A Casual Obsession: Inside the British Sock Fetish Council

This article examines the positioning of socks as a culturally transgressive garment among football casuals through a case study of the British Sock Fetish Council (BSFC). While most studies contextualise casuals within the discourse of hooliganism and violence, their use of dress as a means of negotiating shared masculine identities remains under-researched. Founded in 2011, the BSFC quickly grew to over 1,000 card-carrying members, holding meetings in Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, as well as at football matches across the United Kingdom.

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Within the BSFC, the term 'fetish' does not refer to a sexual predilection, as the community is almost entirely heterosexual. Rather, it reflects the members' obsession with clothing and highlights the sub-textual tensions present in their individual and collective practices. The author, as an active participant in the BSFC, witnessed the community's development first-hand through the online dissemination of highly constructed, self-generated imagery featuring colourful, patterned socks juxtaposed with rare trainers. This article explores the self-reflexive use of social media to construct group practices and provides insights into how socks were instrumental in establishing consensus on inclusive and hybrid masculine identities within this community.