Bill Gardner (football hooligan)

{{Short description|English football supporter and co-author}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:Bill Gardner 2021.png

Bill Gardner (born 29 January 1954){{cite book | title=Good Afternoon, Gentlemen, the Name's Bill Gardner | publisher=John Blake Publishing Ltd | author=Gardner, Bill | year=2006 | pages=1 | isbn=9781844542611}} is an English football supporter, former football hooligan and co-author of books on football hooliganism.

Born in Hornchurch, Essex, Gardner came to prominence in the 1970s as a supporter of West Ham United and as a member of the Mile End Boys and not firm, the I.C.F.{{cite book|author=Jason Allday|title=JUNIOR: Villains, Hooligans and Scoundrels A testament to the social icons in our lives and the friends I keep.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BcY5BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT6|date=22 July 2014|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=978-1-4969-2687-6|pages=6–}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SPDiwhzV80C&dq=bill+gardner+icf&pg=PT217 | title=Armed For The Match | publisher=Headline | author=Ward, Colin | year=2013 | isbn=9780755365630}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EnmCAAAAMAAJ&q=bill+gardner+ICF | title=March of the Hooligans | publisher=Ebury Press | author=Brimson, Dougie | year=2007 | isbn=9780753512937}}{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/intercity-days-653314.html | title=InterCity Days | work=The Independent | date=8 March 2002 | accessdate=21 February 2014}}{{cite book|author1=Jonas Nyrup|author2=Tom Carstensen|title=Hooligan: de danske broderskaber ; respekten, æren, rusen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OUBbAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA142|year=2011|publisher=Lindhardt og Ringhof|isbn=978-87-11-41781-2|pages=142–}}

Gardner was arrested by the Metropolitan police in 1987 as part of Operation Fulltime.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/20/newsid_2506000/2506963.stm | title=1987: Police crack down on soccer hooligans | date=20 January 1987 | publisher=BBC News | accessdate=17 August 2015}}{{cite book | title=Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I. C. F. | publisher=John Blake Publishing | author=Pennant, Cass | year=2003 | pages=61 | isbn=9781904034858}} The aim of this police operation was to bring football hooligans to justice.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYBtMajLAaAC&dq=operation+own+goal+football+hooligans&pg=RA1-PA114 | title=Sports Around The World | publisher=ABC-CLIO | author=Nauright, John | year=2012 | isbn=9781598843019}}

Following a renewed interest by the public in the 21st century in football hooliganism of the 1970s and 1980s, Gardner featured prominently on the cover of fellow I.C.F. member Cass Pennant's 2003 book "Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I. C. F."{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=69sBAAAACAAJ | title=Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I. C. F. | publisher=John Blake Publishing Ltd | author=Pennant, Cass | year=2003 | isbn=9781904034858}} In 2005 Gardner published his autobiography "Good Afternoon, Gentlemen, the Name's Bill Gardner" detailing his involvement in hooliganism.{{cite web | url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-886315101 | title=Prize night | publisher=}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}{{ISBN?}} The book was co-written with Cass Pennant.

Gardner was portrayed by Stuart Moore in the 2007 film Rise of the Footsoldier which details the life of another member of the I.C.F., Carlton Leach.{{cite web | url=http://www.equity.org.uk/directory-of-members/stuart-moore/ | title=Stuart Moore — Equity | publisher=www.equity.org.uk | accessdate=22 February 2014}}{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/character/ch0138172/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t25 | title=Bill Gardner at IMDB | publisher=www.imdb.com | accessdate=21 February 2014}}

The film shows an incident involving Gardner and the I.C.F. fighting supporters of Manchester United, the Red Army, on the terraces at Old Trafford where he starts a fight by throwing a hot Bovril drink over an opposing fan.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh3bX5wA63s | title=Rise of the Footsoldier — Bill Gardner | publisher=www.youtube.com | accessdate=22 February 2014}} This mirrors a real life incident where Gardner himself had hot tea thrown over him by Manchester United fans.{{cite book | title=Congratulations, You Have Just Met the I. C. F. | publisher=John Blake Publishing | author=Pennant, Cass | year=2003 | pages=53 | isbn=9781904034858}}

In 2020, Gardner published another autobiography "Bill Gardner: The Man, The Myth, The Legend", written with Abe Atchia. The book details the abuses and crime in his life.{{cite news|url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/bill-gardner-new-book-7658760|title=World Book Day: Notorious football fan 'Mr West Ham' sets record straight|access-date=26 March 2021|date=4 March 2021|first=Adriana|last=Elgueta|publisher=Romford Recorder}}