I was listening to "Match of the Day" yesterday, and it occurred to me that one part of the lyrics really didn't make sense to me:
"But some own their boutiques, well they clean up every week / Inciting riots, causing chaos, such a shame"
Does anyone know what this is supposed to mean? What is the connection between football players, boutiques, cleaning up every week, and inciting riots/causing chaos? Is there some definition of "boutique" that I'm missing?
Around that time there was a track record of footballers having a side-line running boutiques or (more usually) pubs, probably more so once they retired from playing. Those seemed to be the main extracurricular/post-retirement business interests.
The clean up every week reference probably means by the standards of that time the footballers were earning good money (amusing when you consider the ludicrous salaries now).
Hooliganism, rioting etc was rife in the 70s, particularly associated with certain clubs. I suppose that verse is having a generalised go at the players, swanning around with their boutique businesses and earning nicely while being the "cause" of antisocial behaviour. It's all thrown together rather than implying that the boutique ownership directly caused the rioting! That's my take, anyway.
I'd agree with all that. The song sounds very dated now (particularly the line "You do realise we paid £300000 for him" as if that was a fortune. Nowadays, that would buy you a one-legged footballer! 
)
Hooliganism/violence was rife around the time of the song. destruction of property and fighting between opposing supporters was business as usual. Funny story: A friend of mine was a Man Utd supporter. Not a mindless thug, just a normal guy. He and his brother were on a train to the game one Saturday, sitting in their 6 seater compartment, when the door slid open, and a couple of skinheads walked in. One asked "are these seats anyone's?" my friend had no choice but answer "no" although he didn't relish the thought of sharing the compartment with them. Luckily, he didn't have to, they just took out a couple of knives, slashed the 4 empty seats to bits, and left!
^ Very decent of them to check first!
^ Very decent of them to check first!
Exactly! Politest vandals I've ever heard of.
Exactly! Politest vandals I've ever heard of.
Reminds me of my first trip to London in 1982 as a 19 year old (I was living in Ottawa).... I was walking in Islington or somewhere in North London (which, at that time, looked like utter shit) and before I even realized it, I had 5 skinheads circling me. Did I mention that I had shoulder length hair and was wearing a Jethro Tull t-shirt lol? They asked for money (of course). One guy had Made in Scotland" tattooed on his forehead, another one "Violence is My Drug". I felt the right move was to hand over my money lol, let alone the 5:1 ratio. The weirdest part is that they proceeded to invite me for a beer!!!! Ah, no, so sorry but I have an appointment I need to get to! Ah, the joys of youth....
I’m getting a good laugh (larf?) from reading these stories of encounters with British hooligans. The accounts sound like the old American stereotype of the typical Brit as being courteous to a fault—inquiring as to whether anyone is using seats before destroying them, inviting someone out for a beer after robbing them 😂
I’m getting a good laugh (larf?) from reading these stories of encounters with British hooligans. The accounts sound like the old American stereotype of the typical Brit as being courteous to a fault—inquiring as to whether anyone is using seats before destroying them, inviting someone out for a beer after robbing them 😂
Even our scum have class! 
I was listening to "Match of the Day" yesterday, and it occurred to me that one part of the lyrics really didn't make sense to me:
"But some own their boutiques, well they clean up every week / Inciting riots, causing chaos, such a shame"
Does anyone know what this is supposed to mean? What is the connection between football players, boutiques, cleaning up every week, and inciting riots/causing chaos? Is there some definition of "boutique" that I'm missing?
There was a Monty Python sketch in which a footballer was interviewed and all he could say was 'well Brian, I'm opening a boutique'. I couldn't find it on YouTube.
And of course "Match Of The Day" was (and I think remains) the BBC's football show on TV. I don't follow football but that title is part of the national consciousness.
Indeed footballers were known to make a lot of money even back then, but their careers were relatively short. Many bought pubs or nightclubs while still playing at the top so they'd have both a business and a social outlet after they retired. "to clean up" means to make lots of money. So the reference is probably that they "clean up every week" when they earn on the pitch. And the boutique is both a reference to owning a side business and the Monty Python sketch. Football was seen as masculine then so a player opening a boutique was quite Python-esque humour....but it doesn't have to refer to a literal boutique, it could simply mean a small side business too.
"inciting riots, causing chaos, such a shame" is definitely a reference to the football hooligans of the time. As best I can make out, it started out with fan rivalries and ended up with groups of louts who only attended football matches for the violence. By 1977 when this was recorded it was a big problem which grew into the 80s before getting a lot better....but it's still present. A big part of why football has never appealed to me is the fans. I don't have even the vaguest understanding why I must hate Team B if I support Team A. Nor does it appeal to me to insult Team B's players or supporters. But it boiled over into quite sickening violence connected with footballl, even if by the 80s most of the protagonists weren't actually there to enjoy the football at all.
Phil wrote the lyric, one of his earlier attempts, as he is into football. I know he now dislikes the lyric and song in general, but I think it has it's moments....describing the goalies' "arms as long as creepers" is a good one. The more or less light-hearted digs at referees. Musically it is rather light but it helped Genesis in the public consciousness and the "Spot The Pigeon" EP was a significant UK hit before they broke through with FYFM.
