m00nie Posted 14 December 2012 Posted 14 December 2012 Might not go down to well here as i know a lot of peoples views on the Baby Squad etc but some might find it an interesting read... Friend has just released a book available now in hmv or online SYNOPSIS In a true story of our times, Riaz Khan gives his colourful account of growing up a multicultural individual in a multi-ethnic Britain. The son of traditional Pakistani parents in Leicester – the Midlands city where Asians constitute a third of the population – he found his own identity in the early 1980s, when he adopted football’s ‘casual’ culture. In KHAN, the eponymous author describes the era when the British-born children of Asian immigrants began to cross-pollinate with working-class English kids. At odds with the strict Muslim values of his parents, he describes how his adoption of the soul-boy look of the 80s coincided with his acceptance into Leicester City FC’s hooligan ‘Baby Squad’. No longer a traditional ‘Paki’ – according to the racist parlance of the time – he and his fellow young Asians were the heralds of a hybrid youth culture. Introduced to new Asian gangs such as the Wongs, Riaz, his brother Suf and their peers confound the old stereotype of Asians as passive and studious. In the environs of their multiracial football ‘firm’, they are truly at home; outside the tiny world of kick-offs and punch-ups, the author still sometimes finds himself labelled an alien – not only by skinhead BNP members but by his own family. As Riaz Khan describes: “We were proud to be British and not Pakistani. I did not want to have an arranged marriage or go to weddings or religious ceremonies. But the community used to shun us for not being ‘ethnic’ enough . . .†This is his story. This is a portrait of melting-pot Britain in the making. http://www.countdownbooks.co.uk/book_3.shtml
Captain... Posted 14 December 2012 Posted 14 December 2012 I don't think any one is going to object to you posting this, we all know hooliganism happened, there is no point denying it, and accounts like this hopefully only serve to remind us of how and why it happened and how we can ensure it doesn't happen again. There is still a great risk in this country, as seen by the riots last year, that the young are feeling disenfranchised again and have no outlet for their energy, aggression and frustration.
Guest MattP Posted 15 December 2012 Posted 15 December 2012 Quality, top lad and will be a good read. BS - leading the way in a Multicultural and United Leicester. WLTBO. I don't think any one is going to object to you posting this I would certainly hope not.
Guest Bilo Posted 15 December 2012 Posted 15 December 2012 Quality, top lad and will be a good read. BS - leading the way in a Multicultural and United Leicester. WLTBO. I would certainly hope not. As trivial as that sounds, I do believe the racial mix of the Baby Squad back in the day is one of the reasons why racism was seldom a problem at Filbert Street. It always used to be much more ugly when a racist set of fans such as Chelsea or Millwall came to town as well. You might even argue that it's one small reason why Leicester itself has usually had comparatively good race relations in comparison to places like Bradford, with many of the people who might normally have joined groups like the NF spending their Saturdays with black and Asian friends.
Voll Blau Posted 15 December 2012 Posted 15 December 2012 Also worth a read... http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/fell-football-hooligans/story-15019411-detail/story.html
Guest MattP Posted 15 December 2012 Posted 15 December 2012 You might even argue that it's one small reason why Leicester itself has usually had comparatively good race relations in comparison to places like Bradford, with many of the people who might normally have joined groups like the NF spending their Saturdays with black and Asian friends. Maybe, although in all the towns that have tended to kick off it has been between Muslim and White youths. Sikhs and Hindus find it much easier to intergrate to British society than Muslims do for obvious reasons, I'd say that's probably the main reason why we haven't had any problems down here.
flowwolf Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 Will definitely be purchasing this. BS So will I , it should make good quality toilet paper.
purpleronnie Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 So will I , it should make good quality toilet paper.
digitalalba Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 i khan believe it Football hooliganism, Islam and me – the story of an Asian lad in Leicester’s notorious Baby Squad http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Football-hooliganism-Islam-8211-story-Asian-lad/story-17558145-detail/story.html “And yet,†recalls Riaz, “although he didn’t approve, we were from a long line of Pathans. They were warriors, fighters. It was a proud heritage. If I’d have been in trouble for theft, my dad would have been appalled. Fighting? Well... it didn’t seem quite so bad.†"There was a moment, one incident during a lads’ day out in Skegness when Riaz knew, finally, that he’d been . They bumped into a small group of skinheads who, immediately, started shoving Riaz around. “One of them hit me over the head with a steel-framed newspaper A-board. It was kicking off and it was kicking off for no other reason than because I was Asian.†One by one, his new Baby Squad mates, who were drinking nearby, poured out into the street and set about the skinheads. It was a clear message: you fight him, then you fight all of us. “There was a bit of a skirmish: Baby Squad lads versus these National Front lads. They didn’t want me to get beaten up because of the colour of my skin, because I was Asian. They saw me as one of them.†...thats not the picture the media portrayed then and now. "And what if one of your sons comes home and says, ‘Dad, I want to be a casual, a football hooligan?’ “I won’t allow that,†he says. “I know what happens. I’ve seen it. I don’t want that for them.†• Khan – Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, published by Countdown Books is out on December 15 and is available at HMV in Leicester, priced at £7.99." Major contradiction
Captain... Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 Just piked this up from HMV, £3.75, although the sticker still says £5, will look forward to reading this in between the 3 Game of Thrones books I got for Christmas. Does anyone know what the post above me is on about?
Ashley Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 Just piked this up from HMV, £3.75, although the sticker still says £5, will look forward to reading this in between the 3 Game of Thrones books I got for Christmas. Does anyone know what the post above me is on about? The article is referring to a part in the book where basically just because certain people were 'pakis' people would chase them to fill them in however he hung around with people who said "look mate just fvck off and behave' and he wouldn't be touched.... No contradiction really.
The Year Of The Fox Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 Is this the bloke known as 'semi'？
Ross-Kemp Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 No stu. Semi is half black, Riaz is a Pakistani, he's not been on the scene for about 20 years.
The Year Of The Fox Posted 27 December 2012 Posted 27 December 2012 No stu. Semi is half black, Riaz is a Pakistani, he's not been on the scene for about 20 years. Fair enough. They just look like they could be about the same age. If Riaz has been out of it for 20 years it explains why I don't know him
Ross-Kemp Posted 29 December 2012 Posted 29 December 2012 Fair enough. They just look like they could be about the same age. If Riaz has been out of it for 20 years it explains why I don't know him Likewise, I had to ask my dad who he was. I'm about half way through the book, not very impressed with it so far. He's also made the BS sound like a ****ing embarrassment !
purpleronnie Posted 29 December 2012 Posted 29 December 2012 Likewise, I had to ask my dad who he was. I'm about half way through the book, not very impressed with it so far. He's also made the BS sound like a ****ing embarrassment ! well it is a true story.
Ashley Posted 29 December 2012 Posted 29 December 2012 well it is a true story. Not really, decent mob back in the day and still now... But lets not go into that.
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