CLOBBER! “Every Watered-Down Hoolie was Spilling His Guts Through the Medium of a Memoir, Which Then Became a Pissing Contest, a Dick-Off, to Decide Who was the Biggest and Hardest.” Part Three

September 7, 2023

“This book adds significantly to our understanding of the rise and ongoing appeal of the casual subculture. Its unique perspective from one of the few female participants adds a distinct and personal dimension to our understanding of how casuals have subverted ideas of class and masculinities through their bricolage approach to dress.”

Andrew Groves, Professor of Fashion Design, University of Westminster.

“I’m just looking forward to showing people that I can read and write,” says Roo Oxley with a smile. Her debut book, Clobber! is released on Friday, September 8th, and it is the culmination of years of insight, research and a lot of bloody work.

Roo’s down-to-earth nature and self-depreciation are what makes her so engaging. In a world that is too often quick to take itself too seriously, she’s the anecdote to that.

However, make no mistake about it, Roo’s serious about her writing and Clobber! is a testament to that. It’s over 300 pages and 70 chapters of research, testimonials, interviews, and first-hand accounts of a world that she became intoxicated by ever since she was first introduced to it.

Clobber! takes you into a world of Paninaro, Dressers, Posers, Clone Island Wannabes, Credit Card Causals, Ultras, Terrace Culture, Modern Football and so much more.

“I am obviously not a football hooligan,” she explains, but I have a great deal of knowledge, experience, and ‘beguiling’ female charms, on the ‘periphery’ much more than an outsider looking in. This insider, this keen aficionado is looking outward to the bigger world outside this once so-favoured subculture and presenting a collation of key players who can aid this ‘oral history of an oral history.”

Throughout Clobber! Roo sits down with some of the biggest brands in fashion who have helped to influence the subculture, as well as renowned football hooligans, influential characters, personalities and academics to bring to life one of the most insightful books to have been written on Football Casuals and the Brands they wear.

“I think what makes Clobber! stand out is that it’s written from a female perspective, which is something that has rarely been seen. It’s not only that though. It’s conversations with individuals who are part of the very fabric of Terrace Culture and getting their unique and expert take on the subculture. To say that I am honoured to have such style heavyweights and icons featured throughout the book is an understatement.

“This is years of research and my love of football and brands that have helped to define an entire culture. It’s not some half-arsed attempt at writing a book because I think it will be fun. This is what I’m passionate about, and I think it will surprise a lot of people.”

As Clobber! officially goes on sale today, this is part three of our look into Roo Oxley’s debut book which bridges the gap between Casuals and their Clobber!

a dick-off, to decide who was the biggest and hardest

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! Heard it all before, have we? Football Casuals and their memoirs have fast become way too prevalent and almost bloated caricatures of themselves. going from a rose-tinted, nostalgic view of the Paninaro – inspired Casuals, every watered-down hoolie was spilling his guts through the medium of a memoir, which then became a pissing contest, a dick-off, to decide who was the biggest and hardest.

The phenomenon of football hooligan memoirs has, however, brought the lifestyle into popular culture. This ironically begs the question of when does a subculture stop being a subculture when it has been so deliciously lapped up and integrated into the mainstream.

Traditional football hooligan memoirs have been drawn from a more ‘hit and tell’ perspective, perceived as a ‘right from the horse’s mouth’ recollection, or an oral description susceptible to the defaults of failing memory and/or ego-boosted tale-telling.

My book, on the other hand, is a collection of not just football hooligan memoirs, but a curation of the state of play today, of terrace culture as a subculture. More precisely, we know this subculture officially died many years ago, but the unofficial affiliations with Casuals and football hooligans are very apparent.

Clobber! researches how this ‘subculture’ is still consuming ‘their’ brand and why The ‘golden age’ of terrace culture has long since gone, but has Covid and its aftermath partially brought it back? And if it is back, does it still consist of iconic dressers?

It is rare for terrace culture research to be undertaken from a female perspective, particularly one who is extremely au fait with this lifestyle and heavily connected to key players, Casuals, football hooligans, brand owners, and a mixture of all.

