STEVE ELLIOTT – MANSFIELD TOWN – MSE

In this weeks instalment of our Awayday Casuals series, Awayday Radio spoke to Steve Elliott of Mansfield Towns MSE.

Hiya Steve, How did you get into football and when?

Like most kids got into football around 9/10ish playing for school and local teams, I started going down the match around 82 my dad took me and my best pal, we didn’t watch the match but spent the whole game checking out the new casual fashion and learning the songs.

What was your first memory of trouble at a football match?

I remember Mansfield having trouble in and around the ground most games as a kid. But 85/86 season was when I started to get involved. Stockport away was a rough night and Swindon at home, who were about to be Div 4 champions they brought loads to Mansfield, trouble all day long.

When did you become a football casual?

I guess around 85 is when I got into the football casual scene. Nottingham had the best shops around our way where you could pick up Sergio, Fila, Burberry, Aquascutum. I and a few mates travelled there for our clobber.

Who are your main rivals?

Chesterfield is our local rivals there’s a big hatred between us. We’ve never got on, whether it’s about football, the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire thing or the Miners Strike.

What was your biggest battle with them?

We’ve had loads of kickoffs with Chesterfield over the years mainly at there place. One year the OB marched us through the town centre after a game and put us on an escalator near the bus station, Chesterfield were already waiting at the bottom for us and dished some fists out. They got on top that day. But we played them in a playoff game in 95 and took a big mob that night and we had battles with them in the town centre before the game. We got hammered 5-2 and our chaps weren’t happy after the match, Chesterfield didn’t want to know, we ran the show that night, Chesterfield have got a few decent lads but we’ve always come out on top.

Who else did you have a big battle with?

Had good battles with Huddersfield, Grimsby, Lincoln and Hull over the years, all game lads. But our biggest battles were with Shrewsbury. Throughout the 90s we had 6/7 good kickoffs with them, we went to there town they came to ours, how it should be, and we had a few fall outs while following England, I rate Shrewsbury highly.

Who have you come unstuck against?

We were on a bit of a roll in the early 90s, we’d got a decent crew together and been on duty at a few of Forest’s big games and were regularly travelling away with England. Now no disrespect to Walsall here but we went to them about 25/30 good lads, took them very lightly and paid the price, there was a lot of arguing when we got back to Mansfield that night but we never took anyone lightly again.

Name is 5 firms you rate and why.

Following Mansfield, we’ve been in the lower leagues for as long as I can remember we’d been to a few Forest games and seen how the big boys roll but the teams I pick all played us in the lower leagues, Sheffield United, Shrewsbury, Hull, Grimsby and Middlesbrough, I rate Boro as one of the best I’ve seen.

Name 5 firms you don’t rate and why?

Not Gona slag other firms off we all had good and bad days at the office.

What clobber do you wear down the match?

Still like a bit of Stone island and Cp down the match nowadays, but miss the late 80s fashion, Benetton, Classic Nouveau, Chipie, Emporio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Timberlands.

What was your music scene on your awayday?

Music was shit until 1988 when the Stone Roses and Happy Monday’s arrived, a few years later it was all about Oasis and The Verve for me.

What’s your favourite all-time song?

Bittersweet Sympathy .. Class!

What battles with England have you had?

A few Mansfield lads got into the England scene in 86, they told us how good it was, I started going in 88. The world Cup at Italia 90 had everything for me, trouble, booze and a half-decent England team for once. It was an awesome time. But the biggest England mob I’ve seen was Italy 97, a cracking few days away and very lively.

And lastly, tell us what you enjoyed about being a football casual?

It was always about meeting up with our lads on Saturday morning, home and Away we stuck together, got a few results and lost a few. We got together around 1987 and drifted apart around 2000 when the banning orders started getting dished out, really miss the lads and those days. Mansfield has a new young set of lads out and about now, they are casual as fuck and are keeping the name alive, MSE Cheers!