Scally

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Scally is a slang term for a social subculture youth, similar to "chav", but with different origins. The term is used across the UK, predominantly in the north-west of England and particularly in Liverpool and Manchester to describe mostly young, working class people.[1][2]

Often romanticised through TV programmes like Brookside and Bread, the word 'scally' during the 1970s and 1980s meant someone who was a pioneer in fashion trends, and someone who was resourceful beyond his means with limited resources to begin with. During the 1990s the term started to be used to describe a yob or a hooligan or scally wag.

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[edit] Etymology

The word's origins lie in Irish language. It is short for scallywag[3], which comes from an old Irish word for drudge or farmservant — sgaileog. It is a word which appears to be in common use within towns that have historic Irish communities, for example Salford, Warrington, Knowsley, St. Helens and Liverpool, where it is sometimes abbreviated to "scall". As one leaves the industrial belt of the Mersey and Irwell Valleys the word appears to have been replaced by chav.

[edit] Differences between the scally and the chav

The scally has a much more diverse and detailed history. In terms of stereotypical dress, scallies today (particularly in Liverpool) often wear designer tracksuits and trainers (Nike Air Max and Reebok Classics in particular). They also wear dark coloured clothing usually black, navy blue and grey. Although fashion trends differ even between areas as close as Liverpool and Chester or Manchester and Bolton. This is in contrast to the chav's stereotypical counterfeit Burberry outfits and excessive “bling” jewellery

[edit] The evolution of the scally

[edit] 1970s

Although the adoration of brand name clothing stems from the Northern Soul scene, it is generally regarded that the first scallies were supporters of Liverpool FC who stood on the Anfield Road Terrace end of their football stadium. The earliest occurrence of this new fashion trend was evident in the Spring of 1977 where Adidas Samba footwear and Adidas t-shirts became en vogue with the Liverpool youth.

By the August 1977 Charity Shield game between Liverpool and Manchester United Liverpool fans were noticeable with their new look- compared to Mancunians and Londoners who still dressed in the typical airwear 1970s look accompanied by wearing the respective colours of their teams.

Young Liverpool entrepreneur Robert Wade Smith — then an employee for a Liverpool department store — noticed the endless demand for sports footwear in Liverpool — which at one time outsold London by three to one. Smith decided to open his own store and hired a van to bring back rare sportswear from Europe which were difficult to buy in the UK. Wade Smith is now closed down.

By the 1980's the 'Liverpool look' (it was rarely called scally back then) went overground and its 'look' was fed by travelling football fans who returned from Everton and Liverpool games in Europe with designer sports goods.

[edit] 1980s

1981 also saw the Toxteth riots in Liverpool and the economy stagnated and fuelled high levels of unemployment. All these factors along with Liverpool fans becoming bloated on success — saw Anfield attendances for football games drop. It also was the beginning of the end for the Liverpool scally. With the rest of the UK following the new trends now almost religiously and economic factors making expensive sportswear purchases illogical — Liverpool abandoned the scally scene and began to 'dress down' with a scruffy look.

Typical of the contradictions that are associated with the scally during the 1980s was their penchant for golf (due to the brand name clothing that pervades the sport) and several 1970s supergroups notably Genesis and Pink Floyd.[1] Names, which can still be spotted as fading graffiti on Liverpool walls today —.

During the 1980s the TV Character Damon Grant from Brookside came to epitomise the Scally of this era.

[edit] 1990s

The 1990s saw a pivotal change in the characteristics of the scally with national re-invention through the comedy sketches by Harry Enfield. His tracksuit-wearing characters "The Scousers", with their phrases such as "calm down, calm down!" and "eh, eh, eh!", gave the scally a perhaps unwelcome national media exposure that, ironically, the Liverpool youth began to imitate.

[edit] 2000s

Liverpool comedian Keith Carter's scally character Nige is to be the subject of a BBC Three television series produced by Steve Coogan's Baby Cow company.[4]

In January 2008 Liverpool's opening Capital of Culture event[2] featured an appearance by Riuven a Scally rapper, who's songs reflect many aspects of scally life, notably Pot smoking. Like The Streets, Riuven treads a fine line between reality and parody.

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Williams, Cathy Long, Stephen Hopkins (2001). Passing Rhythms: Liverpool FC and the Transformation of Football. Berg Publishers. ISBN 1859733034. 
  2. ^ Scally is also a very strong surname of an irish family of 52 people who live in surry and west sussex. Chrisafis, Angelique. Get with it. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  3. ^ worldwideworlds definition of "Scallywag"
  4. ^ Liverpool Daily Post, 3 October 2007

[edit] External links

[edit] See also