A week for icons

May 9 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ICONS. This week I learnt a lot about one, had a reminder how useless one is and am looking forward to seeing another over the weekend.

On Tuesday, I went to the matinee performance of the Dixie Dean play at Crosby Civic Hall, a reminder in itself of how people have the ability to just get on with things they believe in.

It was a simple, straightforward narrated production driven by the content and information regarding this great Everton icon, and it was a credit to all involved.

I admit this Liverpudlian ex-soap producer’s ears pricked up a bit more hearing about Dixie punching people’s lights out, being something of an icon for the ladies and the David Beckham of his day!

However, that was to miss the point, which was to underline what a different planet our current-day footballing icons now inhabit, and in what a different age we now all live.

It wasn’t just picturing the real Becks travelling to a game by bus, a public one – not one of his own, of course – but the idea of him actually being allowed to do so unmolested!

At the same time, this story of a great footballing icon, described by none other than Reds icon Bill Shankly as the greatest centre forward not only who ever was, but would ever be, was a reminder of why today’s icons quite rightly demand top dollar from the television-driven game. Careers are short and not all of them want to end up running a pub, or even a taverna.

Useless icon of the week? That piece of material certain establishments still insist on men having draped round their necks. A tie.

I’m long since past the need to worry about this sartorial anachronism, also accepting that many men actually like wearing ties, but I have always wondered why some people still assume sporting an outdated mode of fastening a shirt collar denotes some form of social breeding or standing.

A lot of life’s injustices are committed by men in ties, but the thing that I find more and more bewildering is how the convention has survived for so long in our health and safety world.

When I was at school doing metalwork, the first thing that was banged into me was to remove my tie at all times near machinery.

How come then, when the emergency services wear detachable clip-on ties, we still let everyone else wear this potentially lethal noose around their necks?

Worst of all, why do we put our children at risk in schools? Shouldn’t school ties at least be clip-ons?

And the icon I am looking forward to?

The unveiling, finally, of the statue to Bishop Sheppard and Archbishop Worlock, in Hope Street, on Sunday. Itself a fitting icon to two more of the city’s own icons.