Former boxing champion and proud Evertonian Tony Bellew delves into the brutal world of football hooliganism. At its height in the 1970s and 1980s, it was labelled ‘the English Disease,’ a time when violence on the terraces was as much a part of the game as a half-time Bovril. Bellew hears from those who lived for the trouble, the men and women whose Saturdays weren’t complete without a brutal punch-up.

He speaks to the innocent victims caught up in the mayhem, the families of those who lost their lives at the hands of thugs, and the undercover police officers who risked everything to infiltrate some of England’s most notorious firms.

He also explores how government crackdowns, tougher laws, and the introduction of all-seater stadiums helped bring an end to widespread hooliganism.

Presenter: Tony Bellew

Listen to the tale of a man who ran a protection empire which spanned Newcastle and beyond.

Here's a flavour of a new podcast you might like. You can listen to the full series now on BBC Sounds by searching 'Grandest Game'.

It’s the game that shocked and thrilled the world: Grand Theft Auto. Its rise to domination is an incredible story. Rapper Bugzy Malone played it through his hardest times. And he’s going deep.

When Ecstasy and Acid House first swept Britain, a group of lives would be changed forever. One Story. Half real life. Half drama. Coming soon... Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave.

The very first MDMA pills hit Britain. Ecstasy fuses with the music of Acid House - and four ordinary people's lives are changed forever. #BattleOfRave

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She's Mrs Ordinary now. But offer her an E, and she might just bite your hand off. All because there's a hole she has to fill... #BattleOfRave

All characters portrayed by the dramatic actors are fictional. This drama contains strong language and references to drug use.

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In the music and drug underground of Manchester, the pills have changed everything - all helped along by a famous name. In the Acid House dives and clubs, a special romance begins. #BattleOfRave

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It started with a few bags of weed on the estate: but the pills turned it into a multinational operation. And the money... was mad. But so too was the life. #BattleOfRave

All characters portrayed by the dramatic actors are fictional. This drama contains strong language and references to drug use.

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Where do you get a million E's to bring into Britain? At the start, there was one answer: Amsterdam. And this is exactly how the deals were done. #BattleOfRave

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She doesn’t believe in God anymore - but behind the decks she was a messiah. When the dancefloor's fuelled by the pills though... the devil can come too close for comfort. #BattleOfRave

All characters portrayed by the dramatic actors are fictional. This drama contains strong language and references to drug use.

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