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Casuals: Football, Fighting & Fashion: The Story of a Terrace Cult
First came the Teds, the the Mods, Rockers, Hippies, Skinheads, Suedeheads and Punks. But by the late Seventies, a new youth fashion had appeared in Britain. Its adherents were often linked to violent football gangs, wore designer sportswear and made the bootboys of previous years look like the dinosaurs they were. They were known as scallies, Perry Booys, trendies and dressers. But the name that stuck was Casuals. And this grassroots phenomenon, largely ignored by the media, was to change the face of both British fashion and international style. Casuals recounts how the working-class fascination with sharp dressing and sartorial one-upmanship crystallized the often bitter rivalries of the hooligan crews and how their culture spread across the terraces, clubs and beyond. It is the definitive book for football, music and fashion obsessives alike.
- GenresFootballSportsNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
34 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 5, 2016
Thornton gives a very interesting take on the "dressers"...the casuals of the English Soccer hoolie set. The historical approach is nothing short of a British Cultural Studies model (think Birmingham School) with attention to the sociology of the situation.
That said, Casuals is not some armchair academic talking about the scourge of football violence. This book is comprised of first hand accounts of the times, matches (and VERY IMPORTANTLY) the style. Discussion of various clothes are very important to the overall understanding of this subculture.
This is probably one of the best books on the subject that I've read. I've heard similar reviews from others. Yes, it's about soccer, but it's MUCH more about culture. The often overlooked Casual Culture of the terraces of the UK in the 1980s, to be exact.
This is a fascinating read and quite worth the effort in getting a copy.
That said, Casuals is not some armchair academic talking about the scourge of football violence. This book is comprised of first hand accounts of the times, matches (and VERY IMPORTANTLY) the style. Discussion of various clothes are very important to the overall understanding of this subculture.
This is probably one of the best books on the subject that I've read. I've heard similar reviews from others. Yes, it's about soccer, but it's MUCH more about culture. The often overlooked Casual Culture of the terraces of the UK in the 1980s, to be exact.
This is a fascinating read and quite worth the effort in getting a copy.
August 2, 2008
The best book about the rise of probably the most anti-social post-war youth movement. A great rundown of the clothes, mobs, lifestyle and rucks, but far better than most hoolie memoirs. Some great photos too, expecially of the Motherwell mob. Intelligent commentary on styles, fashions and labels too.
September 12, 2014
'An essential read for all purveyors of terrace culture.'
-- WHEN SATURDAY COMES
'The rise of the casual is revealed!' -- DAILY RECORD
'Thornton's intricate study and compilation of eye witness accounts is the new standard bearer.' -- THE WORD
Personal review:
One of the best books on the subject of casuals
It predominantly centres on the clothes and music of the periods concerned, and describes how the style has evolved, putting it into context with the skinhead, two-tone movement and mod revival which coincided with its early beginnings.
It is an A - Z of the casual era from Slazenger to Stone Island, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in the fashions and music of the last 25 years.
-- WHEN SATURDAY COMES
'The rise of the casual is revealed!' -- DAILY RECORD
'Thornton's intricate study and compilation of eye witness accounts is the new standard bearer.' -- THE WORD
Personal review:
One of the best books on the subject of casuals
It predominantly centres on the clothes and music of the periods concerned, and describes how the style has evolved, putting it into context with the skinhead, two-tone movement and mod revival which coincided with its early beginnings.
It is an A - Z of the casual era from Slazenger to Stone Island, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in the fashions and music of the last 25 years.
May 30, 2016
I nearly gave up on this as the first hundred ages are very repetitive as the same story plays out across the UK. Chapter after chapter tells of the development of casual in a particular city/club and each time its the same story (some older guy had nice gear/we copied this from Liverpool but started wearing something else ourselves/shoplifting/fights/funny hats" repeat.
The second two thirds get more interesting as the scene develops and interacts with changes in policing and music and recreational pharmacuticals. There's some good colour pictures though more would have been better.
Phil Thornton has some journalistic experience so the writing is decent enough, certainly a major cut above other youth culture reminiscence books I've read. That said it relies to a great extent on a relatively few talking heads, there's whole chapters that are almost entirely an extended quote. So there's not a lot of greater nuance and context. At its worst just lists of labels and fights, though the bad psychos are always someone else. At its best there's significant input form Peter Hooten who has a bit more to say.
The second two thirds get more interesting as the scene develops and interacts with changes in policing and music and recreational pharmacuticals. There's some good colour pictures though more would have been better.
Phil Thornton has some journalistic experience so the writing is decent enough, certainly a major cut above other youth culture reminiscence books I've read. That said it relies to a great extent on a relatively few talking heads, there's whole chapters that are almost entirely an extended quote. So there's not a lot of greater nuance and context. At its worst just lists of labels and fights, though the bad psychos are always someone else. At its best there's significant input form Peter Hooten who has a bit more to say.
March 26, 2020
Good Im From Indonesian
November 1, 2020
Bracing account of the terrace subculture. Compiled mostly of interviews with those miscreants involved, it's expecially keen-eyed on the prettily-coloured clothing worn at its height.
August 4, 2021
As an American, a lot of this is super unknown to me. You see films, you read short stories, but nothing really captures the casual. This was a fun read and I found it to be insightful.
April 18, 2024
As good as it gets
The bible for any 80's lads who were part of the "Casual Scene", Phil Thornton captures Our Thing perfectly, brings it all back
The bible for any 80's lads who were part of the "Casual Scene", Phil Thornton captures Our Thing perfectly, brings it all back
February 26, 2025
A moment in time that if you were not there, this book may not mean anything too you
December 8, 2009
Missed my stop after starting to read this on the bus. Pacy and sharp look at working class fashion/football/music after punk, so 1977 onwards. As Mr Hodges would say, they were all bloody 'ooligans. Brings together many strands to highlight the Casuals as an identifiable if hybrid period of youth culture. That drawing together of strands is done deftly, and without any tricks whatsoever; excellent writing does the job.
June 6, 2013
Enjoyable light read, based heavily on quotes from people within the casual scene. Not the definitive history of this clique,as I found myself wanting the author to strike a move concise point.
August 22, 2013
pengen moco wae oleh ra?
February 4, 2015
awesome
July 3, 2023
Great read keep coming back to it. Found it a good explanation for an American curious about that thing of theirs.
January 6, 2014
Due to GREAT succes .... to be continued
Currently reading
June 30, 2018While watching the World Cup seemed a good time to start reading this. I read a few chapters about how the various cities in England and their various soccer clubs all had different fashions and styles in the 70s-80s. It is interesting how this style overlaps with punks and mods and skins - a bit - and I enjoyed it even though it was also sorta strange to be reading about style and fashion of soccer gangs. Thus far much of the story is anecdotes and memories written by guys who were there. It's heavy in dialect and slang and I found myself having to keep looking up the styles, brands, and haircuts, as well as the slang terms for the various crews to get it straight. I need a visual dictionary to go with reading this. ......
I had to take a break and read something else - but I plan to come back to this.
I had to take a break and read something else - but I plan to come back to this.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
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