By Holywell Street 28th January 2019

Uppers

The Keto Diet.

No black mutt episodes in January

Filling all yer Mums shoes with mashed potatoes.

Timothy Weah

Being aff it

Bouncing about with the Green Brigade when approaching 50.

The new lights at Paradise.

The release of the Benetton rugby top at long last.

Three points clear and a game in hand.

The Specials teaming up with  Saffiyah Khan

Saying: ‘double treble, treble treble’ ten times without slipping up.

Calling yer auld dear Duchess

30 year friendships reunited.

Whistling the Rebs.

Downers

Love Island.

Steven Gerrard

Ninja Assassin – Alfredo Morelos

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon

Horizontal rain at the match

Keyboard warriors with invisible wheelbarrows.

Blokes with t-shirts saying: ‘let’s celebrate’ with a pic of a champagne glass on it.

song on the radio, lyric: ‘wanna fu-oo-oo, but I’m broken hearted Cr-cr-cry but I like to party’

Old song on the radio lyrics: ‘Cry me a River!’ 

Inheriting a Darth Vader mask for Sleep Apnea. 

Blokes with t-shirts saying ‘I don’t need to google’ on it.

Weatherspoon’s.

Blowies for Beak on the increase.

By Red Casual 26th October 2019

Opening  in late 1989, Tin Pan was the first club in Glasgow to play the new sounds coming from Belgium and Detroit at the time. Split across three floors, the club was hidden away on Mitchell Lane and was Year Zero for techno in Glasgow. It launched the careers of Slam and established classic nights like UFO and The Orb. Negotiating all those stairs was a bit of a whitey though.

I was taken there by a good friend Frank Paterson in the late eighties I was an out-of-towner.

This was the first time I’d mainly heard beats only in a Club for the majority of the night. This wasn’t rave or house as such, more like electronic beats. This was also before any ecstasy scene had kicked off. It would be a Football Terrace clubbing crossover.  A three floor dance club with a connecting staircase, you’d always meet a good section of clubbers

The crowd were cool, Glasgow always had the unique style of matching up between casual or tailored threads and of course a few permanent sun-tans.  This was a place where you just wanted to dance, no chemicals apart from a Red Stripe or maybe a shlitz.

It was here I first heard dance tracks like White Horse – Laid Back, although the track was old I’d never heard it before especially in a club. Also Electrical Salsa by Off.

I was also introduced to some good pubs in the City which seemed to be the crowd that would later be at Tin Pan. Carnegie’s was a great little joint and again a good crowd, always on a good vibe. It was here I noticed  remixes of Ten City also Joey Negro – Promised Land.

Tin Pan was a club that was hidden away in Mitchell Lane. Theres not many tributes or photos that justify it’s excistence, but it was certainly a catalyst to a lot of major clubs and DJ’s that came about in the 90s.

Holywell Street would like to pay tribute to Glasgow and it’s Night Clubs and of course Frank the legend.

Uppers

Being a Tim

Deciding to purchase the original Benetton rugby shirt at £95 to at least frame.

Paul Heaton doing gigs for the Miners.

Top the League.

Callum Macarena McGregor!

Rebs on full-blast and not giving a shizer!

The Green Brigade singing George and Pop.

Cameron Diaz for Sunday Beer Fear.

Pinky out espresso  drinking.

Priya Sharma from Emmerdale.

Driving past Celtic Park and saying to yourself: ‘er she is though!’

Chilled Peroni.

Four f*ckin chunky kit-kats £1 Asda!

Heaton & Abbott’s new album.

Speaking through your nose on a conference call.

Baking a can of strongbow and calling it Sunday roast.

Mistaking baldy people for each other.

Tripping up Fascists.

Tripping up men with man buns.

Winning the pottery.

Brendan’s toothy smile

Lady’s with thigh tattoos (again)

Gerry Cinnamon.

Singing down the pub to wonderwall with old geezers.

Being a sound chap.

Andrew Wevvers Weatherall.

Downers

The Christmas quote: ‘are you all set?’

Office Santa’s grotto types ringing a bell every two mins ‘ho ho ho’

That Morelas twat that plays for SEVCO!

