Casuals [DVD]

After the phenomenal success of independent publishing house Pennant Books with its stable of football fan culture, sporting legends and true crime titles regularly topping the best seller lists, the indomitable Cass Pennant has reinvented himself once again by forming Urban Edge Films which releases its debut feature length documentary Casuals this month with Pennant himself at the helm as writer and producer.

The film was originally conceived as a 25th anniversary follow-up to co-producer Ian 'Butch' Studdard's seminal Hooligan documentary which first aired on television in 1985 and charted the turbulent period of Pennant's life as a prominent leader of West Ham United's notorious Inter City Firm. The idea of "Hooligan Revisited" was to focus less on the violent rivalry of the terraces but emphasise the street fashion the gangs created that would ultimately unify them and seep out to a wider consciousness across the country as a whole; establishing Casuals as the last working class male street fashion coming from the UK, following in the tradition of Mods, Teddy Boys and Punks.

Pennant is no stranger to movies and has served as a consultant on many of the major motion pictures concerning both football violence and fan culture including the original version of The Firm and Green Street, along with the television series The Real Football Factories. In 2009 his vivid autobiography Cass was successfully transferred to the big screen so this transition to film production was almost inevitable.

It is obvious from the first moments of Casuals that this is going to be the definitive documentary and that Pennant and director Mick Kelly have meticulously interviewed all the leading authorities on the subject from Southern Mods to Northern Soul Boys. One of the enduring questions is exactly where did the Casuals movement have its roots? There is no easy answer but this extraordinary and insightful film strips away the myths and tells the truth about an indelible faction which revived the fashion industry to leave a lasting influence on today's label-crazy youth.

Mindful of the North/South divide both sides are equally represented with the likes of Garry Bushell recalling his days as a music journalist for Sounds magazine, commenting on the Casual band Accent's 15 minutes of fame when they played to the crowds at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground and Peter Hooton lead singer of Liverpudlian band The Farm, who also started the fanzine The End in the early 80s which was the first publication to regularly report on the Casual scene and has just been reissued by Sabotage Times in a single book volume; Hooton also voices the film's compelling narration.

With over 50 individual people interviewed the filmmakers had to make some cuts for time but luckily there is over an hour's worth of additional interviews that are included on the DVD as extras. Of the many passionate experts featured, author of the pictorial book A Casual Look and avid collector Nick Sarjeant probably sums it up best "It's not just about what you were wearing, but also how you wore it. Not just your clothes but your hair and even the 'manner in which you walked'. You had to have that 'attitude', saying like 'Here I am'." an attitude that is evident in every frame of this film as it tours the country meeting the key people for whom this was never simply a fad of fashion but a way of life.

The nameless thing had different guises in different cities, Scallies, Perry Boys, Chaps, Herberts, Dressers, Lads....but it would be the term "Casual" that would become enshrined in folk lore to encapsulate the volatile mix of football, fighting, style and music that made up the emerging terrace culture. They were the last of the strutting sawdust Caesars, sharp minds and sharp clothes that turned the terraces into a catwalk.

Cass Pennant and Mick Kelly have produced an exhilarating and extensive portrait of Britain's last great street cult, a largely ignored, misunderstood mass movement that kick started a menswear revolution and spawned a global culture.

This film takes you on a journey through a hitherto unseen world of legendary shops and labels, pivotal moments, influences, rare trainers and classic clothes. Tales of daring do, mass shop lifting, taxing and jibbing are told by the grafters and trendsetters who blagged their way around Europe following their teams and scouring out ever more elusive and exotic labels.

Through an exhausting list of over 50 interviews, the northern and southern strands of the tale are entwined to weave an intricate picture of the cult's origins and the different regional influences and looks. The impact of the mod revival and the Gabicci chic of the Reggae and Soul fraternity in the South are covered admirably by Paolo Hewitt, Garry Bushel and Bob Morris amongst others, their insight demonstrates the immediate connection between the Casual and the Mod, an attention to detail, an obsession for style and a defined sense of one up manship.

Back up North, narrator and contributor, Peter Hooton details the birth of a movement in late 70s Liverpool, a peculiar sub division of Bowie and Post Punk footie fans who wore straight Lois jeans, Fred Perry polo shirts, Slazenger v necks and Stan Smith or Samba trainers. This unique look was topped off by a Bowie/Bryan Ferry inspired haircut known as the "wedge" that would become the iconic casual hairstyle. Ian Hough, Tony Graham, Phil Thornton and Gio Goi supremo, Chris Donnelly are just some of the Mancs who lay open the myths of the city's Perry boys and a vibrant scene that would be key to the Madchester and rave era later in the decade.

Industry insiders from Fila and Adidas as well as retailers, 80s Casual Classics give us an insight behind the labels and collectors open up their wardrobes to show off some mouth watering collections of classic casual cloth. The now legendary shops Wade -Smith's and Stuart's are both profiled, memories from the owners and customers shed light on these two icons of the era.The tale comes full circle as we see how casuals across the world look to Britain for its styles. A far cry from the days of scousers liberating clothes from the continent and brighten up the drab high streets of the UK

The real beauty of the film though lies in the personal stories of casuals from Motherwell to Portsmouth... each has their own journey and take on what it meant for them being a casual. Rich tales of the "Lacoste Lefties" boycotting Burberry from Cardiff's Johnny Owens, Riaz Khan tells of finding acceptance at Leicester as an Asian casual while Bev Thompson gives an eloquent account of how being a casual gave her a sense of empowerment, acceptance and identity as a second generation black woman living in Britain. Awaydays are recounted by lads from Pompey to Leeds with an infectious tongue in cheek vigour that typifies the movement.

This is a hidden social history that could so easily have been lost forever, if it were not for this fascinating and entertaining film. The DVD comes packed with over an hour of extra footage and interviews that chronicle, the lads, the look, the legacy and other tales and aspects of terrace culture but you still come away wanting more.

This is a film not only for those that lived it but for anyone with an interest in fashion, popular culture, football or social commentary.

Really enjoyed this well reserched and presented documentary about a sub culture that has interested me for years. Interviews from key characters from up and down the country ensure it's not just aimed at a single regions audience. Some real passion shown towards the subject by all featured and great clothing on show as well! Get yer Trimm-Trab's out! This dvd is well worth the doe!