About this ebook
Jimmy Donnelly is an underworld legend. Known as Jimmy the Weed, he has mixed with the most notorious gangsters in Britain and the Costa del Crime in a criminal career spanning five decades. He has been arrested on suspicion of serious offences including murder, drug supply, violence and fraud, has faced numerous court trials, and has walked free from them all. Most infamously, Donnelly was a key figure in the Quality Street Gang, or QSG, an enigmatic group of Manchester car dealers, club owners, ex-boxers, scrap merchants and businessmen. They socialised with the elite of the city, from football stars like George Best and Stan Bowles to famous entertainers, and inspired the hit song ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’. They were also targeted for many years by Greater Manchester Police, who suspected some of them of involvement in major crime. In the mid-eighties, the QSG became embroiled in the sensational Stalker Affair, which led to a national political scandal and ultimately to the resignation of the city’s deputy chief constable.
In this candid autobiography, Donnelly tells of his childhood and early introduction to villainy on the huge Wythenshawe housing estate. He went on to join the Market Mob, a gang of tough young men employed at the city’s Smithfield Market, and befriended the formidable boxer Jim Swords, the man the QSG grouped around. After his own construction business ran into trouble, Donnelly was declared bankrupt, and embarked instead on a career of crime. He later acquired pubs, clubs, car pitches and massage parlours, and became the biggest illicit ticket agent in the North-west. He also forged friendships with numerous figures from the worlds of crime, showbiz and sport.
From gangland feuds to major heists, Donnelly has seen and done it all, and tells it in unvarnished detail. Jimmy The Weed is the last great untold story of the British underworld.
In this candid autobiography, Donnelly tells of his childhood and early introduction to villainy on the huge Wythenshawe housing estate. He went on to join the Market Mob, a gang of tough young men employed at the city’s Smithfield Market, and befriended the formidable boxer Jim Swords, the man the QSG grouped around. After his own construction business ran into trouble, Donnelly was declared bankrupt, and embarked instead on a career of crime. He later acquired pubs, clubs, car pitches and massage parlours, and became the biggest illicit ticket agent in the North-west. He also forged friendships with numerous figures from the worlds of crime, showbiz and sport.
From gangland feuds to major heists, Donnelly has seen and done it all, and tells it in unvarnished detail. Jimmy The Weed is the last great untold story of the British underworld.
Jimmy Donnelly is an underworld legend. Known as Jimmy the Weed, he has mixed with the most notorious gangsters in Britain and the Costa del Crime in a criminal career spanning five decades. He has been arrested on suspicion of serious offences including murder, drug supply, violence and fraud, h...
Discover more
Ratings and reviews
17 reviews
Koteswararao Annabattula
- Flag inappropriate
July 5, 2026
Jimmy the Weed is a gripping autobiography that offers a rare glimpse into Britain's criminal underworld through the eyes of one of its most notorious figures. Jimmy Donnelly recounts decades of gangland dealings, high-profile associates, and brushes with the law in a candid, fast-paced style. Rich in detail and historical context, the book is both entertaining and revealing, making it a compelling read for fans of true crime and British social history.
celtic bhoy
- Flag inappropriate
June 3, 2018
Right good read gone yersel jimbo yer a ledgend.
Gary Briggs
- Flag inappropriate
May 12, 2023
there are loads to choose from love how many books there is
About the author
Jimmy Donnelly was born in Manchester in 1940. He has been a publican, ticket tout, fight promoter, bookmaker, security boss, club owner, scarp merchant, car dealer, market trader, impresario and hotelier. Now retired from crime, he lives quietly in the Ancoats area of the city. He has three sons and five grandchildren.
Jimmy Donnelly was born in Manchester in 1940. He has been a publican, ticket tout, fight promoter, bookmaker, security boss, club owner, scarp merchant, car dealer, market trader, impresario and hotelier. Now retired from crime, he lives quietly in the Ancoats area of the city. He has three sons...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