Being a plum when it’s easier to be a sounder!

Thinking yer ten years younger than folk, but you’re ten years older.

Lassies saying ‘cheers now’ after blowies for beak.

30p for the f*ckin toilet at a train station. 

Capitalist Cold Callers: ‘remember the accident you were in’

Last train whoppers.

Man Buns (again)

Folk moaning about the hot weather!

The trendy concept of ‘street food’

Steven Gerrard.

Domino Pizza leaflet through the door once a week.

As a good friend said …

Just a boy from the streets, with practiced magic in his feet!

By Holywell Street 13th Dec 2018

If you really know Leigh Griffiths he’s a down to earth, working class lad. A lad from the street, a guy that has time for people going through hardship. He’d reach out to help. Always the first to reach out to kids never forgetting where he comes from with help and encouragement.  

He’s done outstanding in his career but also outstanding in his help in the community.

Addiction and Mental Health can affect anyone, at anytime. Depression does not discriminate. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But we’re confident that his character and strength will get him through these hard times with our support.

Calling all Celtic fans: 

Sunday 16th December we visit Easter Road where we’d like to do a joint tribute with the Hibernian fans. He’s a hero to both clubs. It’s fitting that we play each other at this time. 

He played number 9 for both teams.  In the 9th minute of Sunday’s match we’re asking the Celts to raise a tribute with the rest of the stadium to our hero!  

So on 9th minute we’ll raise our voices together to let him know we stand in solidarity with him at this difficult time and sing …

“He’s one of our own .. he’s one of our own … Leigh Griffiths… he’s one of our own “

Feast yer eyes. 1, 2, 3, 4 …

By Holywell Street 10th December 2018

Uppers.

Mind the Gap!

Kris Boyd’s face on Saturday.

Stevie Turncoat Gerrards face on Sunday.

Liam Gallagher liking your Tweet.

Liam’s Love Celtic’s T-shirt

Doner Kebab when sloshed.

The George & POP Rebs tune.

Day’s out not Nights out!

The Football Lads & Lassies against Fascism, movement.

Ma pal Francie McCann.

Great pals – old and new.

Double Treble … Treble Treble.

Stocking up on berroca.

FB Snides throwing out fishing bait to attract wrong un’s.

The odd Cameron Diaz.

Brendans toothy smile.

Double dropping Berroca.

Googling yer own name.

Filling yer Mums shoes with mashed potato.

Yer Manager saying ‘cheers now’

Downers.

Photo Booths at Weddings.

People who say: ‘so I turned round and said …’

Muso’s.

SDL members with teeth like a fruit loaf!

Wee black-mutt visits when the weather changes.

Any song by Simply Red

The quote ‘I’m not a racist but …’

Doing the job of three folk.

Mental Health Stigma #122 ‘choose to be happy!’

Tommy Gammon Robinson.

People believing Gammon Robinson.

Every lickspittle comment on The Appretince.

Kinning Park Rowing Club away ticket allocation.

The Irish Rugby Top made its debut at Celtic in the mid-eighties. A well-known red-haired lad sported it with a Daks scarf, while many other lads and lasses wore Benetton rugby tops. It was considered quite an anti-suss style which suited the situation as Celtic were playing Hearts in Edinburgh the same day Scotland was playing Ireland at Murrayfield.

Phil Thornton provides us with further insights from the North West.

By Phil Thornton, 2020

“Rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.”

So said proto-fascist ‘war hero’ Sir Winston Churchill. I beg to differ. Rugby (union at least) is a hooligan’s game played by public school boys and bizzies with a sense of entitlement and hatred of the working class.

Rugby doesn’t feature much in the annals of terrace fashion in the same way as, say, cricket jumpers were worn – sometimes around the shoulder in a ‘Parkhead Re-visited’ kinda way – so rugby tops enjoyed a very brief moment in the sun around the mid-80s. Probably inspired by the success of the Benetton rugby shirts, the trend was big, and Ireland tops,, in particular,, became very popular, although some right-wingers wouldn’t wear them and put on the crap England ones.

