at a club. He is saved when Rod hits the man on the head with a cricket bat. Sian's brother turns out to also be the brother of the rival
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
firm's leader, Fred (
Tamer Hassan
Tamer Hassan (born 18 March 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Millwall firm, opposite Danny Dyer, in '' The Football Factory''. Hassan has also appeared in ''Batman Begins'', Declan O'Brien's '' Wrong ...
), who then hunts Tommy down throughout the entire film. The film culminates in a pitched battle between the Chelsea and Millwall firms. Rod (after a few
espresso
Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and ...
s and a line of
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
), leaves a dinner with Tamara's parents after offending them, and attends the "meet". Tommy is severely beaten by Fred and a group of Millwall hooligans, and ends up in the hospital with Bill, who, in the meantime, has suffered a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
.
At the end of the film, a crippled Tommy decides that his place is at the firm with his friends, Bill gets cured and moves to Australia and Billy Bright is incarcerated for seven years after being arrested at the Millwall meet (whilst saving Harris from being arrested). Zeberdee is killed by a drug dealer whom he had previously mugged, fulfilling a recurring
nightmare
A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...
that tormented Tommy throughout the film.
Cast
*
Danny Dyer
Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...
— Tommy Johnson, a disillusioned twenty-nine-year-old, who lives for the weekend football matches. The thrill of the big derby between Millwall and Chelsea leaves his life and head scrambled as he tries to pull himself out of his nightmare.
*
Frank Harper
Frank Harper (born 12 December 1962) is an English actor and film producer. He is best known for his "hard man" roles, such as Billy Bright in '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and Dog in ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998).
Career
F ...
— Billy Bright is a man around forty, part of the older generation of the Firm. Throughout the film it is shown that he wants to be the leader of the firm but lacks the composure needed.
*
Neil Maskell
Neil Maskell (born 1976) is an English actor, writer and director who is known for his appearances in British crime and horror films such as '' The Football Factory'' and ''Kill List''.
Early life
Maskell was born in London. As a youth, he pl ...
— Rod, Tommy's best friend and sidekick, carelessly strolling along the path led by his mates.
*
Roland Manookian — Zeberdee, younger breed coming through the ranks of Chelsea, his life has already run into a cul-de-sac of crime and drugs. With nothing to lose and no one to look out for him, Zeberdee aspires to be a future top boy; unfortunately his
naivety
Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may b ...
gets him into trouble.
*Calum McNab — Raff, Zeberdee's best friend.
*
Tamer Hassan
Tamer Hassan (born 18 March 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Millwall firm, opposite Danny Dyer, in '' The Football Factory''. Hassan has also appeared in ''Batman Begins'', Declan O'Brien's '' Wrong ...
— Millwall Fred, the volatile head of the rival Millwall hooligan firm, an arch enemy of Chelsea. The trouble begins when Tommy gets caught having a 1 night stand with the sister of Fred’s best mate, and retribution is wanted.
*
Dudley Sutton
Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was arguably best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television drama series ''Lovejoy''.
Early life
Sutton was ...
— Bill Farrell, a representative of the older generation from a bygone era, a
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
veteran in his late seventies, who lives out the remainder of his days with childhood friend Albert Moss; they plan to retire in Australia.
*
John Junkin
John Francis Junkin (29 January 1930 – 7 March 2006) was an English actor and scriptwriter who had a long career in radio, television and film, specialising in comedy.
Early life
Born in Ealing, Middlesex, the son of a policeman, he and h ...
— Albert Moss.
*
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005).
Career
Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...
— A
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
taxi driver, who is never afraid of letting his customers know his true feelings about society.
*Tony Denham — Harris, the Chelsea firm's head, who runs it like a military team.
*Sophie Linfield — Tamara, a court clerk who becomes Rod's girlfriend.
*Michele Hallak — Sian, a girl at a nightclub who is picked up by Tommy and is revealed to be Fred's sister.
*
Kara Tointon
Kara Louise Tointon (born 5 August 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. In 2010, she won the BBC competition series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', and in 2015, she appeared ...
— Tameka, Sian's friend at the nightclub.
*
Lin Blakley
Linda E. Blakley (née Stevens; born 1 July 1947) is an English actress, known for her role as Pam Coker in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''.
Career
In 2004, Blakley appeared in the film '' The Football Factory'' as the mother to Tamara (Soph ...
— Tamara's mother
*
Danny Kelly — Radio announcer
*Pete Stevens — Radio announcer
Reception
Critical response
''The Football Factory'' received negative reviews. On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, 38% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.70/10.
Box office
''The Football Factory'' grossed a total of £623,138 in the United Kingdom.
See also
*''
The Real Football Factories
''The Real Football Factories'' is a documentary series shown on the Bravo television channel in the United Kingdom and created by Zig Zag Productions. The show looks at the in-depth life of football hooligans and hooligan firms. Interviews a ...
''
*''The Real Football Factories International''
*
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviours perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism normally involves ...
References
External links
Official website*
*
Chelsea Football Fanzine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Football Factory, The
2004 films
2004 crime drama films
2000s sports drama films
British crime drama films
British sports drama films
British association football films
Films about drugs
Films about racism in the United Kingdom
Films set in London
Hood films
HanWay Films films
Vertigo Films films
Films directed by Nick Love
Football hooliganism in the United Kingdom
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
2000s British films