Latest news with #CriminalConnection
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Former Tottenham hooligan names 'best firm in England' – and they were fierce rivals
A former Spurs hooligan and ex-leader of the London Ulster Defence Association Frank Portinari named some of the toughest firms in England but said one stood out for a key reason A former Tottenham Hotspur hooligan named the best firm in the country – saying he was honest enough to say their top rivals had a "psychological edge'. Frank Portinari is a convicted gun smuggler who was a leader of the London Ulster Defence Association. But before getting involved with the loyalist paramilitaries in Belfast, he was a football fan from North London. His team of choice was Spurs and he spent the 70s and 80s travelling the country where he would scrap it out with rival football fans. He spoke about his days on the terraces on the Criminal Connection podcast where he credited firms up north for being 'tough blokes' who came from big industrial towns. Frank added that those 'dangerous' away days were like 'taking your life in your hands'. However, he said the mobs closer to home were the most spiteful, and asked to name the best firm, he mentioned a number of rivals. He said: 'If I focus on London, I am honest enough to say this now that the late 60s, early 70s, I don't think people gave them credit, Arsenal had a naughty mob of fellas. And it changed because I remember when Tottenham eclipsed Arsenal so to speak and we would regularly go their end of the ground and take the p*** really to be honest.' However, as for the standout firm, he said: 'Probably West Ham. I think West Ham because what they are always attributed with is being organised and they did seem to always be organised." Hammers aside, he claimed Millwall always deserved a mention, but caveated it with the fact that Spurs did not play them much because they were in different divisions. But there was one occasion, on boxing day in 1977, when Millwall welcomed Spurs at the infamous Den. And remembering it, Frank said: 'That is some of the worst violence I ever seen. Probably the worst violence in England that I have seen. 'There had been a documentary before (BBC Panorama) and it kind of built it all up. After the game it was crazy. I seen a fella put a screwdriver through someone's cheek and they were kicking down walls, throwing bricks at each other, and wooden fencing. And there were even railings and they got the rails and the frames of like spears. 'I will make no bones about it. I think we gave a really good account of ourselves but I was glad to get back home and get in the local pub to be honest. 'It is the worst, definitely the worst, and I have seen some mad ones over the years, but how somebody didn't die that day, I am genuinely shocked they didn't.' And referencing back to the original question, he concluded: 'But no, I would have to say West Ham. They always kind of had it over us psychologically.' Frank, author of Loyalist Paramilitary Gunrunner, added: 'We have had our times with West Ham but consistently over the years, I will probably have to credit West Ham. 'But you could say Manchester United, they had thousands of supporters, they weren't called the Red Army for nothing. They had fans all over.'
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Thug who battered pensioner says 'he threatened my family so I regret nothing'
Dougie Joyce, 36, was jailed for leaving a 78-year-old man with significant facial injuries after attacking him in a Manchester pub - but has told a podcast it was 'just one of them moments' A man has said he doesn't 'regret anything' after being released from prison following a horrific assault on a pensioner in a pub. Dougie Joyce was jailed in November 2023 after admitting repeatedly punching the 78-year-old victim in the back room of a pub in Manchester 's Northern Quarter. After he was sentenced for 19 months for GBH, police described him as an"aggressive and violent man" who "intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78-year-old". Joyce, who was released last November, made the headlines again this year for appearing in a video alongside former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was criticised for promoting his new whiskey product. In the video shared on his Instagram page, Joyce - a member of one of Greater Manchester's most well-known Traveller families - handed the former PM a bottle of Joyce's Irish Whiskey saying "Just remember - Dougie Joyce loves ya". The Tory ex-PM then added: "Liz Truss loves you." In CCTV footage from the attack in October 2022, the 36-year-old, who was wearing a large gold ring, was seen punching the elderly man before encouraging his dad to join in. Police said left the assault left the 78-year-old victim with "significant facial injuries." But in an interview with the Criminal Connection podcast released last week, the businessman and former bare-knuckle boxer said he had no regrets about the incident, reports Manchester Evening News. He told host Terry Stone: "I never regret anything I do in life. "I regret being in that situation. But I don't regret anything I do because everything I do is for a reason." He described the incident as "just one of them moments inside of a pub", and claimed the man had insulted his father, John Joyce. His dad was given a community order for his role in the attack. Joyce added: "The bottom line of the story is my father knocked him spark out 35 years ago. That was it. "But what it was he was holding a grudge against my father. He's obviously not got over it. There was a little bit of commotion. And then he got very abusive coming out with his name calling and then he just took it one step too far. "He threatened my family. Nobody threatens my family. I don't care who you are. Obviously I've got drink in my system and I'm an alpha male and the thing is I'll always protect my family. "So, I've done what I've done and at the end of the day, I've paid the price, been to jail. It's the past. I put it behind me. It is what it is." Joyce also recalled being arrested at Dublin Airport following the attack - and described his stint behind bars as "plain sailing", claiming he was asked for selfies and autographs while in HMP Strangeways and Forest Bank. He said of his time in prison: "I just kept my head down, got on with it, done my gym, met a few nice fellas in there. I know a lot of people anyways from in inside out and there was no issues whatsoever." The 36-year-old former bare-knuckle boxer has several convictions for violence, and previously appeared in the The Joyce Family Documentary on Amazon. He reportedly turned down a role in Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. In May last year, he was jailed for 13 months after a feud between the Joyces and members of the Doherty family ended up in a mass brawl The Vine pub in Collyhurst, Manchester.