Let’s rewind to 1985. Everton v Man Utd FA Cup final day. We were travelling south in the back of a transit and got off at Watford Gap to be confronted by coach loads of Evertonians, many wearing Benny rugby tops and Rapid Wien beanie hats from their recent Cup Winners Cup triumph in Rotterdam. We walked through them and remarkably didn’t even get a comment, although behind a coach on the North Circular another coach load began threatening the lad in the front with a machete from the back seat window.

When we got home, we had a big row with some local Evertonians who were woolyback Toffees in the local alehouse. Blue and white Benetton and Green and white were the favourite colour schemes for supporters of all colours, whereas Ireland tops became the trend even for those with no Irish heritage. I vividly remember being in the United Road in 85 or 86 and one Villa lad made his presence felt in J Stand, stood in an Ireland top and staring down in his best hard man manner at those of us taking the piss below. Villa weren’t really known for their fashion sense at this time (if ever!) so it was surprising to see one of them confident enough to place himself in ridicule’s way. The United Road in those days was a funny place with various individuals being selected for ridicule – a fat Spurs fan in a donkey jacket ‘ There’s only one Eddie Yates’ – the give me a ‘B’ give me a ‘W’ what’ve you got? Bwbwbwbwbwbw!! Lip wibble sound! This Villa lad got tormented all through the game especially when he reacted by trying to offer out the entire terrace.

Maybe only The Farm only ever sported ye old rugger top on stage in the musical world, where terrace fashions and Top Of The Pops were a galaxy away from each other. The trend faded away as quickly as it arrived although there have been a few revivals from time to time – I’ve worn them mid way through the 90s and the past few years, although Patagonia had replaced Paddygonia this time around.

Rugby is still a game played by divvies for divvies and no one from football should have anything to do with it. Having said that, the Italian squad’s top with the big fuck off Kappa logo was belter!

By Macaroon 2nd December 2018

League Cup Final
Sunday 2nd December 2018
Hampden Park, Glasgow.

CELTIC defeated Aberdeen 1-0 in a well-contested League Cup final at Hampden. The win sees Brendan Rodgers’ side retain the trophy, and also marks the Double Treble holders’ seventh consecutive domestic honour.

A wonderful long ball from Dedryck Boyata found Ryan Christie in the box four minutes into first-half injury time, before the 23-year-old fired home with an emphatic rebound into the roof of the net. The Hoops created a number of other chances in front of goal and, despite the single-goal margin, were dominant in both defence and attack throughout.

Both teams started the game with the intensity fitting of the occasion, showcased by a flurry of hard tackles in the middle of the pitch. Aberdeen pressed the Scottish champions deep into their half in the opening five minutes, but the first clear-cut opportunity was carved by Celtic’s Tom Rogic.

A cultured long ball from the Hoops’ centre-back Filip Benkovic found Mikael Lustig on the right flank, before the Swede knocked it on to James Forrest. The midfielder’s inside pass was picked up by Rogic, who then curled a left-foot drive across goal and off the post.

Much of the game was held up in midfield, and Aberdeen dealt well with Kieran Tierney, Scott Sinclair and Ryan Christie’s smart and direct link-up play on the left side. Just after the quarter-hour mark, Andrew Considine found space in front of goal and, while being flagged offside, forced a great save from Scott Bain.

At 26 minutes, Rogic and Forrest combined to sculpt a half-chance for the Hoops, when ball from the left was taken by Forrest with his back to goal, who then teed up a volley for the Australian that was blocked en route to goal.

One minute later, Odsonne Edouard collected the ball in centre midfield before finding Rogic on the inside-right channel. He then played in Forrest, and the 27-year-old followed with a snap-shot that was dragged wide across Lewis’ right-hand post.

Celtic pressed the Dons increasingly deeper over the course of the half, but a well-organised Aberdeen backline dealt with the Hoops’ build-up play. At the other end, Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata were faultless – with the former occasionally but driving forward confidently from defence.

At 38 minutes, Gary Mackay-Steven and Boyata collided mid-air in the Celtic penalty area which saw both receiving extensive on-pitch treatment. Several minutes after the head knock, Mackay-Steven was stretchered off whereas Boyata was able to carry on.

