For some football fans in England, passion often crosses into the darker side of the sport. Their loyalty often meant fighting for your club’s name.
Now, one former Manchester City supporter lived that life to the fullest before leaving it all behind.
Growing up in Miles Platting, Manchester, Anthony Phythian began fighting in the streets as a schoolboy.
Later, those same streets turned into stadium terraces, where violence became part of the game-day experience.
Phythian followed Manchester City home and away. He often clashed with rival groups. In 2007, during an FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers, he invaded the pitch at Ewood Park.
He did that to protest as City were trailing 2-0. The act led to his arrest and a banning order. Over the years, he received two separate bans for his involvement in football violence.
However, when reflecting on his years of chaos, the former hooligan admitted that the most dangerous encounters did not come from England’s biggest clubs.
Instead, he found smaller teams to be far more intimidating. According to Phythian, sides from tough northern towns often had the hardest groups of supporters.
He described how one particular club would arrive with around 50 men, all ready for a fight and united as one.
It was Middlesbrough that stood out the most to him. Phythian said on The Content Cast:
“They weren’t a big firm but f***ing hell, every one of them was just f***ing at it. Just a close-knit firm.”
He also mentioned the likes of Barnsley, Huddersfield, and Rotherham as “rough little towns” with fierce followings.
Still, Manchester United was his “tastiest” fixture of all. But later, Phythian admitted that away from matchdays, he would often share a drink with United’s firm members.
Want to get the latest transfer news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
