Plot

The extraordinary insightful filmed story of an often over-looked youth subculture that swept across cities like Liverpool, Manchester and London when notorious football firms stole expensive designer sportswear from the countries they visited. It didn't start with the high-street giants telling these lads what to wear. Instead, they set the trends and the high-street stores caught up. As the 1980s began in Britain, under the radar the 'casual' had already arrived. The film includes recently-unearthed archive footage and gives insightful interviews with personalities like Peter Hooton, who were at the heart of the story at a time when football and fashion mattered more than corporate hospitality and sanitized stadiums.—Cass Pennant

During the late 70s Britain was under a tsunami of youth culture, punks, mods, skins, rockers, soulboys, greebos, rockabillys, new romantics, blitz kids, all sorts and most of those had sub groups themselves, but one stood out and had a direct influence on both high fashion and high street fashion that was the group known as 'CASUALS'. This documentary explores in great depth this often ignored youth movement, that many now feel was the last true youth movement as it was youth at the forefront, the djs were young, the fanzine runners were young and most importantly the firms were young.

Initially bursting from the terraces in the late 70s or mid 60s if you listen to scousers, the Casual sprung from another sub culture of 'soul boys', the initial term being given to lads copying Jamaican dress of Farah's and Gabbici who smoked weed and listened to dub, this developed into the sportsware look, which then went onto the upmarket designer look of Armani and Stone Island we still see today.

The violence of the 'Casuals' is explored but as an undercurrent rather than the way the press have traditionally potrayed them as 'mindless thugs'. As they will always demonise things they don't understand, but the 'Scene' was all about a way of life, music, fashion, swagger, attitude, a zest for life and a anger against 'the machine' and especially police and authority.

We travel up and down the country from Scotland, to Wales, London, Liverpool, Manchester meeting people and the director lets them tell their stories rather than a presenter and it makes it even more interesting.

This documentary excels in talking to many of the main movers and shakers as well as teens that were part of the scene and is a great snapshot of the uk at the time both politically, socially and economically and is a must for football fans, sneaker heads, fashionistas and social studies students alike.

Bob Morris April 2021