Football Fashions Down The Years

What is your favourite look and what era was it from with all the various pieces of clobber that we have all worn down the years when attending matches at our chosen Football Club? There have been many styles to choose from and some of us have been going for so long that we've been almost everything at one time or another.

I'm told by Sandsend on here, that towards the mid to late Sixties Chelsea for example had a Mod following, whereas Spurs were Rockers at the time, but it was before my time so I can't comment on that but I would be interested to hear from the older supporters of both Club's on that.

I first went to my temple at the start of 1970's as a young lad and was immediately struck by the home end being full of these strange looking bald youths that were wearing collarless Grandad shirts, cream Levi stayprest being held up with clip-on braces and cherry red Dr. Martin boots, who were going berserk to the sounds of the Liquidator and other reggae classics of the time. This was my first introduction to the social phenomenon known as "Skinheads" and was to have quite a profound effect on me when going to football in the years to come. I was too young at the time and didn't get into it and I am not sure that my home/school situation at the time would have tolerated me coming home with my head shaved one day.

As the Seventies progressed the bonehead look was replaced by the more subtle "Suedehead" look which I totally embraced because hair was allowed to be longer and thus wouldn't offend the teachers etc. of the day. I had the lot - Crombie overcoat with the red-lined hanky that you pulled out, 2-tone tonic suits, Black Harrington with tartan check lining, blue Levi stayprest, white socks, tassled loafers (black and brown) with the regulation quarter tip heels to get the maximum clicking sound off the concrete and looks from the civilians as you walked up the street.

At this time people were also wearing the embarrassing multi coloured "Tank Tops" and sure enough I had a couple of those also, one of which was red, yellow and black stripes like some hybrid M.C.C. jumper. There was also the ubiquitous "Jungle Greens" that no self-respecting youth of the day would be seen without, to wear with their 8 or 12 hole DM's (steels for the serious loons). The average high street or Football terrace at the time looked like armies of action men all walking about, then out comes The Clockwork Orange film and then we're all wearing that gear, particularly if memory serves, the West Ham boys.

Later in the Seventies we moved onto Platform Shoes Flared jeans, cheesecloth shirts or baggy Spanish High Waisters. This was also the era when loads of us started wearing knotted Silk Football Scarves around our wrists, something that you will hardly ever (if at all) see today.

1976-77 and then the Punk/New Wave scene took over Britain and sure enough the Football terraces reflected this. My Club being near the Kings Road, which was the epi-centre of the movement saw large numbers of Punk Rockers turning up at games. Black Leather jackets, straight or drain pipe Levis and black Dr. Martins or American white Converse basketball boots were the order of the day.

Late Seventies and the Mod culture makes a comeback at games with the film Quadrophenia, also at the time Fred Perry T shirts of various colours were popular. Chelsea boys at the time were all wearing the pale green MA-1 American Flight Jackets with the zipped pocket on the upper left sleeve and bright Orange lining, although many were also wearing the same thing but in Navy Blue. I wore both though obviously not at the same time.

This lasted until about 1982-83 when one of the most popular, far-reaching Phenonemon occurred, with the Casual movement. Sergio Tacchini tracksuits with stripes across the back of the calfs, Lois jeans, diamond Pringle jumpers, Ellesse or La Coste T shirts, white Nike trainers and the like.

Late eighties and its stuff like Luhta Ski Jackets and then into the mid to late nineties when Armani jeans, Stone Island and Burberry start to make an appearance. Up to the present day and being an old wrinkly myself I'm probably well out of touch, but I would appreciate some younger members on here telling me what all the current movers and shakers are wearing.

I also rarely wear Football colours, a habit I picked up in the Seventies and Eighties, it would need to be a pretty major game to get me in a Club shirt (even though I do have them). Anyway, enough about my trending choices, the point of the article is to find out what are everyone else's favourites are. I have tried to cover most of the fashions at Football comprehensively, but may well have missed some. What era did you particularly enjoy and why? What was the Schmutter that all self-respecting fans of your team would have to be seen in?

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