Green Street Hooligans

An in depth exploration of the brutal reality behind football club firms, and the consequences of knowing "when to stand your ground, and when to walk away".
Green Street Hooligans stars Elijah Wood (Frodo in Lord of the Rings - yes it's weird seeing him in this) as Matt Buckner, a journalism student at Harvard who has just been expelled after cocaine was found in his room. We immediately find out he's covered for his roommate Jeremy Van Holden (Terence Jay),who is from a powerful family and paid Buckner $10,000 to take the fall.
Buckner decides to up and leave, flying to Britain to stay with his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani), her husband Steve Dunham (Marc Warren) and son Ben (James Allison). There he meets Steve's brother Pete (Charlie Hunnam - who later stars in Sons of Anarchy) who happens to run West Ham United firm called the Green Street Elites or GSE (essentially hooligans).
Pete doesn't have any time for Buckner in the beginning, but accepts the "Yank" after getting to know him and eventually bringing him into his closer group of friends at the GSE - one of whom (Bovver - Leo Gregory) doesn't want anything to do with him.
The group go to a game at Upton Park between West Ham and Birmingham, before deciding to fight some Birmingham fans. Buckner chooses not to take part in any shenanigans, opting to walk home alone. Trouble catches up with him however when he set upon by three Birmingham fans. Pete and his GSE mates arrive with perfect timing, saving Buckner from a Chelsea Grin (Google it) as they were on their way to another larger fight.
The major parts of the story centre around the mythical Major character, founder of GSE and a revered legend amongst the GSE faithful. Their rivalry with Milwall's firm, run by Tommy Hatcher (Geoff Bell) is revealed by Pete, with fate dictating the two teams will meet in the FA Cup.
Green Street Hooligans isn't just another gang story. It's not a film about sport.
It is a brutal look at the lives of people involved in these firms, which I have no doubt exist around the world. There are some seriously strong messages to take home from the film, the most prominent being to know "when to stand and fight, and when to walk away" which is quoted in the film.

Green Street Hooligans: 109 minutes (2005)