Bill, an American journalist living in England, witnesses firsthand the mob mentality of English football supporters where the crowd—alight with patriotism, camaraderie and beer—sways and shouts like a single organism. Setting out to profile these fanatics, Bill discovers a culture of young men, largely educated and gainfully employed, who find their greatest satisfaction in organized and deliberate acts of violence. Soon Bill find himself bonded in friendships with the very people he set out to study, surrendering his individuality to the crowd.