With it coming up to 10 years since the release of his first book ‘Naughty’ we were lucky enough to catch up with Mark Chester, author and former member of Stoke City’s N40.
One of the first hooli-books and still one of the most compelling, ‘Naughty’ was a best-seller chronicling not only the battles of the firm but the psychological impact on it’s members and Mark’s own personal background, which led him to his position at the front of one of Britain’s most feared and respected outfits.
Mark has also spoken openly in both his books on his spiritual beliefs and the fact that throughout his life he has interacted with friends who have passed away. In a video posted earlier this year on youtube, you can see footage of Mark experiencing Orb Interaction.
A couple of months ago we were lucky enough to catch up with Mark, who now lives a reclusive lifestyle in the north west of England and here’s what he had to say…
“I’m Not Going To Apologize For Any Of It! Because The Truth Of The Of The Matter Is, Without Hesitation, I Would Do It All Again”
Tough Words Spoken There, Eh, “Big Man!!”
But You See Ten Years Ago When I First Sat Down To Write “Naughty” Those Were My Exact Sentiments, And I Was Proud Of Them At The Time.
However I Have Since Learned That My Own Particular Background And Circumstances In My Formative Years May Have Influenced Who I was Back Then, But It Is Me Entirely Who Is Responsible For Who I Have Become Today. If I Am Going To Be Perfectly Blunt About How I feel At This Present Time. Well The Truth Is I Don’t Like Myself Very Much At All.
You See Nowadays I Only Ever Seem To Smile In The Dark, And At Times I Find Myself Wishing I Could Change The Past, Only To Concede To The Reality Of The Fact, That It Is Really The Past That Has Changed Me.
Regardless Of How Many Times I Question Myself As To Whether It Was More Exciting To Cross The Line And Live With The Consequences Of My Actions. I Can’t Help Wondering What Life Would Be Like Today Had I Complied With The Norm And Not Chosen A Life Of Disobedience And Rebellion.
So Why Don’t I like Myself?
It’s Quite Simple. Foolishly I Dropped My Guard And Allowed Myself To Fall Into The Hands Of A Creature Of Low Character. A Parasite Who Coaxed Me, At The Second Attempt Of Asking, Into Writing The History Of Stoke City’s Football Casuals.
After Much Deliberation, And Numerous In Depth Discussions Amongst Other Prominent Members of The N40, It Was Agreed That Stoke Would Put Their Chapters In Verse And It Would Be Me Who Put Pen To Paper To Chronicle The Social Aspect Surrounding Their Rise To Notoriety.
So How Would I Go About This?
My First Thoughts Were To Go Along The Lines Of A Standard Type A-Z Of Accounts Covering All The Major Events That Had Taken Place Over the Decades. That Way I Could Ensure That All Historical Facts Were Covered In Their Entirety, And More Importantly In The Meantime Protect All Those Who Were Involved As Well.
Not A Chance!! We Were Worth More Than Just A List Of Events, And The Deeper My Thoughts Delved Into This Project The More Adamant I Became As To What Was Needed And How It Was To Be Done.
In My Eyes, All Of A Sudden I Was Now Out Of Retirement And Back On The Proverbial Battlefield, Holding The Frontline, Striving To Continue To Uphold The N40’s Unblemished Reputation Of Being Game But Fair, Only Now The Struggle Was Not To Take Another Firm’s Reputation On The Streets, But To Take The Top Shelf Of The Mainstream Book Shops That Would Stock Any Of The Present Or Future “Hooli Literature” Offerings Instead. It Was Imperative For All Concerned, That My Effort Would Be Superior To Anybody Else’s, And Compromise Was Not An Option.
It was at this point that I had Made My Decision To Strip Myself Bare, And Ultimately “Naughty” Became Unique In Terms Of A Memoir Relating To The “Hooligan Culture”. Never Before And Not Since Has Anyone Written So Graphically And Honestly About The Psychology Behind The Brutality, Their Own Personal Life And Opened Themselves Up To Such An Unprecedented Level Of Scrutiny And Ridicule As What I Did Back Then.
So Here Was A Man Who Had Been Expelled From School With No Formal Qualifications Of Any Note Whatsoever, Attempting To Write A Book. I Spent Months In Isolation, Trawling The Private Depths Of My Inner Thoughts Until My Decision Was Made Final.
I Told Myself, Whether I Write Well Or Not I Must Write It With A Genuine Passion, Say What I Have Got To Say, Say What Must Never Be Forgotten And Above All Say It Honestly And Bravely, And Let Me Be My Biggest Critic.
“Naughty” And “Sex Drugs And Football Thugs” Became Two Of The Most Highly Acclaimed Books Ever To Be Written On The “Hooligan Genre” And Became Best Sellers, Much To The Delight Of The Parasite.
As For Me, Well I Was Far From Delighted With The Eventualities Of My Autobiographical Offerings, But In All Honesty I Can’t Say I Didn’t Expect Some Form Of A Reaction From The British Constabulary, I Just Wasn’t Prepared For How Sustained And Vicious It Would Be.
What’s Done Is Done And What Will Be Will Be. As Much As I’d Like To, I Can’t Go Back A Decade In Time And Slap The Cheeky Bastard For Altering The Course Of My Life For The Worse, That’s Just Wishful Thinking On My Behalf, And I Could Have And Should Have Said A Resounding NO!! At The Time…But I Didn’t. Instead I Shot Myself Straight In The Foot, But Now I Have Accepted My Poor Judgement, From Back Then, And i’ve Also Learned, To Take All The Subliminal And Underhanded Tactics That The Establishment Use To Hold Me Back And Keep Me Down As “Par For The Course”. In Essence I Have Been The Creator Of My Own Downfall Through Writing These Books, But Remember This….”Beware The Person Who Has Nothing To Lose” Get It!!
To Round Things Off, I Have Two Things That I Would Like To Say.
Firstly, To Any Young Person Who Is On The Periphery Or Actively Involved In Any Form Of Gang Culture, Seriously Consider What It Is That You Are Getting Yourself Involved With, And Also Consider The Consequences Of Your Actions Before It Is Too Late. Strive For The Norm, Work Hard And Be Proud Of Yourself. I Wish I Had.
Secondly, now i’ve Got This Off My Chest,……..I’m Smiling Again!!
Thank You Very Much Indeed, For Taking The Time To Read My Last Ever Piece Of Public Writing. I Appreciate It.
Mark Chester, Former Gang Member, Author Of Honest Words, And……….“Peaceful Hooligan”.
If you haven’t already, we highly recommend that you need to read Mark’s work!
Downloads for both titles are available below from Amazon, you don’t need a kindle to view these just the free kindle app here.
And for the spiritualized amongst us check out Mark's interaction here on you tube.... Make our own mind up...We have.....
Nice piece.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are far too many assumptions made about those of us who wrote (and write) in what was labelled 'hoolie-lit' as well as about those who read it. Sadly, those assumptions persist to this day.
Eventually, someone in the mainstream press might actually take the time and the trouble to take an objective look at what went on during that period because no matter how it is perceived, it not only saw all kinds of people become actual authors, but it brought an awful lot of people back into reading and that is something which has never been truly acknowledged.
every true word spoked
ReplyDelete