He arrived to rally the troops, the main man in the InterCity Firm and his greeting passed into football fan history. 'Afternoon, gentlemen, the name's Bill Gardner.' That introduction was often enough to provoke sheer terror in his opponents. He is a genuine legend to anyone who's ever stood proud on a football terrace. No serious book on the culture would be complete without at least one mention of him. And now at last he's telling his own long-awaited story.

For the first time, Gardner himself reveals what made him the top man, including his innermost thoughts and his memories of the classic years for football fans. Everything is here, in thrilling detail, including the grudge matches between Millwall and West Ham fans. Prepare to hear how Bill went from being a fan through to being the main figure in the country's biggest firm and back to being what he's always been at heart - just a big football fan.

Among the West Ham following, he has earned respect in all his endeavours. Bill Gardner has only ever been himself - and that's what made his mark on football culture so great. He has never held back from dismissing lesser firms as being 'two-bob' and their fans 'bullies' where he thinks it's the case. Many familiar faces have queued up to add their comments in this book which shows just what it is that makes Bill Gardner unique among the toughest and the greatest of them all.

Good Afternoon Gentlemen... follows Gardner from his unhappy childhood, coloured by fighting from the adults around him, through his first days as a football fan, right up to his time spent with his famous crew. Find out just how fearless this legend has always been and how he has never given up in the face of overwhelming bullies and plebs. This is a story that is inspiring and terrifying by turn.

Reviews from Amazon.co.uk

We have all grown up, 19 Sep 2005

Reviewer: S Colbourne

As the title says, "Bill is a gentleman" Bill is that link with the past. From the exciting old days that none of us would want back to the now polished Premiership days where cash is king. Bill, like us all, has grown up, but his passion has never died. Clubs nowadays forget the true fans like Bill, and as the gates drop perhaps they will remember them. Bill is proud and when Brighton visited Upton Park Bill went out of his way to make sure I and my children had a good day, and we beat them. Bill knows that kids are the future of football and his book tells how Bill passes that down to his son as we all do with ours. Maybe, just maybe, clubs will realise that without the Bills of the world their world would crumble.

Story of a real Terrace Legend, 30 Jun 2005

Reviewer: Mr. W. D. Bagnall "westhambill" (UK)

I have been waiting for this book to come out after hearing that this "West Ham legend" was writing one. It gives a good and honest account of him growing up as a fan and following his idols all over the country and abroad !!! He has built a reputation over the years from nearly every person or football supporter that tried to bully him and knew that he was a man to be respected. With Cass's book in my bookcase,this will be read over and over again .......

My mate Bill , May 10, 2005

I was ready for just another hooligan epic, but this book realy tugged on my emotions.
I know the author - although my association is recent, and not in the hooligan days - and I can vouch for the fact the he is an abolute gentleman. For any West Ham fan this book is an absolute must, it made me feel proud and brought a tear to my eye as well as making me laugh. It doesn't glorify violence, just emphasises the values that society today has lost.
All I can really say is thanks for writing this Bill, and where's vol.2?

AT LAST!!!!!! , May 3, 2005

Here is the book that ALL fans of this genre of book have been waiting for. Was it worth it? Well, for this reader, the ais nswer is a big YES! As someone who knows the person, this book opened up a new side of Mr Gardener that l never knew about, his private side! This is not another of those 'we did this, they did that' book, but a story of the man himself, written frankly and, best of all, HONESTLY! The only thing that lets this tale down, for me, is that there is not enough of the football fights that, undoubtably, took place. But for this it would have gotten 5 stars! I have read most,if not allm of this style of book and place it within the top 5. The people who should REALLY read this book are the 'normal' fans who despise the, so called, hooligan element. For this book is about a REAL fan, a fan that CARES about his mates and fellow supporters, a fan that supports HIS team against any other. It tells of a man who had the mantle of leadership thrust upon him when he didn't ask for it. It tells of a man who stood tall for those around him, a beacon of hope in a, sometimes, desperate position, You'll read of trips to away games where, in most cases, violence was the norm for most fans travelling, but the thing EVERYONE will get from reading this is the sense of RESPECT the man carried throughout his time as a, so called, hooligan! When serious rivals can put their hand on their hearts and say that Bill Gardener was up there with the best of them, a true terrace legend but, most of all, not the sort of person you would want to get on the wrong side of!

Read this and learn as the likes of Bill Gardener will never be seen again which, to me, is a really sad state of affairs because the world needs people like him to stand up for the 'little' people, the ones that get picked on!!

With this book the legend that is Bill Gardener will live on and long may it do so!!