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Period: to
Timeline of Events
The major events and people Bill Buford interacts with throughout the book. -
Wales
After viewing a train car being destroyed by rowdy football club supporters, (while the train was mobile, no less) Bill Buford decides to join the violent subculture of football hooligans to garner information to report on. -
Manchester
Bill attends his first few matches in England. He befriends Mick, a large, often drunk Manchester United supporter who helps him slowly learn the ways of being a supporter of a football club, and why so many people become violent over the sport -
Bury St. Edmunds
Buford attends a disco for the National Front, a nationalistic, anti-immigrant organization after meeting two brothers who belong to the group during a soccer match, Neil and Dougie. Dougie later drunkenly assaults Buford in suspicion of his reasons for going to the disco. -
Cambridge
Buford attends a soccer match between Cambridge United and Millwall. He relates of a famous incident in 1909 during a soccer match when there were no scores. Having the anticipation and anger build up throughout the whole match, the crowd rushed onto the field and began to vandalize it. The match he is currently viewing seems headed in that direction, until a mistake by the goalkeeper has Millwall losing the match by scoring on itself. -
World Cup in Sardinia
Buford bears witness to a massive riot following England's loss to Italy in the 1990 World Cup third place match. He is beaten by police over several minutes, and one person was killed by stabbing. This was the last major match Buford attends in the book.
