The first thing that caught my eye was the geezer with the gold
tooth - the second was that he was holding a shooter - and the
third that he was pointing it at me.' Carlton Leach is a
gangland legend - the mere mention of his name strikes fear into
his enemies; yet to his friends he is as loyal and caring as they
come. If trouble comes calling, Carlton isn't afraid to let his
fists do the talking and woe betide anyone who crosses him, or
those close to him. At last, in Rise of the Footsoldier, Carlton
gives the full account of his life including how his story has been
made into a hugely successful film. Born and raised in East London,
Carlton was a key member of the notorious Essex Boys gang and the
West Ham InterCity Firm, one of the most violent hooligan gangs to
trouble the football terraces during the eighties. He's been
shot at, stabbed, glassed - he's even had an axe in his head.
Yet the event that really brought turmoil into his life was the
murder of his best friend in the infamous Range Rover murders.
Carlton vowed that he would find those responsible and make them
pay. There isn't much that Carlton hasn't seen or
experienced in his life and his tales of violence, gang wars and
close calls with death will have you on the edge of your seat. He
knows how close he has come to dying and has therefore shut the
door on a gangland life. He may have changed but, as he himself
says, 'I'll always need to exercise the Carlton Leach brand
of justice. It's in me - '
