Working class doesn't mean what it used to in the Marxist proletarian terms.

Socially van drivers, kitchen fitters, construction workers etc fit the same kind of identity that traditional working class men had. Then you also have blokes who do manual trade jobs who are self employed, eg plumbers, carpenters, some boiler repair men etc, they probably see themselves as working class but they aren't in economic class terms.

The economic working class today are often in office based or customer service jobs, call centres or retail etc, or low level admin workers. Even lots of graduates are in these types of jobs. They are not on subsistence wages like the workers of the industrial revolution and they are protected by employment rights but they are in a position where they are being forced to sell their labour usually doing jobs they hate, to pay the bills.

When latchfordbob says its a game for working class males what he probably means is down to earth northern blokes of low to medium incomes who have a shared identity and are not pretentious, they generally like going out for beers with their mates, watching sport etc. For them watching RL is an affordable form of entertainment and a way of socialising with others, in the way that going for golf weekends and drinking champagne would be a form of entertainment for bank managers annd lawyers.

I think Longy deserves the nickname 'Isaiah.'

no think you mean Judas

Certainly an interesting read if The Sun is anything to go by. I might consider it.

I'll give this thread two more pages if that.

It was never going to be the Daily Mail.

I always enjoy reading sport auto biogs, but they have to be honest. I've read Beckhams, and he's scared of saying anything bad about anyone, whereas Robbie Fowlers is like a breath of fresh air, he tells exactly what he thinks. Hope longs is like that.

He exposes a few home truths, like the Brian Noble International coach fiasco. Some good funny articles and you don,t have to be a saints fan.

Ah, but the difference there is that Beckham's could be a book about his trips to the hairdressers and it'd still sell by the million, whereas Fowler as to fill his with scandal because otherwise nobody would be interested in the life of an average Scouse footy player.

Ulitimately, the rule is, when it comes to autobiographies, the less well known you are the more juicy you make your book, so as to try and sell more.

Therefore 'working class' is now not classified in terms of economic wealth rather more about a state of mind and aspiration?

Probably.....Ask yourself, If you won £5m on the lottery would you stop being working class??....Or do you become middle to upper class on the grounds of you being suddenly loaded??

Personally, it is probably a lifestyle choice....Michael Carroll, for all his throwing his money about, was nothing more than chav, lower than working class scum....

i red fowlers . belting read but best ive read is barry mcdermots. absolute classic that one .

how low can longy sink just to make a few bob,

I did, well wrote.