Football coming home - #2

England's failure to qualify for the 1974 & 1978 World Cups helped to ease them to the back of the countries collective consciousness. Whilst we had a rubbish national team or club teams started to assert themselves on the European stage. With Liverpool, Nottingham Forest (I know) & Aston Villa (I know) all helped themselves to the European Cup, whilst England bumbled along until 1982 in Spain when for a brief while things looked to be heading in the right direction unlike Kevin Keegan's misplaced header, that saw us crash out in the over complicated second group stage. Mind you the progress to the finals themselves had been fairly harrowing... How can anyone forget Bjørge Lillelien? 

"We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 in football!! It is completely unbelievable! We have beaten England! England, birthplace of giants. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana--we have beaten them all. We have beaten them all.

"Maggie Thatcher can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher, I have a message for you in the middle of the election campaign. I have a message for you: We have knocked England out of the football World Cup. Maggie Thatcher, as they say in your language in the boxing bars around Madison Square Garden in New York: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!" 

Bjørge Lillelien - Norway v England Oslo 9th September 1981 

The 82 World Cup was mostly memorable for the celebrations of the numerous Italian students who used to spend their summer holidays learning English on the snoozy Sussex coast. They went Tonto! 

Whilst Chelsea bounced around between the top two divisions barely threatening to win anything, England had plumped for mediocrity: Ron Greenwood replaced the despicable Revie and Brian Clough was left to rot in a bottle at the City Ground. Greenwood in turn was replaced by the affable Bobby Robson (who like Sir Alf Ramsey had had the misfortune to manage Ipswich Town prior to the England job). I on the other hand had missed the formative months of punk rock, embraced a Modernist lifestyle, swerved the New Romantic scene and settled on a Mod/Post-Punk/Funk/Jazz vision of the future!

Occasional trips to The Shed were accompanied by visits to Kensington Market & Carnaby Street. Fred Perry & a Chelsea pin badge - nice! 

Thankfully, England managed to qualify for Mexico 1986. We even had a decent couple of players, the mercurial John Barnes and the clinical Gary Lineker. We managed to escape the group stage in no part due to Lineker (Line-acre according to Mick Channon). "It's finally happened in Monterey..." courtesy of the magnificent Barry Davies. Next stop Argentina in the quarter-finals, what could possibly go wrong? 

The Art of being an English Gentlemen (Part 11)

A strange thing occurred last Saturday. I paid a visit to the lovely Melissa for a cup of tea and a natter about things artistic. When during the course of conversation, she upbraided me for my somewhat relaxed state of dress.

"What has happened to you? When I first knew you, you were all stout brogues, nice suits and turtle neck jumpers. Now it is, well, this..."

I was admittedly wearing a pair of somewhat distressed Mambo shorts that had seen better days. My new T-shirt however was in immaculate condition. My shoes however...

Let me put it this way. The Birkenstock is a comfortable item of footwear and certainly when I'm in a more 'mindful' state of dress I will happily pair them with a 'Zen not Zen' t-shirt and shorts. However, the incident did raise the question about summer footwear. 

On the assumption that the perennial brogue is, for the purposes of this discussion, not to be included. What can one wear? Trainers can be worn but a GOACA* has to be very careful. Please note only the following 12 trainers are acceptable as day wear:

• Adidas Gazelle
• Adidas Superstar (white/navy only)
• Adidas Handball Spezial
• Adidas München
• Adidas Italia
• Adidas Japan
• Adidas Samba (5 a-side football only)
• Puma Suede (Black & White)
• Reebok Classics (only to Association Football matches)
• Gola Harrier (Mods only)
• Onitsuka Tiger
• Chad Suede (As inspired by Terry 'Chad' Kennet on the Quadrophenia album cover)

No other trainer will be permitted.

Of course, 'exercise' training shoes have their place but solely for the purpose of exercise. But be very diligent, these are interesting times.

Next time around, proper shoes!

*GOACA > Gentlemen of a Certain Age

Life is timeless, days are long when you're young...

A long time ago, when young mods stalked the earth...

Hastings Pier ☀︎ 9th June 1979

(Smev, Me, Al, H)

- Picture recently discovered in the Museum of Youth Culture

I am The Deckchair Man

An interview with...

Quadrophenia Dreams #4

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time but...

Quadrophenia Dreams #1

I was flicking through my LP's last night and I rediscovered my US original version of Quadrophenia. I opened up the sleeve and to my delight the booklet still seemed in pretty good nick. No sooner had I turned the first page than I was transported back to the bus home from school and a conversation that went something like this.

Al: "Do you like The Who"
Me: "What Pinball Wizard and all that? Hippies!"
Al: "No, not that stuff. They were a Mod band"
Me: "A what band?"
Al: "A Mod band. A band liked by Mods"
Me: "Really?"

And that was how it all began.

Insights from a Modernlife II

A new style, fashion, music and arts blog is due to be launched within the next couple of weeks. And whilst the prospect might fill you with a dread bordering on pathological, fear not. The writers behind the blog are persons of impeccable taste and style. They know the difference between an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling and a zone of altered rock, especially volcanic glass, at the edge of a rock mass.

There will be articles on some of the stand out designers, influencers, style connoisseurs and fashion houses. From the finest accessories to the coolest of cheap cheats that will keep the opposition guessing and the spectators admiring. The soundtrack to a Modernlife will also be covered, with album reviews (classics & new releases). Occasional film reviews too as well as news snapshots and all the what-to-dos. 

Be seeing you! 

Insights from a Modernlife