I was listening to "Match of the Day" yesterday, and it occurred to me that one part of the lyrics really didn't make sense to me:
"But some own their boutiques, well they clean up every week / Inciting riots, causing chaos, such a shame"
Does anyone know what this is supposed to mean? What is the connection between football players, boutiques, cleaning up every week, and inciting riots/causing chaos? Is there some definition of "boutique" that I'm missing?
George Best for example owned a shop by Carnaby Street.
Display MoreOne side note about MOTD: When I first got a copy of SPOT THE PIGEON (on 12" vinyl), I was intrigued by the extra characters in the printed lyrics (see below) -- and, upon listening, was a little disappointed that they didn't represent anything actually heard in the song!
Send him off Ref' ***!!++??
Where are your specs Ref' +++***!!!
Kick you to death Ref' !!XX**??
Oi! Are you deaf Ref' X*+X*!!?
Send 'im off Ref' ***!!++??
Where are your specs Ref' !***&&&!!!
Kick you to death Ref' !!XX**??
Oi! Are you deaf Ref' X&+X&+!!?
I always assumed those were implied swearing of the variety shouted by disgruntled fans. I don't know where it came from, possibly cartoon strips where there'd be a speech bubble filled with %&@+!!!# to imply unprintable language.
On a football-related tangent from that, the Saturday afternoon sports show Grandstand ended with results coverage which included a sort of feed of late updates of matches as they ended. The results would come through on a teleprompter of which we got a close-up, a printer head bobbing up and down on the left of a paper sheet-feed. When results came in the head would suddenly clatter back and forth typing out the results. Sometimes nothing happened for ages, the head just bobbing gently while the presenter extemporised. Then it would come to life and print a string of results in quick succession.
The connection with the MOTD 'gibberish' is that occasionally, instead of printing out results it went mad and there'd suddenly be a string of $%&&&@#@!!=&?+ for no apparent reason. As a kid I was always amused by that!
Also on the rare occasions of a high score the printer would spell out the high number as though rubbing the losing fans' faces in it! "Tottenham 9 (Nine) Bristol Rovers 0"
Here is a very brief glimpse of the teleprinter from the 1960s. They had this through to the 80s when it was replaced by a less entertaining "vidiprinter"
Sadly, at the end of that clip, we don't get to see what Chester (my home town) scored, but I'd be happy to bet it was 0 (NIL)! 
Sadly, at the end of that clip, we don't get to see what Chester (my home town) scored, but I'd be happy to bet it was 0 (NIL)!
In fact you're wrong.
It was 1. (Scored by Colin Corbishley)
Re the above, I've been reminded I used to look up results on teletext in the late 80s/early 90s. There was nothing to induce heart pounding more than waiting for that medieval looking blocky text to load only - quite often - to find the key line replaced by wingdings in the same vein as Backdrifter pointed out.
I remember looking up album reviews on it too.
I still use teletext on the BBC for news, quick and easy.
I too used it for quick news, football results and the singles charts. Oh those lego-style graphics. I didn't know it still existed.
The ITV one was Oracle and pages of it would be broadcast after regular programmes ended at night. I occasionally wondered how many people actually settled down at 1.30am to watch ITV Teletext. Then I remembered there were people who'd sit and watch the Test Card and that it had a cult fan base, and I thought it was probably more than I imagined.
This in turn reminds me of ITV Night Network from the late 80s, which I'd watch after staggering home from boozy Friday/Saturday nights out. Developing a crush on Emma Freud as she did interviews in bed while wearing her nightie.
Phil wrote the lyric, one of his earlier attempts, as he is into football. I know he now dislikes the lyric and song in general, but I think it has it's moments....describing the goalies' "arms as long as creepers" is a good one. The more or less light-hearted digs at referees. Musically it is rather light but it helped Genesis in the public consciousness and the "Spot The Pigeon" EP was a significant UK hit before they broke through with FYFM.
I'm guessing many would put the idea of kicking a referee to death in the less lighthearted category!
I get why PC is embarrassed by the lyric but it's probably about as good as a jokey 3-minute song about football can be. For some reason the bit that most makes me cringe is "A few things before we go, that I think you ought to know: obstruction, body checking, heavy tackles". I don't know why it bugs me, it just does.
Musically, I like it. It's a good illustration of their ability to come up with short tuneful catchy stuff amid their longer proggier work, which is something I always thought set them apart from most of the other bands they tended to be lumped together with. It has a nice airy guitar line, classic PC skippy drumming and the usual solid bass work. While I generally love Banks's work it was good to occasionally hear stuff not dominated by him and he's certainly fairly unobtrusive on this.
I remember it yo-yoing up and down the top 30, on one of its upward surges peaking at 14. We'd listen to the Sunday top 20 on BBC Radio 2 while having our tea and it was a buzz suddenly hearing Genesis over our fishpaste on toast, Mum's chocolate fudge cake and Brooke Bond Choicest Blend. (Then the chart show would end, followed by the depressing opening strains of Sing Something Simple which reminded us we still had homework to finish before school the next day.)
I like everything on the STP ep, more so than anything on W&W but I completely get its exclusion. All 3 tracks sound totally different in composition, sound and style from the album material.
