Name Change

Here's the thing.
The blog title I came up with when I started writing a few years ago was made in haste.

It was a tongue in cheek reference to my eighties sportswear fixation, retro Adidas and Puma trainer collection and most certainly my rather lackadaisical attitude to life in general.
(One of my proudest moments as a pupil at a mid 1980's comprehensive school was being reprimanded, in front of the whole class, by an RE teacher for being "too casual").

I'm still the same person now as I was then, though of course as I'm currently working as a teacher, the (Gazelle) is on the other foot.

What I've never professed to be is a 'Football Casual' of the "Have you met my mate Stanley?" variety.

I loved the clothes, the attitude and the one upmanship but the violence and knobheadness left me cold.

I'd argue that everyone has their right to free speech and their own political views.

Unfortunately, the term 'Casual' has recently become connected to the EDL, Casuals United and the kind of Right wing thought I find abhorent.
Those people have their views and I have mine.

I'd defend all day their right to say what they believe, it's just I don't want anyone to mistake their views for mine.

What really nudged me into making a change was Charlton making it back to the Championship.
Suddenly, I was receiving messages in my comments box from keyboard warriors who fancied a ruck. (Luckily I have the option to read them before publication).

I wonder how many of the teenage spottys realised they were offering out a middle aged primary school teacher?
(No doubt they'd be sat at home wearing a badly made copy of a Stone Island jumper, bought off the market).

Those people who thought I'd be bringing a firm to away days up North would have been very disappointed when they met the crowd from the RoD, who might try to buy them a pint and have a laugh rather than a dust up in a car park.

So, it's goodbye Charlton Casual and hello Charlton Casualty, though I'll still be found at the same ChartonCasual.blogspot address, as I'm too, (ahem), 'casual' to change it.