CommunityAd go one-on-one with the underworld icon Carlton Leach.
Born in Forrest Gate on 1st March 1959, the name Carlton Leach is synonymous with football hooliganism, gangland crime, bodybuilding and the notorious drug scene of the 80s. In part 1, we talked about Carlton’s first steps into football hooliganism and his love of West Ham.
Most recently the new Sky Documentary The Essex Murders was aired with the series revisiting the triple gangland murders of Patrick Tate, Craig Rolfe and Carlton’s best friend Tony Tucker that took place in Rettendon, Essex almost 30 years ago. Off the back of Carlton’s involvement in The Essex Murders, we discuss the devastating impact that Tony’s death had on his life as well as his fighting past and how he views the current British night life scene…
You have mentioned that Tony was your soul mate, can you explain to readers how Tony’s death impacted your life, how much you miss him and what you think you would both be doing now if he was still alive?
Like the original Rise of the Footsoldier film portrays, my life went on a downward spiral as the news of Tony’s death sunk in. I span out of control; a mix of booze, illicit substances, paranoia and heartache all contributed to me becoming a mess for some time.
Eventually, I was able to start to move on, because time can help to heal us, but that doesn’t mean I’ve ever forgotten Tony, I just couldn’t have continued on that destructive path.
With the fascination around the murders and the notoriety attached to the three lads, it’s easy for people to forget that they had family and friends, so along with the usual grieving process I’ve also had to learn to deal with the lies, the piss-taking portrayals and those who claim to know how well or otherwise I actually knew Tony… but I know the truth, I have my memories and those can’t be taken away from me, regardless of what outsiders decide to believe.
Had Tony not have died, there would have been as much chance of us both being dead or banged up as there would be us being successful businessmen, even millionaires.
He was such a clever businessman, it’s just a shame he fell too deeply into the wrong business.
How have you been able to adapt your lifestyle from what it used to be and has it been difficult?
I feel like I’ve always just kept going forward, I was never really one to stop and reflect, that is until I was sitting with COVID out at my place in Spain!
That’s how the book, ‘CARLTON – The Final Say’ was born, in fact, and writing that was probably one of the rare times I’ve stopped and reflected on my entire life!
In order to survive I’ve made continual adaptions, some without a second thought, others with a little more consideration and it is always difficult when you realise that the world you once knew has changed forever, but I try not to get stuck on it.
If you could pick a fantasy team of 5 to join you on the terraces for one last scrap, who would you choose and why?
Honestly, it’s an impossible question to answer! I go around the UK and spend time with some of the top boys from the terraces fairly regularly, I have utmost respect and really good friendships with those lads and I’d have any of them beside me now if it went off! It would be disrespectful to too many people if I even attempted to list 5 of the best.
How would you compare the British night life scene now compared to when you worked the doors?
So much has changed, it’s an entirely different thing altogether now and what we’re left with today is not comparable to what was when I worked the doors.
Put it this way, the last time I wanted to really go clubbing, I just got on a plane and went to Ibiza!
With your experience and expertise in the field, have you ever considered opening your own club?
I actually had my own bar on Southend sea front for a while, above the Wimpy. I opened it together with the late Shawn Birch, and we decorated it almost entirely ourselves because we knew the exact look we were going for! It was only a small place, but it was the right atmosphere we were going for rather than getting thousands through the doors.
Every Friday and Saturday evening, whichever authority controlled the street’s CCTV would turn the big camera to point into our window, so we had the windows tinted just to play with them! I don’t know what they thought they might see, it was genuinely a legit venture, but I suppose my reputation from the past had preceded me.
In terms of an actual nightclub, I think the industry was in decline before I had any opportunity or chance to even consider it. I’ve been asked many times to get involved on some level with club ownership, but it’s not the easy money and glossy life that it perhaps once was, or is portrayed in films!
Nowadays, do I want to be in a club till 03:00am three nights a week? No, not anymore! I’m actually in some high-level talks about an events business that might involve a good old school style rave once a year in Essex, so we’ll see where that goes.