Frank Portinari is a former Tottenham Hotspur hooligan who has opened up about his past fighting on the terraces in the 70s and 80s and he named the standout firms of that era
13:50, 08 Aug 2025
Frank Portinari
Frank Portinari also gave credit to North London rivals Arsenal(Image: Criminal Connection Podcast/Youtube)
A former Tottenham Hotspur hooligan has named the country's finest firm – admitting they possessed a "psychological edge".
Frank Portinari is a convicted gun smuggler who headed up the London Ulster Defence Association. However, prior to his involvement with loyalist paramilitaries in Belfast, he was a football supporter from North London. Spurs was his club of choice and he spent the 70s and 80s touring the nation where he would brawl with opposing football supporters.
Speaking about his terrace days on the Criminal Connection podcast, he praised northern firms for being "tough blokes" who hailed from major industrial towns. Frank added that those "dangerous" away trips were akin to "taking your life in your hands".
Nevertheless, he claimed the gangs nearer to home were the most vicious, and when pressed to identify the top firm, he mentioned several rivals.
He said: "If I focus on London, I am honest enough to say this now that the late 60s, early 70s, I don't think people gave them credit, Arsenal had a naughty mob of fellas. 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*** really to be honest."
White Hart Lane , Tottenham,London.
Frank grew up watching Spurs at the old White Hart Lane(Image: John Lamb via Getty Images)
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Yet, regarding the outstanding firm, he said: "Probably West Ham. I think West Ham because what they are always attributed with is being organised and they did seem to always be organised."
Apart from the Hammers, he insisted Millwall always warranted recognition, though he qualified this by noting that Spurs rarely faced them due to being in separate divisions.
However, there was one memorable encounter on Boxing Day in 1977, when Millwall hosted Spurs at the notorious Den. Recalling the events, Frank remarked: "That is some of the worst violence I ever seen. Probably the worst violence in England that I have seen.
"There had been a documentary before (BBC Panorama) and it kind of built it all up. After the game it was crazy. I seen a fella put a screwdriver through someone's cheek and they were kicking down walls, throwing bricks at each other, and wooden fencing. And there were even railings and they got the rails and the frames of like spears.
Frank Portinari
He will never forget Millwall away(Image: Criminal Connection Podcast/Youtube)
"I will make no bones about it. I think we gave a really good account of ourselves but I was glad to get back home and get in the local pub to be honest.
"It is the worst, definitely the worst, and I have seen some mad ones over the years, but how somebody didn't die that day, I am genuinely shocked they didn't."
Returning to the initial query, he concluded: "But no, I would have to say West Ham. They always kind of had it over us psychologically."
Frank, who penned Loyalist Paramilitary Gunrunner, added: "We have had our times with West Ham but consistently over the years, I will probably have to credit West Ham.
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"But you could say Manchester United, they had thousands of supporters, they weren't called the Red Army for nothing. They had fans all over."