The casual
subculture is a subsection of
football culture that is typified by
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
and the wearing of expensive
designer clothing
Designer clothing is expensive luxury clothing considered to be high quality and haute couture for the general public, made by, or carrying the label of, a well-known fashion designer.
Brands
Designer clothing is not always created by the foun ...
(known as "clobber"). The subculture originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer clothing labels and expensive sportswear such as
Stone Island
Stone Island is an Italian luxury men's apparel and accessories brand. It was established in 1982 in Ravarino by Massimo Osti. In December 2020, Stone Island was acquired by the Italian fashion house Moncler.
History
Designer Massimo Osti fo ...
,
CP Company,
Lacoste
Lacoste S.A. is a French company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, and entrepreneur Mangkha. It sells clothing, footwear, sportswear, eyewear, leather goods, perfume, towels and watches. The company can be recognised by its g ...
,
Sergio Tacchini
Sergio Tacchini (; born 2 September 1938) is an Italian fashion designer of sportswear and former professional tennis player. The sportswear firm bearing his name is located in Bellinzago Novarese, Novara, Italy.
Tennis career
Sergio Tacchi ...
,
Fila
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
,
Hackett &
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) was a British tennis and table tennis player and former world No. 1 from England who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slam tournaments and two Pro Slams single titles, as well ...
in order to avoid the attention of police and to intimidate rivals. They did not wear club colours, so it was easier to infiltrate rival groups and to enter
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s. Some casuals have worn clothing items similar to those worn by
mods. Casuals have been portrayed in films and television programmes such as ''
ID'', ''
The Firm'', ''
The Football Factory'', and ''
Green Street''. The documentary ''Casuals: The Story of the Legendary Terrace Fashion'' featuring
Pat Nevin
Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin (born 6 September 1963) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a winger. In a 20-year career, he appeared for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell. He wo ...
,
Peter Hooton
Peter Hooton (born 28 September 1962) is the vocalist of Liverpool-based group the Farm. He was also its sole founder member in 1983, overseeing its rise to prominence with two top 10 singles in 1990, its breakup in 1996 and reformation in 2004 ...
and
Gary Bushell
Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York Ci ...
amongst others is about the fashion that started in the late 70s and into the 1980s.
History
The designer clothing and fashion aspect of the casual subculture began in the mid-to-late 1970s. One well documented precursor was the trend of Liverpool youths starting to dress differently from other football fans — in
Peter Storm jackets, straight-leg jeans and
Adidas trainers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
fans were the first British football fans to wear continental European fashions, which they picked up while following their teams at matches in Europe.
The other documented precursor, according to Colin Blaney, was a subculture known as ''Perry Boys'', which originated in the mid-1970s as a precursor to the casuals. The Perry Boys subculture consisted of Manchester football hooligans styling their hair into a flick and wearing sportswear,
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) was a British tennis and table tennis player and former world No. 1 from England who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slam tournaments and two Pro Slams single titles, as well ...
shirts and Dunlop Green Flash trainers.
See also
*
Chav
"Chav" (), also "charver", "scally" and "roadman" in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear.
*
*
*
* "Chavette" is a related te ...
*
Lad culture
Lad culture (also the new lad, laddism) was a media-driven, principally British and Irish subculture of the 1990s and early 2000s. The image of the "lad"—or "new lad"—was that of a generally middle class figure espousing attitudes typically at ...
*
List of hooligan firms
Hooligan firms (also known as football firms) are groups that participate in football hooliganism in European countries. For groups in Latin America, see barra brava and torcida organizada.
Belgium
*Club Brugge – East Side
* RSC Anderlech ...
*
List of subcultures
This is a list of subcultures.
A
* Africanfuturism
* Afrofuturism
* Anarcho-punk
* Athlete
B
* BDSM
* Beat Generation, see beatnik
* Bent edge
* Bikers, see motorcycle clubs and outlaw motorcycle clubs
** Bōsōzoku
* Bills
* Biopunk
* Bird ...
*
Prole drift
The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian. Marxist philo ...
*
Yobbo
Yob is slang in the United Kingdom for a loutish, uncultured person. In Australia, the word yobbo is more frequently used, with a similar although slightly less negative meaning.
Etymology
The word itself is a product of back slang, a process wher ...
*
Ultras
Ultras are a type of association football fans who are renowned for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tende ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Casual Dress Essentialarticle from ''The Guardian''
Emotional Hooligan: Post-Subcultural Research and the Histories of Britain's Football GangsTransforming the terraces
article from ''Times Online'' (requires log-in)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casual (Subculture)
Association football hooliganism
Youth culture in the United Kingdom
Fashion
Socioeconomic stereotypes