In this testosterone, hearty, male peacock-prancing world, I am more than comfortable, enabling me to get right into the mix, to get information many others would not be allowed access to or be privy to. I have been forging and strengthening my links these past ten years; not just with the Stoke City football scene but with other cities and firms

Their holy grail is cutting through the marketing noise of every brand on the planet

Terrace culture is a subculture that was born on the terraces of post-second World War, pre-corporate football stadiums; yet it is not just the act of football which is significant, more the whole culture and way of life which arguably encompasses those who experience it at football matches.

Growing up surrounded by the football hooligan eruption in the early nineties, I have often wondered about the traditions, rituals, clothes and behaviours of these football hooligans, and whether these were the predominant characteristics of terrace culture. But how does anyone consume brands in the era of online living and digital-only experiences, replacing real-life shopping habits and physical quests for one-off items?

Nowadays, it appears brands are vying for customers in such a saturated market space but with ironically fewer independent shops, faceless high streets and soul-less retail parks.

These mainstream-dulled brands and ever-slick marketing campaigns are desperate – their holy grail is cutting through the marketing noise of every brand on the planet, so how do the old faithful ‘Casual’ brands keep their longevity within the hearts of this culture; Do they engage with this (once looked down on) sector of society? And how does brand consumption vary geographically, not just within regions and the cities of the UK, but also does it change from country to country? And are these up-and-coming ‘hoolie’ territories abroad now responsible for a Casual brand’s success/failure?

With a notoriously territorial approach to who appropriated who, geographical styles most definitely change throughout regions, but who owns the brand? Who wore it first? The brand itself? The loyal Casuals? Ironically, Casuals themselves appropriated the style by copying old money/high-class luxury European sports brands and adapted it for themselves, but is this authentic rather than reinterpreted?

In this testosterone, hearty, male peacock-prancing world, I am more than comfortable, enabling me to get right into the mix, to get information many others would not be allowed access to or be privy to. I have been forging and strengthening my links these past ten years; not just with the Stoke City football scene but with other cities and firms

SMOOTH OPERATORS

Casual films like The Business are arguably more stylistic than other, meatier hooligan films. As such, they are leaders in a sub-genre that both influences millennials who want to be Casuals as well as the old-school Casuals who experienced the lifestyle as it was emerging.

The Business, which spawned a number of watered-down copies is still regarded as a classic due to its soundtrack, storyline and of course, clobber.

Simon Dowling, Tottenham and Stone Island collector extraordinaire says: ‘You gotta weigh up the facts vs. entertainment. All very watchable but factually accurate??? Who cares. I love a film about footie and clobber. Throw in some sniff and birds and happy days. Football Factory and The Business are still my favourites. Good soundtrack as well. End of.’

The Southern pastel Casual scene appears to be sun-dappled, warm and effortlessly draped in Pringle and Fila, as opposed to the cold harsh anorak and Adidas Casuals of the north. Neil Primmet, who owns 80s Casuals Classics which along with stocking Casual brands of today’ also stocks adored Casual labels such as Farah, Ellesse, and Lois and has been instrumental in the relaunch of old favourites such as Patrick, explains:

“As much as I like football, I think we were Southerner Poser Casuals and drew on broader scale influences. All the hairdressers had George Michael on the wall, he and Andrew Ridgely were brand icons for Fila, Sergio, and Diadora and we had sunbeds and wanted all the jewellery.

“Nike and Diadora seemed flashy and expensive whereas Adidas seemed like an everyday games teacher. Down South, we talk fashion-wise about the North as having a tribal mentality and a code that at times might be similar.

“Words like smoothies, posers, dressers and soul boys went hand in hand with Casuals and I think we really thought girls and boys could be Casuals; being effeminate was no big deal; he/she wore pastel jumpers, Benetton rugby tops, Lois cords and figure hugging Farah trousers. A white tennis trainer was a must. I don’t think its Southern to adopt the poser look though – it’s not Manchester but similarities happen today in Liverpool, Scotland, and Newcastle.”