Tony who?
OK, as I've now come clean to the fact that, for me, mention of the name Shelley in 1981 meant a miserabilst half-hour sitcom of non-laughs on Thames TV, rather than the joyful melodic punk noise on 'Singles Going Steady', I should also clear up the matter of 1981 and all things Morley.
In 1981, when someone mentioned the name Morley in my company, my hackles didn't rise at the thought of a gobshite NME journalist. That displeasure was to befall me many years later.
Rather, the mention of the name Morley in 1981 meant the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention at the thought of the brilliant Aston Villa footballer, Tony Morley, who, for a season and a half, was up there with John Robertson as the best left winger in British football.
And of course there was that goal against Everton at Goodison Park which won the goal of the season in 1981. It was a goal that ensured that Aston Villa were my favourite English team for a couple of years, and allowed me to glory hunt their European Cup triumph the following season. (And you thought we were all affecting scouse accents in the early eighties.)
Funny, I can't remember the subject of this month's Socialist Standard editorial but I'm sure I can remember Villa's team that won the Championship that season: Rimmer in goal; Swain, Williams, Evans and McNaughton in defence; Mortimer, Bremner, Cowans and Morley in midfield; with Withe and Shaw up front. [This old article from The Observer fills in the gaps.]
Cowans and Shaw in the same sentence? A beauty and the beast combination* that surely a foreshadows the teaming up of Ronan Keating and Mikey Graham many years later. I seemingly can't get away from drawing comparisons between perfect football and perfect pop on the blog. I need a cup of tea to wake me up.
*Bit harsh on Cowans, I know. In truth, I could have paired Gary Shaw with Bremner, McNaughton, Evans or Withe for the B & B line. They all fit (im)perfectly for the barb. Any thoughts of 'Spice Boys' was a lifetime away.
