The exploits of gangs known as the County Tavern Mob, the Elly Boys and the Northampton Affray Team, and their fierce rivalries with other gangs from Brighton, Luton, Oxford, Peterborough and Shrewsbury, have been told in Hooligans 2: The M-Z of Britain’s Football Hooligan Gangs, which is due to hit the shelves on February 29.

Co-author Andy Nicholls, who is an ex-football hooligan and a renowned expert on the subject, said he was surprised at the size of the problem in Northampton, adding a number of Cobblers hooligans were well respected in national circles.

He said: “A lot of the well-known firms have already had a book published about them, so this is a chance to learn about the smaller firms.

“But the thing about the book is we’re not trying to glorify it, we’re trying to look at it historically.

“What we found with the clubs like Northampton was the rivalries they had. You hear about the Millwalls, Leeds and Cardiffs, but no matter how small the club, these problems exist despite what the police say, as seen in Northampton with the recent visit of Leeds.”

He added: “When I did the research for the book I was surprised to find out how many Northampton guys watched England away and how much respect they had.”

The book is the second in a two-part guide to the subject. It covers all the major hooligan groups at every club from M to Z.

Nicholls and co-author Nick Lowles interviewed scores of former and current gang members to compile the first ever encyclopedia of all the gangs.

Recent events suggest that hooliganism can still be a factor when it comes to clashes between rival football teams

During Northampton Town’s match against Leeds United on Saturday, February 9, several cases of violent disorder were reported to police and a total of 18 men, all Leeds supporters, were arrested.

The landlord at the Shoemakers’ Tavern, who asked not to be named, said as many as 50 Leeds fans besieged the Spring Boroughs pub during the match and threw manhole covers, road signs and rocks at the windows, causing more than £8,000 worth of damage.

Northamptonshire Police – who believe the fighting was premeditated – charged two people with public order offences and released 16 more on bail.

But Councillor Tony Clarke (Ind, Castle), who is a director of the Cobblers, said football hooliganism was now a thing of the past at most clubs.

He said: “There’s little, if any, trouble at football grounds these days, particularly at the Cobblers’ level. So I’m not really sure how much interest there can really be in books like this, which hark back to the past.

“The problems in football date back to the 1970s and I think sooner or later these type of publications will reach their shelf life.”

oliver.jelley@northantsnews.co.uk