Chopper and the Walrus

It's 2 May 1982 at Arsenal’s Highbury football stadium. More than 20,000 fans crowd into the North Bank terrace for the Arsenal vs West Ham United game. On one side is Renton Baker, aka ‘Chopper’, an infamous Arsenal football hooligan, on the other Simon Pinchbeck, aka ‘The Walrus’, a renowned Metropolitan Police officer.

The West Ham hooligans, known throughout the UK as the ICF, or Inter City Firm, had surrounded the Arsenal boys, known as The Herd. They had let off a huge red smoke bomb, and vicious fighting ensued across the terraces of the North Bank. The game was stopped as the crowd spilled onto the pitch. In the middle of the smoke, Renton was fighting against the ICF thugs, and Simon was fighting hard to separate both sets of fans, and bring order so that the game could take place. Outside the ground, a young Arsenal fan lost his life after he was stabbed to death.

Renton and Simon were sworn enemies – Renton and his hardcore hooligan mates trying to outfox the police, a...