Ex-Man City hooligan names 'toughest' firm and it is not Manchester United

A notorious former hooligan who has twice been banned from football games has named the most dangerous firms he has come up against while following Manchester City.

And despite opening up about his “hatred” forManchester United, Anthony Phythian named smaller clubs when asked about the “toughest” fans. Anthony, who famously stormed Ewood Park in a boiler suit in 2007, said: “Do you know what, it was never teams you think, like the big clubs, it was always teams like Barnsley or tough towns like Middlesbrough.

“Middlesbrough would bring 50 lads and they weren’t a big firm but f***ing hell, just every one of them was just f***ing at it. Just a close knit firm.”

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He added: “Just small teams like that, Huddersfield as well. Smaller teams like that and smaller Yorkshire clubs as well. Barnsley, Rotherham, just rough little towns.”

Anthony grew up in Miles Platting, Manchester, where he would fight in the streets and in school – with football arguments often being the catalyst.

He eventually became a hooligan and he told YouTube channel how he always got nervous before scraps, and said you would be a "psychopath" if you didn’t.

And asked about the “tastiest” fixture for a City hooligan, his answer was far from a surprise this time.

“It has always been United for us,” he said. “Always. The rivalry runs deep, do you know what I mean? There was a real hatred. Well, there is still a real hatred.”

However, while Anthony won’t be cheering on the Red Devils when they take on Arsenal at Old Trafford in their opening Premier League game today (August 17), he did say he has friends who support his rival club.

And giving a unique insight into what that was like during his hooligan days, he said: “Yeah, the mad thing is, any time when we are not playing, I spoke to lads, United’s firm, who would speak to each other on the phone and arrange where we are going and where we are going to meet.

“We would go and have a pint with each other and we would shake hands and everything else and then the day of the game they are f***ing bottling each other.

“It is mad when you say it like that, but, that was it. That is what we were all there for.”

Anthony is now a family man with two daughters and a son and he has left his days fighting on the terraces behind him.

Instead, he went on to become a professional boxer at the age of 37, and before retiring, he had a record of four wins and three defeats.

And referring to his past on a previous podcast with Dodge Woodall, he said: “My eldest, my lad, knows a lot of my past and now I try to advise him where not to go wrong as I did.

“To be the person I am today and be able to have the relationship I have with my kids is amazing. I thank God every day and know I am totally blessed with this second chance in life.”