I’ll only do this once a year I promise, allow me to indulge myself and those of you who like football. I know perhaps 50-70% of you reading this have no interest in football (soccer) but I can’t pretend that applies to me or all of us. Are there Clash connections to football? Why of course – from Mick’s love of QPR and Joe’s like of Chelsea to the environs that helped shape The Clash like Guy Stevens stopping at Highbury (the home of Arsenal) to pay respects on his way to the studio during the recording of London Calling. I don’t think The Clash are a football fan’s band so much as football is a good match for The Clash. Intense rivalry and loyalty, ups and downs and ultimately a globally popular phenomenon that brings people together more than it tears them apart. If you’re new to the blog my other love apart from music is Arsenal but you don’t need to follow Arsenal to know my passion if you follow a team of your own.

The new season starts this weekend and I’ll wake up tomorrow full of optimism although I think we’re at least two players short of having a decent chance of winning the league. We’re currently a bit like Give Em Enough Rope – really good but not quite at our best.We’ve two weeks to sign a goalkeeper and a central defender and I’m basing my predictions on us doing both (hopelessly optimistic). Here’s my forecast for the season ahead – and feel free to share yours:

1- Chelsea: Too much depth and now playing attacking football – add a manager who has shown he can do it

2- Arsenal: We can’t concede as many goals and suffer as many injuries as last year. Close but not top

3- Manchester United: Aging defenders and an over reliance on one Wayne Rooney sees them slip to 3rd

4- Manchester City: If he can’t get this collection of players to the top 4 something is really wrong

5- Aston Villa: Losing the manager who was to be their saviour might just change everything

6- Liverpool: Woy can’t work miwacles as this team isn’t good enough to win consistently

7- Spurs: Harry likes an open cheque book and new faces, he has neither at the moment and can’t motivate old heads

8- Everton: Good on their day but too often small squad hampers their progress

9- Blackburn: Quietly becoming very hard to beat and not outrageous with their spending

10- Sunderland: The definition of average should see mid table finish

11- Wolves: If they can defend as well as I think they can they’ll improve a bit more

12- Birmingham: Won’t concede many but can’t score either

13- Bolton: Bolton to become more likable under Coyle? It might happen

14- Stoke: Love to see them go down, perhaps next year

15- Fulham: Hodgson was the spirit of this team, expect Hughes to break that in a few months

16- Blackpool: The type of manager who might pull enough out of this tiny club to stay up

17- West Ham: New boss but same very ordinary team. Will struggle to survive

18- Newcastle: Will start ok and fade…and fade and fade away

19- WBA: They need their own league between the premier and the championship

20- Wigan: All over after an unlikely spell in the top flight

Normal service resumed for the next post. Pick your winner below, poll will be open for a week. I didn’t include every club, email me to explain why you want to add Stoke (for example) and I will.

Tim

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Just a quick note and then we’ll face forward to Sunday it would seem. According to the calendar I turn 43 years old tomorrow, according to the time zones its already August 1st in England where I was born. However I apparently came out moaning at about 1030am so it would essentially be a wash, I’m 42 for a few more hours. I have a hard time believing that I’m 43 in a short while. Like most of you of my vintage it becomes harder and harder to see just where all the years have gone.

I’ve loved writing the blog for the last 13+ months, it’s been cathartic, interactive, informative and most of all a good release for my love of a band, of music in general and of course for writing. Writing as I do about a band that meant so much to so many has actually been a lot easier than I could ever have imagined. Writing about myself doesn’t come quite as easily but I’m getting the hang of it. Being more than just a bloke who sends you off to look at videos and news stories about the only band that matters is something I’ve tried to find a balance with. I hope the balance works.

I’d love to know each of your Clash tales – how they changed your life a little, or at a specific moment just filled you with energy or as in my case perhaps changed the entire direction of your youth and the adult you then became. I often hear people saying “I wish I was born a bit earlier” but don’t do that if you can help it. Make the most of your todays and all of your tomorrows. Do things you care about instead of only doing the things you have to do. Follow a passion even if its just for a few hours a day or a few hours per week. Do things you really care about, care about the things you do. Find a way to share your ideas and be a positive influence with your friends or your family or people who just pop in and out of your life.

My desktop wallpaper, Joe reminds me I must blog daily!

