A Station outside Cardiff Summary and Analysis

AMONG THE THUGS is a novel about the football firms of England and their violent behaviors as fans. Bill Buford embeds himself in the world of a firm to bring readers first hand stories of the violence, alcohol, and mob mentality of football fans in England. Through his journey, however, he also shows readers a deeper understanding of how football firms function and the reasoning behind the intense violence.

In this first chapter, we find Buford learning not only about the game of football but also about himself. Buford is standing in a train station outside Cardiff as he notices several police officers approaching the platform for an uncertain reason. Shortly, however, a train containing several hundred football supporters arrives from Liverpool. The fans appear to be drunken, and as one man falls out, he...