Flick to Kick

Dan Tatarsky's book 'an illustrated history of subbuteo'. Which is better than mine, which reads 'sat on Leeds, lost Liverpool 2nd and stood on Ray Wallace'. Regardless, an interesting read which I picked up years ago, but never got round to blogging about. Anyway, here's a few choice snaps from it...

Oneupmanship Journal

The blog that inspired my own, and probably hundreds more pretenders, the Oneupmanship Journal was the Connoisseurs link between (the now defunct) Countylads.com and Casualco.com. However it is now lost in the mists of time, as blogger and chief Dan lost his password. It's been out of ops for over a year now, but it's still the original and best out there so it rightly deserves a bit of blog loving. For me it was the perfect blend of everything I enjoy - jackets, shoes, pickups, brands I like, films, and arty farty shit - and not much football.

True Oneupmanship in action... but no more.

 

It's Grim up North London

Was in quacks the other day thumbing an old copy of Private Eye and came across this comic strip. Made me chuckle so thought I'd share it. I will point out that the North West were wearing them first...

Football Grounds of Britain

Picked up the bible for ground hoppers the other day for a bin lid (quid) in a charity book sale. I love a bargain, love a book and used to love ticking off a new ground (before they all became vast soulless concrete bowls) so was delighted with this gem.

Simon Inglis had already visited every league ground in the country twice during the early and late eighties (for the 1st and 2nd edition), charting their design, history and issues, prior to this final edition from 1996. This edition highlighted the changes to stadia since the Taylor Report was brought in, and, rather impressively, instead of putting updated footnotes at the end of previous paragraphs, Inglis chose to rewrite the whole book from scratch. A truly massive feat given the 92 clubs down here (then Wembley and Cardiff Arms) plus the 'one man and his dog' leagues Scotland has.

Published less than twenty years ago, state of the art forerunning new stadiums like Huddersfield and Boro are lauded by the author. However I'm not sure how he'd have taken to the fact that since going to press a further 22 clubs have left their cherished charming old grounds for ten a penny plastic voids. Going on that rate of change every club could possibly have a new stadium by 2060. I hope not.

The author himself seems to prefer the ramshackle of old, when summing up York City, he retorically asks why do we love the dilapidated and anarcic stadia? - "We plan and we build them haphazardly. We fly in the face of logic. We even have a name for the consequences of all these failings... They are called The Shambles, and just like the football grounds of Britain, we delight in their quirkiness and would not wish them different for all the world..."

Let's assume then that if a fourth edition comes out, the text will now just read "once you've seen one, you've seen them all".

One Step Beyond

Madness' debut album One Step Beyond was arguably their best, and definitely their most iconic. It was released 35 years ago next month and still has that heavy heavy monster sound throughout. Hey you! Don't watch that, watch this...