Just bought his 2 books, red army General and men in black..
Anyone met him, or..? Discuss something about him
Anyone met him, or..? Discuss something about him
Tony O'Neill
- Thread starter McK@n
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
They was a thread only the over week about him. I really enjoyed the first book, I could never get into the second so much. I may give it another chance.
I heard he's a bit of a cnut.
http://redcafe.net/showthread.php?t=139547
Worth the read but, by definition most hooligan books are average, some good stories and a lot of bullshit about being the best firm, we dont run from anyone, etc.
Worth the read but, by definition most hooligan books are average, some good stories and a lot of bullshit about being the best firm, we dont run from anyone, etc.
I was round at my uncles for a family funeral in 2004, he came over and gave my uncle a copy of his first book as he's mentioned in it a few times, didn't have a clue who he was but my mam told me later on when she brought me out a copy to Oz a few months later that that was the guy.McK@n said:
Ever read Grafters mate? Quality bookSmall Paul said:
say that to his facerednev said:
Thats not true, I know lads that would know him from away games and european matches over the years. good lad by all accounts.
In general through the 90's the only people who got into rows wanted to get into rows.
Small Paul said:say that to his face
Thats not true, I know lads that would know him from away games and european matches over the years. good lad by all accounts.
In general through the 90's the only people who got into rows wanted to get into rows.
How old is old Tony now anyway, must be getting on a bit? The fact that people are apparently scared to say what they think to him proves what I've heard is true really doesn't it.
My brother has it, would it be worth getting a lend of it from him??Johnno said:
rednev said:
I was joking with the say it to his face thing by the way. He must be early 40's at this stage, runs his travel company from matt busby way.
Dont know what you heard but my mates tell me he was a sound lad that always looked out for other reds away and never caused trouble with lads that didnt want trouble.
Definitley, not mainly about United but mentions them a lot as he's a mad Red but mostly to do with exploits thieving and that, Collyhurst lad, you'll like it mate, trust meSmall Paul said:
From memory his book says he was born in 1958 so he's pushing 50 easy. He got shot pretty bad, nerve damage etc so he doesn't do very much at all these days from what I'm led to believerednev said:
I might be wrong but I think when it kicked off after the everton game a few years back that was the last time he was involved. The rooney comeback one I think.
Small Paul said:
Everton valley, I was there on that day and got caught right in the middle of the Everton fans, probly the worst fighting i've ever seen at a football match.
what side of town you from mate?rednev said:
I'm living in North Wales, but I get to as many games as I can as it's only an hour's drive to Old Trafford. Living here most people I know are Evertonians so I ended up in the Gladdy's stand at Goodison with my United shirt on under my jacket. Coming out of the ground someone saw some lad I was with his United shirt on so he took a few punches and we ended up in the middle of it all.One of the best away day's I've been to.
My mam lives in Nth Wales, small place called Northop near Flint and Mold, her husbands a Toffee but sound guy, says he knows by the by that Nicholls from Flint.rednev said:
I know Northop, nice place, Michael Owens got a house near by. Cant say the same about Flint though, it's a right shithole full of a load of scousers that would rob you first chance they get. Your mam must be quite well off to afford a house in Northop, you ever visit much?
think they just got in at right time mate to be honest but their mate found oil under their property and sold the land to the council for an absolute wedge. That got them all digging the land, including my old queen but the gov't had already issued a right to the minerals under the land, something about the owners can only own up to two meters deep or summat, pretty funny cause they were already planning to buy a house out here by the beach and all sorts of shit. Their house is on same as Little Michaels, but you can't see much. Used to be down every weekend but lived here 8 years now mate, only there every two years or so. Have had a beer with a guy called Step Rush who's a local lad a few times, his brother Ian used to play a bit of football I'm led to believe...rednev said:
Johnno said:
Haha, I've seen Ian in a pub not to far from Northop quite a few times, he's a sound bloke. You ever go into the Red Lion?
the Red Lion eh? Jesus Christ, that's where I started drinking mate. Went down to my mams on a weekend as I say, got to fourteen and was having the usual bottles at home while watching Stars in their Eyes with a Chinese, was when all them Ice beers had come out, early-mid nineties, Bud Ice, Labbatts Ice etc. Andy, my mams fella, decided to take me with him one night as I had a deep voice, so went with him and his mates, stood at bar on busy Sat night drinking pints of Carling, got to about six and got a bit wobbly so went outside and rang my mates in Manc from that old red phone box outside the pub, puked up inside it and everything, went back in and got clocked off manager who asked me how old I was and I said 17 for some reason. Andy took us home in a taxi where I was puking up more, he got twatted off my mam and made to watch me while he watched Match of the Day in the room while I was asleep. He said I got up and went over and pissed on the tv and wall.rednev said:
Had some good nights in there, they still take the piss out of me 12-13 years later saying I was the funniest little cnut they'd ever seen. They all usually drink in the Boot or the cricket club these days though, they all boycotted the Red for some reason
rednev said:
You and me both.
