Book Review: The Little Book of Casuals – Football fashion from the 1980s by Scottie
Growing up in the 1970s the I-Spy books were something I collected. They covered all sorts of topics from the sights of London, various forms of transport, nature and science, to sports including football. The purpose was to spot the various objects listed within the book so ticking them off. In today’s high-tech, digital age, this concept wouldn’t excite many youngsters, but back then it passed as something both entertaining and educational.
What, you might ask, has this got to do with The Little Book of Casuals? Well, quite simply this 144 page book, measuring just 4 inches by 6 inches (no metric here for this old timer), reminded me of those childhood I-Spy books. However, the only problem being that you would need a time-machine to go through author Scottie’s journey from 1981 to 1986 ticking off the changing look of the Casuals during those years.
There will be those who turn their nose up at this offering, citing that the books featuring the Casuals scene is nothing but glorification and glamorisation of some of the worst years of football hooliganism in the UK and abroad. And yes whilst there are many books out there that do precisely that, that is not something that can be aimed at this latest release from the excellent Conker Editions stable.
Instead Scottie, based on his own experiences during the early part of the 1980s has put together a neat guide to the changing hair, clothes and footwear that became part of terrace culture during that time. The illustrations that accompany the text are wonderful in showing the constant switch to new brands and styles that swept through the ranks of any self-respecting Casual.
So be prepared for a trip down memory lane as tennis, golf and other sporting brands as well as established fashion names, that became de rigueur in and around the grounds of the Football League such as Fred Perry, Slazenger, Pringle, Lyle & Scott, Fila, Lacoste, Ellesse, Sergio Tacchini, Adidas, Kappa, Armani, Burberry and Benetton, are all detailed in glorious colour within the pages of this tiny gem.
And whilst you may think that every transition in the ‘clobber’ and the price tag they afforded provided the Casual with an appearance of coolness, think again as Scottie highlights some of the oddities of the period. Take for instance the 1982 phase of dungarees and fisherman’s jumper, the 1983 appearance of the Sherlock Holmes inspired deerstalker hat, or indeed the 1985 penchant for half-and-half ski hats.
The Casual scene is part of the history of the game in this country, which has a continued influence on what we see today. Some of the clothes and footwear of that period continue to be popular in a significant retro market with Adidas Gazelles or Samba and Fila Settanta polo part of many a wardrobe. And whilst Scottie’s book comes to a stop in 1986, the subsequent years have seen the fashion changes continue with various labels coming and going, although no longer on the terraces, but the safe standing and seats in the stadiums of the 21st Century.
(Publisher: Conker Editions Ltd. September 2023. Paperback: 144 pages)
Buy the book here: Casuals