I’ve had a strange life in a sense but then again who hasn’t? I moved around a lot (more than most) and I’ve perfected the art of always being ready to move and then immersing myself wherever I live next. At the risk of sounding slightly trite perhaps the most consistent and influential thing in my life has been music and at the head of that personal passion has been The Clash. It reminds me of the book Fever Pitch when the main character is telling his girlfriend “can you even imagine caring about something for 18 years, do your even know what you cared about 18 years ago” (he’s talking about Arsenal). I never imagined in my 20′s and 30′s I’d be writing about this band who lasted for just 7 years and 5 albums all these decades later. Not just writing about them but doing so on a daily basis. I’m sure a week hasn’t passed in 32 years where I haven’t listened to a Clash song…usually far more than one of course. I don’t think a week has passed where I haven’t had a Strummer lyric dash through my head when I’m just living my daily life. I know the same applies for a lot of you who read this blog. If its obsessive I don’t mind, if it provides a spark of fun and enjoyment and better still a Clash community for some of you who read the blog than better still.

The thing I’ve learned most in this 42nd year of my life is that spending a few hours almost every day dedicated to this blog is that you can always pick up new skills and habits. I never knew I’d be a ‘blogger’ I never knew if I had the dedication to stick to this. I never knew if I’d be able to find the audience that I knew must be online to read this nonsense almost every day. I hope a year from now we’ll still be doing this and having fun. Thank you all for visiting, for chiming in, for helping me with connections and ideas and for the wonderful friendships that have been so supportive. Two years ago I was told I’d really enjoy blogging ~ and that social media was the new punk rock. The Clash Bloggette was right on the first count..and she kicked me hard enough to do this in the first place (and designed the site). I don’t think it is the new Punk, it’s more like shoegaze or some jangly C86 stuff I also love but it’s still better than sitting on my arse just thinking about music all day. Music matters…it’s perhaps as good as things get…but maybe that’s just me.

Without people you’re nothing.….it applies wherever you go.

Cheers – Tim

Hello my friends, sorry for the delay since the last post. It wasn’t because Holland lost the World Cup but more due to me feeling like a betrayed lib-dem voter with a stomach bug these last 48 hours. However huge congratulations to Spain who (just about) deserved to win the World Cup despite doing their best impression of Arsenal circa 1991-94 by winning each game by a dull scoreline of one-nil. I’m thrilled for Cesc Fabregas but also the many readers to the blog from Spain. What does it feel like?? I was born after England won their only World Cup in 1966 so I can’t relate to be honest. Spanish Bombs, ¡¡ rock the province !! and your upside down exclamation marks too ¡¡

Its going to be a very hectic week here at Clashblog HQ so you’ll be relieved to know I’ll be short and sweet with posts over the next few days until things get a bit nearer to normal round here. Until recently I never knew just how strong two sets of opinions were amongst you fine readers. The two topics for debate are as follows:

• Statements that five (5) bad photographs of Paul Simonon do not exist. I beg to differ and the blog will vindicate me
• Being a member of The Clash means having a great haircut is ‘understood’. The jury is out on that one but we can debate of course

Just the quickest link tonight and if you’re not a fan of Gorillaz and more specifically Paul and Mick’s participation with said band I suggest you check out one of the other 400 posts on the blog. But before you go I wanted to share the news of two sad losses over the last few days which won’t be covered in great depth which is a pity.

We say goodbye and thanks to Reggae great Sugar Minott who died unexpectedly at the weekend at the age of just 54. If you are not familiar set aside some time and just enjoy his voice ~ a link is here to his obituary in The Guardian.

My Achilles heel when it comes to music is the 1960′s – I’ve simply had too much to get through from the mid 1970′s onwards. With the possible exceptions of The Who, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground, The Byrds and Love you’re going to beat me every time if we played 60′s music trivia. (I might sneak a few points if Motown was up for debate) With that said I’m told that The Fugs were very important in the underground scene of that era – founder member Tuli Kupferberg passed away this week at the age of 86, a touching story is here from the L.A. Times.

Now then…Gorillaz….I wanted to include the two clips below and links to others for two very good reasons. These are the best clips I’ve yet to see so where we can get a good up close look at our two Clash men. All prior footage has been either in concert of cut and edit TV appearances, this video really lets you watch their interaction with Damon but more enjoyably one another. Equally worthy is the fact that these are really really raw versions of tracks from Plastic Beach, versions that do let you hear Paul’s bass and Mick’s guitar work. Sounding much more spartan and demo than the album and live tracks these bring a whole new dimension (to my ears anyway). Hope to get back with you tomorrow or Thursday at the latest – thanks for dropping in. ¡¡¡¡ CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO PLAY !!

On Melancholy Hill / AOL Sessions (click image to play)

Glitter Freeze (click image to play)