FootballFilter

Before the premiership existed, when football shirts were cool as shit (well they seem cool to me now in 2008-I predict a fashion wave!) and most players were alcoholics, a trading card called Pro Set pretty much consumed my little 6 year old existence.  But what has happened to them now?!  I can’t for the life of me track them down via the internet.  The only thing I found were a few sites selling the likes of Dion Dublin’s card (at Cambridge at the time) for a quid (which I have) or the entire Arsenal team for a fiver (which I also have - £6 for me boom ting).  There are also the American Football cards knocking around but no site or anything exists from what I can see - have they really gone bust?  Because if they have it is my mission to get the Pro Set card people together, sit them down and make them realise how much money they could be making these days - surely kids would love it, or at 24 am I already out of ‘touch with today’s youth’?

On the back of the folder I found an address which led me to this UEFA website page but unfortunately the number didn’t work - so what I am asking is, if anyone can help us get in contact with Pro Set and find out what happened please let us know by leaving a comment!  This is the address in case someone random reads this and either works there or lives near by:

Pro Set U.K Limited, 87 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 8BU

Every month from now on I will post an update on my findings with a couple of players cards scanned for good measure, just like these beauties below:

What I love about these the most tho are the comments and stats on the back, pure nostalgia:

Take Gazza’s for example: “The new superstar of English football, “Gazza” won the hearts of the nation for his performances during the World Cup in Italy.  A player of prodigious talent, he played for Newcastle for three seasons and was the idol of Tyneside.  He signed for Spurs for £2 million in July 1988.  Fills the grounds wherever he plays.”  -pure poetry that is, full of cliched 90s joy, John Motson bread and butter chat if you will, but still quality.

I could quote all 6 of those bad boys but I won’t, however I do think Paul McGrath’s opening line is pure class:

“Regarded as possibly the best central defender in the First Division despite problems of the field” - was there any need to mention his ‘off field’ problems?  So he drank a little bleach now and then, he’s still the Don.

As I said I think these cards will be a regular feature, especially as my chances of getting in contact with Pro Set appears slim but for the time being here’s a few honorary mentions to keep you going til next time:

1. Nigel Spink - ‘reputed to be one of the safest goalkeepers in the game’

2. Cyrille Regis - ‘reared in London’

3. Paul Walsh - ‘A tenancious terrier of a player’ . In fact Paul’ back photo (his hair I mean) is so good he gets the final shot of the blog:

SO please help me bring back Pro Set!

During the Spain v Italy game during the euros i noticed Luca Toni sporting a fetching, if a little gay, tasche.  At the time I thought it was the start of a new revolution, a hark back to the 70s, a time when facial hair was king - I was hoping the likes of Rooney would rock the old bender/handle bar tasche or Robbie Savage fashioning a neat little pencil line tasche, dyed blonde.  But no, the world of fooball has not adopted this new wave:

So I give you tashces of the past - footballing heros who have demonstrated the true power of the lip slug:

Mark Lawrenson:  Debatably the campest man in football, pundit, ex Liverpool legend, often heard referring to players “power”, “dedication” or something suspiciously fruity such as “he’ll do anything you ask of him, in any position”, Lawro was one of the true leaders in tasche fashion, behold below a slug of pure beauty that one wonders why he has gone to the dark side of late and chopped it off (please also note the suspicious hair cut!):

Bruce Grobbelaar: Another Liverpool legend (a common theme perhaps?), Bruce was a true 80s goalkeeping hero.  But he was also convicted of match fixing with Hans Segers (ha) and John Fashnu aka The Fash (ahwooga!).  Nevertheless Bruce is a reliable man of the tasche world, a brother, a strong believer who into his 50s still represents the Lip Hair allegiance with pride - jah bless Bruce, jah bless.

David Seamen:  Arsenal through and through, probably one of the best English goalkeepers of my lifetime (I am 24 by the way) but also well known for getting horribly embarrassed by Ronaldhino’s ‘did he intend to do that’ freekick lob.  Poor lad that will remain with him forever - as will his fuck off tasche and criminal haircut.  Mr Seamen not only desrves recognition for his work in the lip depo but also for holding true to the gayest looking hairdo known to man - that man has invested a lot of Arsenal salary over the years on Timotei and Pantene Pro V I am sure…it’s just so shiny!

Disclaimer:  alas I forgot unfortunately Dave has seen sense of late and actually not longer sports either the tasche or long hair - its more of a L’Oreal curtains type affair - however he did appear of Dancing on Ice (or something like that) so he has transferred the fruitiness from one ‘realm’ to another.

Frank Rijkaard and Rubi Voller:  these two gents rivals, yet brothers in arms of the hirsute world, Frank spat on Rudi, Rudi got pissed yet they still had one thing in common.  If I were Frank I would look back on that with pride yet concern, a quick cahnge into a policmans outfit and he would be a member of the Village People.  While Rudi’s tasche on the other hand is almost a stamp or an emblem if you will of terribe German 80s fashion - Deiner Schnubaart ist vorbei Rudi!

And alas this is where my tribute ends - the list is endless and majestical at the same time.  All men of tasche deserve a mention but that would take me forever so here is my honarary mention list:

1.  Graeme Souness

2. Gary Neville - aka William Shakespeare

3. Rivelino

4. Jimmy Hill

5. Paul McGrath - god bless the bleach drinking man!

Who have I missed? Either comment here or email us at footballfilter@gmail.com

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