 Denis Smith was born in Meir , Stoke @-@ on @-@ Trent , the second youngest of seven siblings . At just three years old he formed his own gang , stating in his autobiography that " if we wanted to play in the sandpit we played in the sandpit " , and continued to lead his gang through junior and senior years at Sandon Road Junior School . Despite being involved with gangs since his early childhood he grew out of the culture by the age of ten , and as a teenager formed friendships outside of his local council estate . He turned down the chance to sit the eleven plus exam as local grammar school Longton High was a rugby @-@ playing school , and so instead attended Queensbury Road School , with whom he won the Stoke Schools Trophy ; he also played for the Stoke @-@ on @-@ Trent Schoolboys ( who were coached by former England international Dennis <unk> ) . At the age of 15 he became Staffordshire County boxing champion . 