I know of Tony O'Neill and know him by sight, and i've passed conversation in passing, but I would be lying if I said I knew him well.
Its hard to pass judgement on someone like him because on the one hand hes a red, hes very passionate and very loyal to the club ( so much so he's gone on a bit of a mission against FCUM but thats his choice to make).
On the other hand, the likes of himself and several like him at other clubs used football for a purpose that really fecked the game up, and caused alot of strife and hassle for the majority who in we'rent into things like he got up to.
Lets not forget United got banned from playing at OT because of incidents of hooliganism, and OK maybe he wasnt involved directly, the name of Man United was dragged down because of some of their antics.
Being someone whos grown up in and around United fans for many years, its hard to explain because on the one hand you are proud of what a firm we had, because they were our own and you stood by them, but on the other hand at times you wanted to distance yourself from them, for example the incident with the two fans at Boro which was one of the worst things to have happened, but on the whole its been hidden away to protect the clubs image. But those in the know know what happened that day...
rednev said:
It was a belting day taking over the Wetherspoons by St Johns square, being frogmarched to the ground and then the match itself.
THe fight itself was completely unnecessary as the OB had told the club to keep us back 15 minutes so that they could clear the Everton mob away and then escort us back to the city centre, but the feckwits opened the gates, and you knew it was going to go off when about 6 everton lads came up the stairs into the United end and tried to kick it off .Cue them getting twatted all over.
I was infront of the OB when it went off, and we had no choice but to get involved because it was mayhem.
Definitely one of the worst kick offs I've ever witnessed.
Both books are a good read, I agree with Fred as on the one hand I'm proud that we had a firm and on the other I'm ashamed of some of things that went on. I know a few of the old boys that liked to fight in the 70's, they've long since stopped and watch United from the Executive seats, prawn sandwich eaters they are not!
Fred, was O'Neill'e firm already very prominent as early as the 1971 knife throwing incident that led to the Anfield and Victoria Ground "home" matches?
I had the impression it was a little later in the decade he reallly got going.
I had the impression it was a little later in the decade he reallly got going.
jasonrh said:
I think Tony O'Neill was later. If O'Neill is under 50 now, he was under 15 then - too young to lead a 'firm'.
The knife was thrown at Liam McFaul, the Newcastle goalie, in 1970/71. United fans were already the most notorious in the country by that time. We had a large hooligan element, possibly because we took more fans away that anyone else.
Another famous incident from that time was when we played Halifax in the Watneys Cup. When the United trains arrived at Halifax the fans were told they would all be searched for weapons before leaving the station. However, if they dropped their weapons before being searched, they would be free to go to the game. Apparently, there was a lot of metal left on the platform.
jasonrh said:
TON was involved with the United mob as far back as the 60s, albeit not leading them. His first book details when he started going to matches for the escapades he so enjoyed. He actually mentions being around when the knife was thrown, but it wasnt anything to do with him personally.
Lets not get confused though. It wasnt TONs firm, he rose up to lead it, but it was well in existence before he joined it. The Red Army was alot bigger than one man ever could be, and to label it his firm isnt particularly fair.
fredthered said:
Whats your view on hooliganism? I personally don't mind organised fighting, as long as innocent people don't get caught up in it like they did at Goodison. I would never go looking for a fight but if it started to kick off and I'd had a few drinks down me I wouldn't have a problem getting involed.
rednev said:
My view is simple.
If it goes off and you have no choice, then you do what you have to do. You stand by your own, and you fight beside your fellow reds ( to a point. I mean any red who started singing about Hillsborough would not just get a kicking of the scousers, but I'd give them one too for being a cnut. THeres no need for that ). You defend your team, you argue the case, and if you have to wade in then so be it.
But anyone who actively goes looking to start it is a prick. Organised or not
I've seen too many innocent bystanders given slaps just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or wearing their shirts in the open. Thats when I distance myself from it.
fredthered said:
Agree with most of this fred. I saw a Chelsea fan about 40 years of age wearing a jersey getting a smack outside OT, bang out of order.
IN my opinion though, if 2 groups of lads want to have a scrap and nobody else is going to get hurt then fine I say, let them have it away, they know the risks they are facing, prison, banning orders or worse if they get hurt badly.
I'm very much of the mind that if groups want to organise 'meets' and kick seven shades out of each other then let them get on with it. What I dislike, as Fred as alluded to, is when your average fan gets jumped by another clubs firm when all they wanted to do was watch a football match.