We caught up with Paddington Steve for a chat about Terrace Culture, Music and of course the Football.
Thanks for joining us at Proper Football. Let's start with you telling us a bit about yourself.
I’m in my 50’s now and a dad to 6 kids, other than my family my biggest passions in life are football, Clobber and music.
Who's your team and how did you first start supporting them?
I support QPR Because I’m born n bred in West London, so it’s the law hahaha. and most of my family support them, Also my Dad and my Uncle Dave basically told me I’m QPR and that’s it.
When and why did you first get in to Casual culture?
I was originally a Skinhead, I loved a Fred Perry and a Cheesecutter Cap, I then progressed into a Casual in the early 80’s. I think my first bits of Clothing was an Ellesse polo shirt and Maroon Lois cords with a pair of Adidas or Diadora.
In your opinion who/where did casual start?
I know there’s a big North/South dispute about this, I honestly don’t know where it started and at the end of the day we are all Casual/Dressers so who cares. But I think we wore it better down south hahaha, Alright let’s shake hands and call it a draw.
Favourite piece of terrace attire?
There are loads but for me personally I’d say a diamond Pringle or a Fila BJ track top, Lois jeans or cords and THE trainers EITHER Adidas Trimm TrabS or Forest Hill. But for me, the king of the casual trainer is the Diadora Borg Elite (Gold ones) topped off with a Dearstalker HAT.
Least favourite trend you've witnessed on the terraces?
It’s got to be the Bay City Rollers look, Flares, a tank top that looks like a wallpaper pattern and the scarf round the wrist. Saying that, I’m from the 70’s so I wore flares and looked like an extra from The Sweeney!
Who in your opinion were the best-turned-out mobs in the 80s casual era?
Straight away the first mob that springs to mind is Arsenal, I always thought they looked the part in the 80’s bowling up the road in Long Macs, Deerstalkers and carrying golf umbrellas, well some of them did. Also my lot QPR were good dressers, well, we did have the legendary shop Stuarts on our doorstep, plus Sharp Sports in Kensington and I had a shop called Temples in Church Street in Paddington where I got my first Sergio Tacchini tracksuit from.
Britain has seen many subcultures come and go, in your opinion what is it about the Casual movement that keeps it still going?
The Casual scene is still going strong now because the youngsters latched on to it after the Nick Love films and Cass Pennants Casuals documentary. And people like Neil Primett make it easy for us to buy now, so us old lot you know the XXXXL lot can relive our youth. I love seeing people in the old gear, you always get that little nod of appreciation from each other. Don’t worry about age, if you like it wear it.
In our opinion the music has always been an important part of Terrace Culture. What would be your favourite tunes for a match day?
Match day tunes for me is usually a bit of late 80’s early 90’s house music, and a proper bit of Acid House and Rave/Breakbeat.
Do you have a favourite album/single of all time?
My favourite album of all time is without doubt Quadrophenia by The Who, and my favourite single would be 'Won’t get fooled again' by The Who.
Favourite band/artist?
The Who, Madness and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
Any bands/artist that you feel are part of Terrace Culture?
Well, in the 80’s it was Accent, they was linked to Chelsea, these days for me it’s The Goldborns, out of West London. They are a great band linked to QPR, they’ve even done a video for a song on an away coach trip with some of the chaps.
You were involved in the early Acid House scene, how did you first get in to it?
I’ve always been linked to the music scene one way or another, from the late 80’s I was going to events all over London AND around the UK and at Amnesia in Ibiza the best club I’ve ever been in. I’ve got mates that used to and still do put on big events, they are some of the biggest DJ’s, MC’s and producers out there. I’m still good friends with them today and now take my kids when they do daytime Raves. My oldest mate is Nicky Blackmarket and he had the best record shop going in Soho London, when raves went legal you used to be able to get tickets from there for Raves like the legendary Raindance and others.
Any stories from those days? If you can remember lol
A good memory was having Keith Flint (R.I.P) and the Prodigy boys raving with us, then going on stage to do a live pa of ‘Your Love’ and ‘Charly at Raindance Jenkins lane. A funny memory was me driving a removal van all the way over from Paddington to Plumstead, for a rave called Utopia or Desire? at Tasco Warehouse with 15 mates in the back and the pills starting to kick in half way there.
On to a bit about the football, sum up your teams season so far.
I can only describe QPR’s season so far as like an episode of Some Mothers Do ‘Av ‘Em or a Carry On filM, Proper carnage.
Do you still attend games regularly?
I don’t really go much anymore but I do take my kids every now and then, it’s always nice to see the old faces. My kids do say how comes you know so many people Dad, and I say well it’s because we are a family over here. We’ve always been a small club so you have to look out for each other, and that includes away from footbalL, I’ve always said for me that I met strangers that became friends, who then became family.
Which club traditionally are your biggest rivals?
For me personally, Chelsea back in the day before they got rich, we also had a little thing with Arsenal in the 80’s that included a few incidents around London. But really the biggest rivalry has to be Luton.
A lot of fans have been drawn towards lower/non league football recently. Any one else you follow?
I used to pop to a few Dover games many years ago, so I still look out for the results.
Any views on this year's World Cup in Qatar?
To be honest it was actually a good World Cup, don’t like where it was held and the timing, it should be a summer tournament.
Sum up Modern football in one sentence.
It drives me mad, From people filming every bit of the game on phones to this Ultra stuff, and even the food they sell now, it’s a football match not a Gordon Ramsey restaurant. Whatever happened to a Wagon Wheel and Bovril.