Connell had always sought to remain beneath the parapet when it came to his past. He took exception when Andy Nicholls—author of Hooligans—named him as “the main face” of Arsenal hooligans in the 1980s. He was furious when, in that book, Stoke fan Mark Chester recalled his side’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal at the Victoria Ground in 1990, claiming, “We had a bit of a shock when 400 game-as-fuck Gooners steamed us back into the paddock. ‘Where’s Denton [sic], the big black bastard?’ As he was singled out as their top lad.” Connell resented being named. “For him, all the terrace stuff was a long, long time ago, and the world had moved on,” recalls a former associate. But the stories persist.

Connell was born in Brighton in 1961 to parents who’d arrived from Jamaica. He moved to Wood Green and spent the rest of his life living and working in London. After leaving school at 16, he worked as a scaffolder until his late 20s, by which time he was watching Arsenal home and away. He loved “the whole feel of Highbury,” he told me, “and the sense of camaraderie in following your team. I also liked being on the terrace and the banter and the humor.”

He recalled attending Arsenal matches in the mid-’70s when the most notorious Highbury hooligan was Johnny Hoy. Six-feet-two and around 200 pounds, Hoy was an astute rabble rouser who organized Arsenal fans to fend off rival firms who tried to make inroads on the Highbury terraces. According to a Time Out article by Chris Lightbown in 1972, Hoy had more convictions for football violence than any other hoolie in London. Two of Connell’s associates claim that “everyone in that terrace scene at Arsenal was in awe of, and fully aware of, Hoy, and Dainton really looked up to him. The message was simple—you fight for Arsenal’s honor and defend your ground if you’re attacked.”

By 1977, Connell had his first brush with fame when he briefly spoke to English journalist and broadcaster Janet Street Porter about the fashion scene on the Kings Road for an ITV documentary. The interview not only demonstrated his interest in the music and fashion scenes, but also that, at 16, he was already confident, articulate, and had gravitas. He was arguably the most recognizable black face on the Highbury terraces.

By the late 1970s, a significant number of Afro-Caribbeans were attending Arsenal matches. Many, including Connell, were the children of parents who’d arrived in the United Kingdom during the immediate postwar era. Their experiences of visiting Highbury were mixed. Collins Campbell’s father arrived at Tilbury in 1953, and Collins, following bad experiences at both Stamford Bridge and Upton Park, visited Highbury: “There was more of an ethnic mix in the streets around the ground. My first time at Highbury coincided with Brendan Batson’s home debut against Sheffield United in March ’73. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about him before he ran out, so I was quite shocked to see him. I was also a bit nervous as to what reaction he’d get from the crowd. But again, the crowd was great. They chanted, ‘Batson, Batson,’ and he applauded them back. Everyone was really cool about it. He was our first black player and a big inspiration for many of us.”