Cass Pennant

Infobox Writer
name = Cass Pennant


imagesize =
caption = Cass Pennant
pseudonym =
birthname =
birthdate =
birthplace = Doncaster, South Yorkshire
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = writer,football hooligan
nationality = British Citizen
ethnicity = Black Carribbean
citizenship =
period = 2002-present
subject = Football, Football hooliganism
notableworks =
awards =
website = http://www.casspennant.com/

Cass Pennant (born in Doncaster South Yorkshire), is an English writer and former football hooligan.cite web
title = Cass Pennant Author & Hooliologist
publisher =
url = http://www.casspennant.com/
accessdate = 2008-06-20] cite news
last = Solomons
first = Jason
title = Trailer Trash - Fila dealer
publisher = The Observer
date = 2008-04-27
url = http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2276490,00.html
accessdate = 2008-06-20] cite news
last = Leitch
first = Luke
title = Enough with the tough from a boy named Carol
publisher = The Times
date = 2008-06-16
url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4139879.exe
accessdate = 2008-06-20]

Background

Pennant's mother emigrated from Jamaica to England while she was pregnant and he was born in Doncaster. Six weeks after being born he was placed into a Dr. Barnardo's Home. As a black baby, Pennant was fostered by an elderly white family in Slade Green, Kent where he was the only black person, and where he states he was "bullied from day one. Not just from rivals or other kids, the whole town. Imagine as a kid, you're picked out; people in vehicles shouting out at you, total strangers."

Pennant had been christened Carol (a common boy's name in parts of the West Indies but unheard of as a boy's name in England) by his biological mother, which was also a source of bullying for him particularly at school. After he saw the boxer Cassius Clay beat Henry Cooper he adopted the name Cass.

Pennant was a member, and leader, of the Inter City Firm (ICF) associated with the English football club, West Ham United in the 1970s. He was eventually sentenced to three years in prison. After a second time in prison he started running a night club security firm in London. During one night when he refused someone entrance to a nightclub in South London, he was shot three times. Pennant then turned to writing, intitally with his autobiography "Cass" which was published in 2002.

In 2002 Pennant appeared on the Channel 4 documentary, "Football's Fight Club" about football hooliganism in the 1970s.cite news
last = Kilner
first = Martin
title = Welcome to the Top Ten Rumbles
publisher = The Guardian
date = 2002-04-29
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/apr/29/sport.comment
accessdate = 2008-06-20] He has been a consultant on television programmes such as "The Real Football Factories" and "The Real Football Factories International". He also worked as a consultant and played a cameo role as a riot police officer in the 2005 drama film about football hooliganism, "Green Street"cite news
last = Bellos
first = Alex
title = Hollywood wakes up to the call of the world's biggest game
publisher = The Guardian
date = 2005-03-01
url = http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1427964,00.html
accessdate = 2008-06-20]

In 2008 a film was made based on Pennant's life story, "Cass" starring Nonso Anozie as Pennant, and directed by Jon S. Baird

Bibliography

*Author
**"Cass" (2002)
**"Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF" (2003)
**"Top Boys: True Stories of Football's Hardest Men" (2006)

*Co-author
**"Rolling with the 6.57 Crew: The True Story of Pompey's Legendary Football Fans" (2004)
**"Terrace Legends" (2005)
**"Good Afternoon, Gentlemen, the Name's Bill Gardner" (2006)
**"30 Years of Hurt: A History of England's Hooligan Army" (2006)
**"Want Some Aggro?" (2007)

References

External links

Cass - [http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/publish/movie_reviews/Cass-movie-review-18200708.php The Cass Pennant movie review] at [http://www.thehollywoodnews.com The Hollywood News]
*imdb name|2580086|Cass Pennant
* [http://www.casspennant.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.casspennant.com/film/home.html "Cass" official film website]