When Arsenal striker Maraoune Chamakh contested against Aston Villa's imposing and rugged defenders last Saturday, you would have thought the lads from Birmingham would come out on top in freezing conditions. Chamakh, who is no slouch himself, looked scrawny in comparison to t-shirt clad 'Brummie' brutes made even more of a rangy figure by wearing a snood. His appearance deceived Villa and scored a goal to help his side win. But who on earth wears snoods? Foreigners who find the chill too unbearable in the UK end up looking like an insulated Russian citizen in January. But it looks like the snood is, every winter season, here to stay in the same way gloves took to the field in the 1990s.
Premier League Snood Footballers
Premier League footballers are practically bathing themselves in money; they are that wealthy now. The English game once prided itself having no-nonsense, hard 'Phil Mitchell from Eastenders' characters that do not live life in the media spotlight. Nowadays, expensive fleet-footed foreign stars have dribbled their way to the English shores wearing these peculiar garments around their neck. There have been four examples so far: Chamakh, Carlos Tevez (who I saw wear on many occasions last season), Martin Petrov and Samir Nasri are the pioneering foreign quartet in the Prem of these fluffy neck warmers that would have been unrecognisable in the game even 10 years ago. And what's interesting of all, these four players have enjoyed a successful season thus far. Lucky snood? Or is not wearing one compromising their performance?
Wearing football replica shirts to town and you might be called a 'townie' or a 'chav' in London. But surely these snoods cannot be tagged as that in the near future just because a few decide to wear it? Football fans will now be snood-clad and be calling it 'The Tevez'. Classy. Once a product you would use in an exploration to the Arctic is now found on the necks of international footballers.
These players have gone all soft, especially when Cristiano Ronaldo is seen prodding his mini mo-hawk hair style, with Beckham also keeping his hair meticulously positioned. Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson were on the Match of the Day sofa last Saturday discussing whether they would wear a snood to play. A definitive no was their answer.
But remember how gloves were disdained by fans when suntanned foreigners took to the football pitch? Well now everyone is wearing a pair to keep their hands toasty. Even the English. While the glove is here to stay, so likely will the snood.
A Future High Street Menswear Trend?
Snoods (or buffs) can look quite tedious for men as we all have scarf laying around in our closets, but not many have given this woolly accessory a chance. A loose neck - like the one seen on Chamakh's at Villa (although a more stylish one is preferable) - can add an elegant, wintry twist worn with a tee and a lengthy herringbone jacket, for example.
Extreme sportswear products can look 'cool' combined with far more conventional, everyday clothes. The puffer jacket from The North Face, for example, has been a success in the UK.
The fact that footballers, not just from England, but also in Spain and Italy, use it suggests it may gain traction in high-street retail chains. That is if all the English footballers haven't bought it first.
David Tran - A young and an enthusiastic writer, David Tran reports on the latest goings-on in sport. With a degree in journalism and solid reporting ...
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