Football Hooligan Names Underrated UK Firm After Being Knocked Out in Ground

A football hooligan named the most underrated UK firm as he recalled the one time he was concussed.

Frank Portinari was a prolific hooligan with Spurs back in the 1970s and 80s and later moved to Belfast to become the leader of the London Ulster Defence Association.

A convicted gun smuggler, Portinari was involved in plenty of violence over the years, calling West Ham the most "organised" firm he came across and admitting that an encounter with Millwall’s fans on Boxing Day in 1977 was "probably the worst violence in England that I have seen".

He also praised "tough” Northern firms and said going on dangerous away days was effectively "taking your life in your hands".

But in an appearance on the Criminal Connection podcast, Portinari recalled an incident with rivals Arsenal whereby he "took a liberty" and received a good hiding.

Thinking he was being "smart" at White Hart Lane, Portinari got in the away end by pretending he was an Arsenal fan. He ended up waking up in a cubicle after being knocked out and feared that he might have lost his ear in the attack.

“I’ve been very fortunate, I've only ever been concussed once,” he explained.

“And that was because I took a liberty. I went to the toilets after being where I shouldn’t have been and people saw me go to the toilets and that was at Tottenham and we played Arsenal.”

"I went to the toilet and of course these Arsenal fellas saw me do it and I woke up in a cubicle. One minute I’m in the urinal and the next minute I’m in the cubicle.

“I joke about it now but I genuinely went like that (checks his ears) I had my f***ing ears in case one of them took it as a trophy you know.”

Portinari was set to be treated for his injuries at North Middlesex University Hospital but he grew up incredibly impatient having waiting two hours to be seen to and eventually just got a taxi home and went about his business as normal.

Portinari woke up in a cubicle at White Hart Lane. Image: Getty

As a die-hard Spurs fan who enjoyed fighting, Portinari had many battles with Arsenal supporters - with the pride of North London on the line.

But he did praise the rival firm and called them a "naughty mob of fellas" who had the beating of Spurs until the tide turned as time went on.

“If I focus on London, I am honest enough to say this now that the late 60s, early 70s, I don’t think people give them credit, Arsenal had a naughty mob of fellas," Portinari added.

“And it changed because I remember when Tottenham eclipsed Arsenal so to speak and we would regularly go their end of the ground and take the p*** to be honest. And then they had their day again in the 80s and 90s.”

Portinari later wrote a book documenting his life. Image: Getty

Sent to five years in prison for trying pass firearms and ammunition to Birmingham and pleading guilty to possession with intent to endanger life Portinari later wrote a book about his hooligan days called 'Loyalist Paramilitary Gunrunner' and hosted crime history tours.