So far, there has been little mention of the clothes worn by the girls of the era. Basically, they had wore the same gear as their male counter-parts with the exception of the training shoes. Their clothing, be it casual or sporty, was to be completed with shoes that would best accommodate the casual occasion. White buck-skin shoes, boots and sandals had been very popular. Girls had also worn their hair in the same wedge styles as the boys, and on its demise the bob hairstyle became a favourite and was usually worn, around this time, with a cotton Hunter Jacket and criss-cross cords. However, the scene as a whole was male dominated. Although a look for the girls evolved around the general scene, it would be totally unrealistic to accept them as part of the 'casual' package in the sense that football grounds during the period were still very much a male domain.

Terminology was part and parcel of this new movements culture. Anyone who didn't meet the standards of the new look was referred to as an"effort", or the more popular term "beaut". This often in reference to those who made it to the aways on the "special", rather than the "ordinary" train, wore last seasons gear or items of clothing considered undesirable, generally just didn't have a clue or failed to toe the line of etiquette the movement held. These were quite similar to the 60s mod terms "state" and "ticket". There were other terms used such as "Ted" or "Spaceman", both of these terms referring to a complete dickhead.

The main talking point of the terrace scene of the late 70s and early 80s was not so much the clothes worn, but the violence displayed. By the early 80s every team in the FA boasted a crew. West Ham's "Inter City Firm" ( or ICF), Chelsea's "Head Hunter's" and Leeds United's "Service Crew" were all front page news. Scottish sociologist Stuart Cosgrove once made a comment about being a skin in 69/70. He said he would rather look at the threads being worn by the away fans, than give them a kicking. He referred to himself as rather being one of the "quality street gang", than a boot boy. Cosgrove was more into the look and music of the skin movement, than the more lumpen elements it was infamous for. A wise man.

Liverpool ended its hold on the terrace scene as a result of the political and socio/economic climate of the early 80s. The Conservative government that had been elected in 1979 was one of traditional Tory values. Prime minister Margaret Thatcher embarked upon a right wing crusade that made Ted Heath look like liberal of the century. Right wing economic and social policy had little ear for sympathy for the once mighty northern economies of the country. The south, south-east especially, benefitted much from the "credit boom economy" of the Thatcher era. Liverpool saw much of its last remaining industry stripped in the late 70s and early 80s, almost as if on agreement. Unemployment in Liverpool meant that money was tight and spending the amount of cash on your wardrobe as southern kids did wasn't possible. The scruff thing was a sharp alternative to the mass label movement down south. Labels were still important to scousers, but emphasis was on quality rather than pure affluence. The youth of the city reminded the rest of the country that it was "Maggie Thatcher's unemployed army" and much chanting from southern fans was in reference to the better standard of living that they experienced over their northern counter-parts.

During this Tory era, many youth in Liverpool found themselves drawn to the newly elected Labour council of 1983. Its policy regarding the many un-employed, housing and other social issues made it popular with many. The End made clear its support for the Militant led council and this saw many of its readership carried along with the mood that the council had breathed-in and exhaled. It was not unusual to see some of the sharpest dressed youth doing their bit for the miners in the strike of 84/85.

It would be fair to say that it wasn't only the terraces that had a scene in the late 70s and early 80s. The "new wave" look that existed in many parts of the country in 1977 would eventually lead to "peacock punk", or as it was later and better known "new romantic". It was on the road to the romantic thing that Liverpool youth headed in their own direction. To say that all Scouser's were into wearing the gear would be an exaggeration to say the least. Many of those who headed in the peacock punk direction stopped short of the rest of the nation and set up what was to become "The Lark Lane Set", or "Weirdos" as was preferred on the terrace. Lark Lane is an area in south Liverpool where winebars rule and the gifted classes chatter, the Liverpool recording label "Zoo" was to epitomize this particular scene. These Bohemian types set the pace for the burgeoning student movement in Liverpool. At this point the terrace movement was very much an underground affair, and it was the "Zoo" crowd and new romantic types that filled the local and national media.

There were other movements around at the time. There was a full scale mod revival, which led to a rude boy revival, which led to a skinhead revival. There were die hard punks, by now often referred to as "anarchist's", rockabillies and the eternal heavy rock/metal crew. It was plain to see why the mod revivalist had referred to the early wags as "square". With all that was going on, here was this bunch of kids who weren't being part of it. In reality they were the only new thing that was going on at the time.

Sadly! The romantic period was very much a media concept. There was only Peter Duncan, on that middle class Koran "Blue Peter", that was seen wearing his hair and gear like that of the terrace urchins. The youth of middle England and sixth form rooms throughout the land found themselves pulled towards the media inspired movement of the romantic. These movements believed that they displayed individuality and viewed the terrace crowd as the "out group", a rabble conforming. Sadly, the point was that by trying to view themselves as having an individual look, they were, in fact, part of a very large group with each one considering themselves in an individual manner. Not so exclusive after all. Ironically! The look created amongst these kids was similar where'er you went and true originality was something of wishful thinking.

Terrace Retro © jfoley 1999 - 2008