Cottonfield Parka

Picked this up from fleabay for under a score with postage. Smashing piece of parka from the Scandinavian brand Cottonfield. Established in 1986 in Denmark, the brand has been churning out simple designs with modern details and a casual outlook - sounds like perfection to me. Classic khaki green and some particularly nice detailing, especially on the buttons and the flight jacket style sleeve pocket. Bargain and a nice bit of clobber for dressing down.

Brian Glover's Match of The Day

Carlton Palmer is a Wanker

Does anyone actually like him? I'm putting forward the simple arguement of 'no'. Reasons -

As a Hartlepool United fan, we don't like him as he wound up club legend and hero Brian Honour in a FA Cup match in 1993. After he'd kicked Wor Jackie into the air then accused him of diving and being a 'cheating little shite', he proceeded to make his mouth go constantly - comments such as 'I'm getting paid two grand for this match, how do you get by?', 'this summer I was playing for England, what were you doing?' and similar taunts led to fellow Sheff Wed team mates Trevor Francis and Danny Wilson telling him to 'shut it' and 'stop being a prick'. So he's hated by Poolies one and all.

But it's not just us surely. He was part of an unfashionable George Graham Leeds United, so they can't be fond. And was relegated at Coventry and Nottingham Forest - again they can't be keen? Even his previous managers have had digs at him. Big Ron (manager at WBA, Sheff Wed & Forest) famously said 'Carlton can trap a ball further than I can kick it'. There was a similar theme Southampton, where Dave Jones said "He covers every blade of grass out there, but that's only because his first touch is so crap". He also noted that in the dressing room was "abrasive, awkward and argumentative" - university speak for 'twat'.

All England fans will remember Graham Taylors ill fated regime were work rate and doggedness was rated over flair and skill. Therefore Palmer was included in the England squad that flopped at Sweden 92 and failed to reach USA 94, winning 18 caps during these dark days in English football.

He's potentially hated even more as a manager. At Stockport County he led his troops to lose ten out of his opening 11 games in 2001. Relegation form surely? Yep. The Hatters went down to division two and proceeding to win only eight in their first 22 in the Football League's middle tier. He was sacked in Sept. 2003 and problems have continued at Stockport since.

Despite this he managed to get another manager's job, this time at Mansfield Town in 2004-05. Poor form yet again led to abuse from the fans and he walked with the Stags in the relegation zone. Another team Palmer successfully guided to failure. He still wasn't satisfied with what he had achieved (namely pissing the Mansfield fans off) and went back, as a TV pundit for a live cup match with Boro, to do what he did best (namely piss Mansfield fans off further) by openly critiscisng their star player of the day (name escapes me, possibly Simon Brown?) saying he lacked desire and commitment - something Palmer himself was short of when he resigned as manager of Mansfield because the fans were singing a few nasty songs.

Finally he gets in bathtubs with football fans in the name of betting. Not pleasant behaviour.

In short a bit of a nobhead. In tall, a bit of a tall nobhead.

Loose Fit - Baggy Clothing and Madchester Fashion

First we had the Roses reform, now the Mondays and Carpets have done the honourable thing and reunited.  So with the early 90s music resurfacing surely its time to do away with all the slim, skinny and custom fit bollocks, and get a bit of a loose fit and bring back the baggy.

I'm fed up of all the tight fitting gear everyone seems to be wearing, parrot heads in skintight tees and pants with fucking plimsoles. Even at the footie a lot of lads are wearing slim denim and no one can deny that top end gear has gotten a lot more 'fitted'. Myself being a larger gent I despise slim gear - mainly because I look exactly what I am. A fat cunt. As Alan Partridge once said - it's well concealed in casual clothing, but you don't want to see me in my underpants.

