Danny Dyer, star of Severence, Human Traffic and The Business, returns to the small screen with his brand new documentary series; Real Football Factories International, exclusive to and premiering on Bravo on 21st May 2007. Following on from the acclaimed first series The Real Football Factories, which aired in 2006, Dyer embarks on a journey across Europe and South America, taking in some of the most bitterly fought derby clashes, both on and off the pitch. In each episode Dyer meets the firms behind the Worlds most famous football clubs as he tracks down the top boys from Rome to Rio, from Buenos Aires to Belgrade, exploring their culture and learning about their music, fashion, food and drink.Traveling to Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Poland, Holland, The Balkans and Russia, Danny Dyer gets inside the minds behind the most violent foreign firms and meets their most aggressive members.CROATIA AND SERBIA Football, George Orwell remarked, is war without the bullets. In the Croatian capital of Zagreb Danny discovers that in the former Yugoslavia football was war with bullets. Dannys journey from Split in Croatia to Belgrade in Serbia reveals two countries whose fierce nationalism, fueled at football games, was a catalyst for the civil war which broke up Yugoslavia. And now 14 years later that football violence is a tough habit to kick. HOLLAND Dutch games dont come much nastier than Feyernord V Ajax. Danny travels to Rotterdam to attend the game; a journey which takes him into the dark side of Dutch football hooliganism. Its a world far removed from the liberal and tolerant Dutch society. Differences of opinion between the rival firms of Ajax, Feyernoord, Utrecht and Den Hague are settled with arson, stabbings and murder.POLAND Tensions between football fans run high in Poland. Saturday resembles England in the 80s - pitch invasions, terrace wars and, an added Polish twist, forest fighting. In Gdansk local hooligans claim that Solidarity started on the terraces. But in Krakow politics takes a back seat to a good old fashioned ruck. At the Holy War, the local derby between Wisla Krakow and Krakovia, Danny witnesses the madness at first hand. When the Wisla fans burn Krakovia shirts at half time, the Krakovia fans explode and the game descends into a full blown riot.
RUSSIA In Russia, Danny samples one of the most active hooligan cultures in Europe. He visits Moscow and St Petersburg, where he learns about the firms of CSKA, Spartak Moscow and Zenit. He meets CSKA's female hooligan members and is introduced to the leader of Spartak's firm, the intimidatingly-named Vasilli The Killer. He also learns about the Russian hooligans' notion of fair play on the battlefield - no weapons, same numbers, may the best hooligan win...
ARGENTINA Argentineans are reputed to be the snobs of South America. But they are not adverse to a bit of old fashioned football violence. Danny encounters the deep hatred between rival teams in Buenos Aires and attends one of the bitterest derbies in Argentina - Independiente V Racing Club. The match violence becomes so extreme the game is called off at half time. Before the tear gas has cleared the repercussions and recriminations of the riot begin, exposing the rotten core of Argentine football a world of political graft, corruption and extreme violence.
BRAZIL Danny discovers the dark side behind the Brazilian myth of Sex, Samba and Soccer when he attends a match between Gremio and Flamengo, experiencing at first hand the fearsome Gremio hooligans terrace rampage The Avalanche. But this is nothing compared to the violence that occurs in other parts of the country. The film crew travels to Rio de Janeiro on a Mancha Verde bus, the feared firm of Sao Paulos Palmeiras club. On the return leg of the journey their bus comes under gun fire from a car load of Botafogo hooligans crouched on the floor of the bus we discover that football in Brazil really is a matter of life and death.
TURKEY If having an active hooligan scene is a pre-requisite to joining the EU then Turkey should be a shoe-in. Danny attends the famous Istanbul Derby between Fenerbahce & Galatasary - a game surrounded by fierce nationalistic passion and the fanatical allegiance of its fans. Danny speaks to supporters that are prepared to live and die for the sport. At the match as the tear gas swirls and the rubber bullets fly, Danny learns the true meaning of Welcome to Hell.
ITALY The Rome Derby is the highlight of the Italian Football calendar, and its a date eagerly anticipated by the hooligans on both sides. Danny attends the Roma game to experience the madness at first hand. In Torino he meets the Droogi Juventus notorious firm, named after the ultra violent gang in A Clockwork Orange. But that homage is where the Droogis love of merry old England ends. At the Droogi bar we learn that they have 39 reasons to hate Englishmen. They havent forgiven or forgotten Heysel, and Dannys welcome is anything but warm.
Real Football Factories International is made by independent production company Zig Zag exclusively for Bravo and premieres on 21st May at 10pm.
The Real Football Factories Best of Series One is released on DVD on 21st May priced £19.99.
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