Spikeopath i.d. is directed by Philip Davis and written by Vincent O'Connell. It stars Reece Dinsdale, Warren Clarke, Claire Skinner, Richard Graham, Perry Fewick, Philip Glenister, Saskia Reeves and Sean Pertwee. Music is by Will Gregory and cinematography by Thomas Mauch.Four policemen go undercover and infiltrate a gang of football hooligans who follow Shadwell Town. There mission is to root out their leaders, the ones pulling all the strings. But for one of them, John (Dinsdale), the longer the operation goes on, the more he finds he loves this world of hard drinking and fighting.It became something of a cult hit back in the 90s, at a time when football hooligan films were still rare. Nowadays they are two a penny, with a ream of wide boy directors mining the source for easy cash while turning the topic into pop culture matter of fact. i.d. (it is spelt that way on the film) is a different animal to the MTV styled other hoolie movies in a lot of ways, it is set in the 80s but it feels archaic, in fact it feels much earlier with its clothing choices, fans decked out in scarves, admission fees into grounds only £3.50/£4.00 and the way supporters are caged on the terraces. Even the terrace songs hark back to the 70s. This old time feel, coupled with the low production value, is a world away from the likes of The Football Factory and Green Street, where dress codes were as important as toughness! i.d. does have realism, but it's a realism long before football hooliganism became a source of books, films and trendy badge of honours.Davis' film is more concerned with showing how the thrill of it all can drag down the most upstanding citizen. In this case Dinsdale's (terrific and a splendid shift from sit-com niceties) young ambitious copper. His descent into being a full blown hooligan is very real, the addiction of the fight, the camaraderie of the gang, the wine women and song that replaces the humdrum of everyday working life. It doesn't offer up any answers, in fact things are deliberately left ambiguous in the end, but the message is sharply etched into the story and the pic is high on social value. It should have been bolder by making more on racism of the time and expanding upon police overkill at football matches, but it never glorifies the topic to hand and backed by a very watchable cast, rounds out as football hooligan film of some substance and standing in the genre pantheon. 8/10

Sulla-2 This excellent film should be required viewing for Senior Police Officers to teach them that any officers chosen for this type of work should be carefully chosen. John was clearly unstable and unsuitable. However, it was entertaining and well acted. Warren Clarke is outstanding as usual. Others have commented that you don't see any scenes of actual football. I would have thought that the odd scene every now and then would have been beneficial to explain the crowd reaction. I also long for the return of the terraces in UK football grounds.At my age I find the seats in grounds to be rather cramped and I am fed up of people standing up in front of me. I am happy to stand on a terrace though.

gibbage89 Where do i start? Wooden acting , abysmal dialogue ,completley unrealistic. Not only are we supposed to believe that a gang of undercover police infiltrate a football firm (this would take years ) also they become that addicted to violence, it spilled over into their everday lives!!!! The football violence was very dated (circa 1970,s ) not like it is now. Obviously no resaerch was done into how they dressed and spoke, the dilogue resembled an episode of "The Sweeney" ( a British cop show where they said "shat it " a lot). You may have found this film entertaining, but as an accurate observation of a football hooligan lifestyle NEVER I should know ,, I was one. This film should have been called " Carry On Hooligan" !!!!!

DazzaLCFC This is quite simply the best football/realistic portrayal of the English working class for some time.It pits a middle class suburbanite home owner, a true product of Thatcher's Britain, who curiously appears in a picture on the wall of several offices during the film, against the white working classes, the forgotten men of England at the time.The film truly shows that despite all his middle class ideals, he and his friends are still the people they once were, perilously close to the edge and the violence of the impoverished forgotten young male.The films greatest strength is perhaps that it stays away from the game of football and sticks very firmly with the soccer hooligan. You cannot ignore this film. Its charecterisation and portrayal of individuals is flawless... no wooden acting here.Without a doubt one of the better movies to be made at this time, long forgotten and overlooked, it can actually offers an almost historical insight into the social influences of our history, and goes some way to explaining the origins annd causes of the English disease