Cass

GONE are the days when West Ham fans used to go to games only to get slapped in the face by mobs of rival hooligans.

Nowadays they can rely on their team to do that.

Hammers fans don’t come bigger (in every sense) than Cass Pennant, the infamous one-time leader of the Inter City Firm. This is his story, from his adoption by an elderly white couple in 1950s London to becoming Britain’s most feared football hooligan.

It’s the strongest example yet of the odd sub-genre of hooligan movies—miles better than the usual “cor blimey, ain’t we ’ard, guv’nor” rubbish like Green Street.

Rising star Nonso Anozie delivers an incredible performance, getting the character of Cass just right. Watching the guy grow up is a treat —music, fashions and locations are selected perfectly—and there’s the timeless joy of watching an 11-year-old kid use the c-word in one of the schooldays’ flashbacks.

The edgy camaraderie between Cass and his male pals as he grows up is nicely done and there are top cameos from Paul Kaye and Finchy (Ralph Ineson) from The Office.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of the female characters, who are all shrill, whining hags and let the decent standards of the rest of the film down horribly.

A solid bet, then. Or if you want to be a smug t**t, Cass-a-banker.

Oh, and a true story: Cass himself collared me outside the screening and asked what I thought, so all there is left to add is that it’s amazing and will win at least ten Oscars.

OUT ON FRIDAY