0161 is a nonprofit music, art and cultural promotion network founded in Manchester in 2014, now putting on gigs, sporting events, festivals and more across Britain to raise awareness for anti-racism in areas and ways that have not been a focus in recent times.

Over the past few years some of its activists worked to remove support for the far right from the supporters of a local football club in the north of England. Here, one of their recruits, who started out as a supporter of the far-right English Defence League (EDL),  explains how and why their approach was successful. A full version of this interview can be found here. Names have been omitted.

0161: How did you get involved with going on EDL marches and similar?

NP: There was an older lad at the footy organising it, sort of grooming people for it, looking back. We were still in our teens. But we didn’t see it like that at the time.

0161: Did people see themselves consciously as right wing?

NP: At first we just thought we were doing the right thing. Against terrorism supporters like that Anjem Choudary. The bloke organising it was definitely far right, though we clocked that later.

0161: Was there many other football supporters there?

NP: Yeah it was the first time football lads had teamed up together — it was pretty mad. So it felt like being part of an army like. Lads from all over the north-west.

Liverpool and (Manchester) United weren’t on it. They’re so big like they have their own subculture and wouldn’t stand with other lads. There was some individuals, but their lot wouldn’t stand with any one else. It’s all elitism innit. If the main faces say no it’s a no you know what I mean?

0161: What led to you leaving it?

NP: By the time of the Bolton EDL demo in March 2010 we were seeing pure proper racist shit and all this loyalist stuff. That was all mad to us. We had always had black lads in our firm. Proper far-right sorts were now always trying get us on to other stuff too. They seemed proper weird. And we didn’t respect them, they weren’t game. Scruffs. Then I went jail for footy stuff after that and started reading and that – read up on politics.

0161: When you were in the EDL, what was your experience of the opposition – the counter-protesters?

NP: To be honest mate, it seemed like a sort of class war to us. Which is ironic. Like “who are these students?” Proper middle class sorts.

And even a few years later [after interest in the EDL died down] when we were looking round for something decent to fight for – some of the left groups we checked out were still a bit weird.

Once we met you lot [0161] it was sound because it was like “right these people are actually like us.” I was half expecting you to be in all black clothing with face coverings and hoods up instead of New Balance and Lacoste and what have you.

I had changed my views of the world and took my lads with me. That seems to be way it works – groups rather than individuals moving over.

0161: What impact did you manage to have locally?

NP: At football we got rid of the influence of the few muppets that made people think we were arsed about loyalism or owt like that. Got everyone to sack off the few muppets round our way who couldn’t leave right-wing politics be so they weren’t an influence any more. We isolated them – and bullied some nasty types, proper nazis, so they don’t do nowt anymore. Although the Manchester Arena bombing doesn’t help.

We have got an apolitical group at [well supported lower league team] installed as an alternative to their right-leaning usual bollocks.

And got a bunch of people away from the footy doing positive community stuff.

Not in your face politics but proper working class unity stuff  – that’s what people want and need. Telling you, if anyone tries to disagree ill send em to [Asian lads] – and they’ll tell em: people need concentrate on what we have in common. No mad fantasy shit and no identity obsessive stuff. Look after your area.