Burning Money

I'm not telling everyone to go out and buy Manchester based clothes as Gio-Goi, Joe Bloggs and Henri Lloyd are far from my cup of E, but there was some decent gear floating around back then, made iconic by the bands wearing it - Ian Brown's Paul Smith 'Burning Money' tee (above) was immortalized in 'Fools Gold', and was deemed worthy enough by those Connoisseur lads to do a remake of with subbuteo figures some 20 years later.

www.casualco.com

Brands like Stone Island and Ralph Lauren made it big in UK around that time and are still around today - a nice old school Stoney sweatshirt can be picked up off eBay for a few bob, or Raffs classic Polo (a size too big) with a cagoule, Kangol bucket hat, loose jeans and hiking boots would look the part. Or do what some football going lads did at the time, and turn their back on the whole labels thing and go for the 'under a-fiver jivers' - namely cheap loose tee shirts from fruit of the loom and the like. I can probably do with out that floral hippy thing, but some stonewashed denim with an oversized polo (with a classic chest pocket) would sit well with me.

Reni & Mani

 Anyway I think it's definately worth a shout, looking back to go forwards as has happened countless times. Flared jeans and baggy Polos are already in my wardrobe selection, because being hefty it's a necessity, and everyone else just needs to realise that it's What the World is Waiting for. Fuck the neatness and clean lines of selvedge jeans and custom fit tops - when I go see the Mondays in Newcastle in May it'll be a Loose fit. Come on Baggy get with the beat.

Roses

Carpets

Mondays

British Film Posters

Some jpegs of my favourite modern era British flicks, nicked via google search. Enjoy.

Dogging in Newcastle

Excuse the misleading title, just I'm vaguely amused at the additional page hits I'll receive by randy Geordies googling hotspots for sordid public displays of making babies in their cars. I'm actually referring to greyhound racing that takes place four days a week in the East end of Newcastle..

Went for the first time ever last night after the wife received free complimentary tickets through work, and had a blast. A few friends, a few family and myself and the wife went dogging in Byker (I'm sorry, I'll stop it now). Throughly enjoyed the free pie and pies and a few jars, whilst having a few quid on the dog I fancied in each race. Had three winners out of twelve races, the best was the aptly titled 'Mags Gamble', so just came under break even - but made it far more enjoyable even if it was just for peanuts.

Shall certainly look into it again as was a relativity cheap night - entrance, fed and watered, and twelve singles and spent just over £20 - for me and the wife. Great nights entertainment. Shame a few of the lads opted out, but they're heavier gamblers than us lot who went, so will possibly have been worried about loss of wages. Could have had a better end to the evening for the wife too - she fell ill on the way home, and was in the driving seat at the time so covered the dash, herself and me in vom. Meant I had to drive from Gateshead to Durham slightly over the limit, but four pints of watered down Carlsberg (which is pishwasser anyway) led to no driving mishaps - it probably just added to the evenings entertainment.

Suggs - My Life Story in Words and Music

One of my childhood and, indeed, all-time heroes and idols took to the stage last night in Newcastle, doing the difficult job of being front-man of a one-man show. I wasn't sure what to expect, receiving the tickets for Christmas from the wife, and now sat in the stalls pondering if the Nutty Boys singer would cut it going alone. I needn't have worried. Suggs was amazing and lived up to all the hype and buzz in the newspapers. Recounting tales from his unusual adolescence, through teenage rebellion, the highs and lows of living with Madness and tv/radio career - plus searching for his personal history through a deceased bastard father. Suggs delivered the touching anecdotes with at times humility and emotion, and the funny ones (most) with working class cussing and hilarious comic timing that most professional comedians would kill for.

Personal highlights for me included the Madness tale, when dressed in full Police uniforms filming 'Shut Up', kicked the door in of where the Clash were recording in a faux raid. Illegal substances were promptly flushed down the toilet before the punks realised. Another was filling in centre stage for Oasis in Paris - after the headlining Mancs refused Madness to use the main stage before them, forcing them to use a smaller tent the day before, only to split up (the first time) allowing Suggsys boys to play in the Gallagher's place. Cue an excellent impersonation of Liam's Chimp-with-polio swagger and nasal Manc lilt. Madness brought the house down then, as Suggs did last night.

Also there were excellent renditions of his personal classic pop songs, which assisted the story telling and raised it from memoirs to a music hall extravaganza. Dangerman cover of Lola, solo song Cecilia, Baggy Trousers, Madness, Shut Up and the finale It Must Be Love were all sung to rapturous applause. Following the Labi Siffre love song, Suggs left to a standing ovation. Brilliance. Borrow, beg or steal the money to go an see this show. To coin a couple Madness album titles sums it up perfectly - Absolutely and Wonderful.