The season just gathers momentum & we stop for the World Cup qualifiers. Players who signed on Friday and have yet to learn the names of the blokes sat either side of them in the dressing room now have two weeks away before the respective coaching staffs try to remember their names. England players are dropping out of the squad like they are not really bothered whether they play or not. No football now for 4 days…it’s not good.
I intended to write about Liverpool but the world & her Auntie have a view on that. It remains that no club is two wins in the next two games away from a decent start. So…let’s bang a tune on.
In the 1980s the happening pop TV show in the UK was “The Tube”. They were eager to get Half Man Half Biscuit on to the show. Their funny, lo-fi, post punk was selling quite well. However “The Tube” was aired live on Friday evenings & HMHB were Tranmere Rovers fans. Tranmere played their home games on a Friday night at that time. The band were not prepared to miss a game just so they could be on TV.
The band wrote a few songs about football. The wonderfully titled “All I Want For Xmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit” is about Subutteo & Scalextric. They are still going & sometimes come up with a new song to match those of the first two LPs.
There is a song about George Best but it is very poor & the accompanying video is too grainy. The Spencer Davis Group provide a fine accompaniment to this tribute. It was said that defenders had “twisted blood” after playing against George & you can see why.
Man of the People Mark E. Smith & his band the Fall. An all-encompassing commentary on authorities, players (“his downfall was a blonde girl, but it’s none of your business !”). media and fans. It anticipates the adoption of a corporate ethos & all seated stadia by the clubs but maybe Mark has mixed feelings now that Manchester City are winning trophies. His book “Renegade, The Life & Tales of…” is a funny, irascible and intelligent rap about the music industry, the universe & everything.
armchair hooligans 