Founder and front man Jimmy Pursey named the group after some graffiti on a wall written about a football team. The group were renowned for violent concerts and stopped performing at live venues in 1979 because of national front
The group also split in 1979 when Pursey joined the Sex Pistols.
It was in 1978 that the group had their first top twenty single with Angels With Dirty Faces.
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
We're the people you don't
We come from places you don't
Read more: Sham 69 - Angels With Dirty Faces Lyrics | MetroLyrics
The follow up went to No. 9 in the UK charts and was called If The Kids Are United.
One more hit followed in 1978 called Hurry Up Harry. 1979 saw the group suffer the break up and the violence but they still produced two top selling singles. The first being Questions and Answers, the second was Hersham Boys. Hersham being the place Jimmy was born in 1955.