Irish Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Nobody threatens my family, I don't care... so I've done what I've done'
A member of one of Manchester's most well-known Traveller families has said he doesn't 'regret anything' after being released from prison following a vicious assault on a pensioner in a pub in the Northern Quarter area of the city two years ago. Dougie Joyce was jailed in November 2023 after admitting repeatedly punching the 78-year-old victim in the back room of a Thomas Street pub in the city. After he was sent down for 19 months for GBH, police described him as an 'aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78-year-old,' reports The Manchester Evening News. CCTV showed the then 35-year-old, who was wearing a large gold ring, launch the sickening attack before encouraging his dad to join in. But in an interview with the Criminal Connection podcast released this week, the businessman and former bare-knuckle boxer said he had no regrets. "I never regret anything I do in life," he told host Terry Stone. "I regret being in that situation. But I don't regret anything I do because everything I do is for a reason." Describing the vicious assault as 'just one of them moments inside of a pub', he said the victim had insulted his father John Joyce, who was given a community order for his part in the attack, and 'threatened his family'. Joyce added: "The bottom line of the story is my father knocked him spark out 35 years ago. That was it. "But what it was, he was holding a grudge against my father. He's obviously not got over it. There was a little bit of commotion. And then he got very abusive coming out with his name calling and then he just took it one step too far. "He threatened my family. Nobody threatens my family. I don't care who you are. Obviously I've got drink in my system and I'm an alpha male and the thing is I'll always protect my family. "So, I've done what I've done and at the end of the day, I've paid the price, been to jail. It's the past. I put it behind me. It is what it is." Joyce also told how he was arrested at Dublin Airport following the attack. And he boasted of being being asked for selfies and autographs while serving his sentence in Strangeways and Forest Bank. "It was plain sailing," he said of his time in prison. "Just kept my head down, got on with it, done my gym, met a few nice fellas in there. I know a lot of people anyways from inside out and there was no issues whatsoever." The infamous hardman, who appeared in the The Joyce Family Documentary on Amazon and reportedly turned down a role in Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding to become 'the next Tyson Fury', has several convictions for violence. In May last year, he was jailed for 13 months after a feud between the Joyces and members of the Doherty family exploded in violence at a wake at The Vine pub in Collyhurst in inner city Manchester. Last month, he was in the headlines again after posing with Liz Truss to promote his new line of whiskey. In a clip shared on his Instagram page, Joyce hands the former PM a bottle of the spirit saying, 'Just remember - Dougie Joyce loves ya', with Truss then adding 'Liz Truss loves you'. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders star was forced to get two normal day jobs and was 'job shamed' after leaving BBC soap
The actress, who played Hayley Slater on EastEnders, was forced to get a day job at B&M after leaving the BBC soap and was 'job-shamed', before later working in a garage The UK's soap scene is a beloved fixture in British culture, with shows like Coronation Street and EastEnders providing a daily dose of drama. Characters such as the much-adored pub landlord Mick Carter, portrayed by Danny Dyer, and the legendary Phil Mitchell have become household names across the nation. However, fans are often left gobsmacked when soap stars leave their fictional roles for real-world gigs. One star who took an unexpected career move is Katie Jarvis, who played Hayley Slater on EastEnders from 2018 to 2019. The move comes after a racially aggravated brawl almost ended her career back in 2020, which resulted in a sentence of 200 hours of unpaid work and a 60-hour rehabilitation order. Despite the setback, the 33-year-old briefly returned to acting in Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins as Donna, but has since focused on living a quieter life and raising her two children. Following the end of her EastEnders stint, coupled with bereavement for lost family members around that period, Katie took a hiatus from the public eye for three months. She then embraced a security position at B&M to support her family, where her sister Becky was already employed. Explaining why she worked in the public place, she shared: "Rather than sit at home and be depressed and miserable, I thought I'll go and work with my sister Becky. "So, we both worked at the same place in security, she got me in there, then it turns out a week later, obviously word has got out, and about a week later my phone starts ringing [from the press]. Then, these pictures come out of me the next day, the front of the papers, of me walking into work." She also discussed the "job-shaming" she faced after transitioning from the small screen to a regular day job. The actress said: "Up until EastEnders, I never had no bad publicity, no drama, I never had no s**t at all. I go on EastEnders and everyone jumps on everything, everyone's up your a**e, everyone wants to be in your business, everyone thinks that they know you, it just changes the whole dynamic completely. "You can't win, it doesn't matter what you do, you can't win," she lamented during her chat on the Criminal Connection podcast. Talking to Grazia, the actress from Dagenham offered a closer insight into her situation and said: "It's the nature of being an actor." She added: "Gigs come and go, and after my contract with EastEnders ended in February, I found a new job as soon as I could." Katie is now said to work at a garage and has held numerous other normal jobs in between acting. "I've done a railway engineering course, I'm qualified in nails, I've done all sorts, the list is never ending," she disclosed. She added: "I've pulled back a little bit now, the last film I done was The Rise of the Footsolider, I was over the moon to play Donna. "I'm working at the moment, a normal job, I've pulled back from the filming a little bit. I'm working at a garage. Like what Hayley was in EastEnders, I love it. I love the people I work with as well, it's great." Despite her history of job-hopping, Katie revealed that she feels "quite happy and settled" in her role and has no intention of leaving, seemingly dismissing any speculation about a potential return to the soap.
