Green Street legend is actually Spurs fanatic who loves winding up West Ham fans
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It’s been 18 years since Leo Gregory portrayed volatile thug Bovver in the popular film Green Street – and people still believe that he supports West Ham in real life.
The 2005 movie featured Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, who played a wrongfully expelled Harvard student that moved to London where he was introduced to Bovver and his hooligan pals.
But the reality is that Leo's heart is in north London and he is obsessed with Tottenham Hotspur – much to the disgust of Hammers fans.
READ MORE: 'I love Spurs so much I got tattoo to prove it – it’s not just blokes that do it'
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The actor goes to Spurs home and away, where he enjoys winding up rival footie supporters about his true allegiance. And last month he posted a picture on Instagram smoking a fag outside Craven Cottage ahead of an FA Cup London derby.
One person wrote: “Thought you supported West Ham?” And replying to the comment, another social media user said: “Played the role for a film geezer is a huge scum fan.”
Another West Ham follower commented: “Sounds about right, make believe hooligan supporting a make believe team, muggy little club.” Rather than ignore it, Leo replied: “Ok Brad. Why you following me then ya little fanboy.”
And in a reference to his memorable role in Green Street, one film buff wrote: “No walking on the pitch with a high vis giving it the biggun tonight.”
Leo was once quoted as saying that the success of the movie helped pay for him to travel the country watching Spurs. And to this day he still pokes fun to West Ham fans about his favourite club.
Speaking to All News Press, he said: “With this film, West Ham financed my season to follow the Spurs. The funniest thing is when Hammers pounce on me seeing me around their stadium for a derby. They yell ‘Bovver, Bovver’ and ask me for an autograph. I still sign THFC [Tottenham Hotspur Football Club], they are shocked and I love it.”
Leo, now 44, was cast in another football hooligan film called Cass – and more recently he played a role in Channel 4 drama Screw.
But away from the screen, he can often be found at the plush new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And last season he posted a photo to his 99,500 Instagram followers standing next to notorious Spurs hooligan Dante Hawkins.
The pair were posing in the terraces during a Premier League clash between Spurs and Liverpool. Most of the comments were about him being Bovver and supporting Spurs – but some spotted the hooligan turned MMA fighter beside him.
“Is that Dante bro,” one fan commented.
Dante has previously spoken out about his tear ups in N17 and he told James English that he had his first fight with Portsmouth fans aged 14. The hardman eventually dished out violence in a sporting setting by becoming a professional MMA fighter after spending time in jail.
And speaking on the Anything Goes podcast, he described how he once hoped Spurs would lose so emotions would be high. He said: “Tottenham used to lose all the time, it used to be a lot more volatile.
“And I’d like it because we’d lost like 4-0 to United and there’d be 100 people in the street wanting it to go off. It would be more of a laugh but when you won people came out more jolly.”
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