Four minutes into injury time, Celtic got their break when a superb searching ball from Boyata found Christie in the final third. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder controlled on his left inside the opposition penalty area, before firing a shot a goal with his right that was well saved by Lewis. Christie however returned the rebound with an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net, and the League Cup holders went into the break deservedly in front.

The Hoops continued their pressing play into the second half, and a flurry of counter-attacks provided a handful of half-chances for Forrest and Edouard. At 53 minutes, the Scottish champions were awarded a penalty when Dominic Ball was deemed to have handled in the box.

Sinclair’s spot-kick was well-struck, but Lewis reached to his right to turn around the post. Just before the hour, Benkovic found space 25-yards out, and a rifled shot was again stopped by an out-stretched fingertip save from Lewis.

For the next ten minutes, Aberdeen enjoyed a good spell of pressure, but Edouard regularly looked a threat on the break. On as a substitute for Boyata, Jozo Simunovic had a shoulder-to-shoulder clearance come off the Celtic crossbar, while, minutes later, a sublime piece of footwork from Edouard was followed by a curling shot over.

The French striker may have deserved better in that instance, as might have Sinclair when a similarly aggressive counter from the Englishman and Callum McGregor also ended with a drive high and wide over the bar.

Personally questions must be asked on Scott Sinclair,  he cost us today from going   two ahead which would have closed the game early.  It’s been suggested he’s back to his best, certainly improved but not reliable.

With Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham on for Rogic and Forrest respectively, Celtic dictated the pace of the game and retained possession in the last quarter of an hour, and, despite continually pressing the Dons deep into their half, the Hoops ran out worthy League Cup winners.

Flat Beer Moment:  The injury to Gary McKay Steven.

Also: Aberdeen’s Manager claiming the ref cost them whilst his team gave out ninja-assassin attacks.

CELTIC: Bain; Lustig, Boyata (Simunovic 60) Benkovic, Tierney; McGregor, Christie, Rogic (Brown 64); Forrest (Ntcham 86), Sinclair; Edouard.
Subs not used: Gordon, Gamboa, Hayes, Griffiths.

ABERDEEN: Lewis; Logan, McKenna, Considine, Lowe; Shinnie, McGinn (Wilson 70), Mackay-Steven (McLennan 45), Ball, Fergusson; Cosgrove (Anderson 79)
Subs not used: Cerny, Gleeson, Wright, May.

By Holywell Street 2nd December 2018

Uppers

Saying ‘Double treble, treble treble’ ten times.

Calling people ‘Muckle Jessie’s’

The riot gear.

The salad bar at Morrison’s.

Being Jam Hat!

Fifty year old cashies.

Seven out of seven!

Vicky McClure 

Starting a Jumbo Cord’s gang 

Pickled onion crisps 

Salt and pepper chip eating supporters.

The new yellow Jacket by Albam.

Football lads camaraderie.

Blocking right-wing cranks on Facebook.

Winning the pottery.

Green bras.

Ryan Christie.

Downers

Stephen Yaxley – Lennon.

Aberdeen Ninja-Assasins.

Toothache.

Black Mutt visits at winter.

Moobs.

Flirty Florence’s.

Mental Health stigma 800: ‘decide to be joyful’

Herrenvolk Hubris attitude to life!

Steven ‘Wee Naisy’ Naismith the ninja assassin.

Folk still asking ‘are you fuckoffee?’ in the workplace.

The return of the community oddball. 

Saying Eh up.

Salt and pepper’s lonely hearts club band.

Right-wing cranks getting their buddies to message you to ask: ‘why block me’ 

Todays Linesman at Tynecastle.

Holywell St would like to welcome Phil Thornton who will contribute to the Blog from time-to-time. If he’s not hanging about Runcorn with Eddie from Morley (just outside ‘T’ Leeds) of course.

The Bobble.

By Phil Thornton 23rd November 2018

1984 was it? Around that time. The time of the half n’ half bobble hat craze. Well, it was a craze in the north west of England at any rate. One half was YOUR club; Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Witton Albion, the other was either Celtic, Rangers or Arbroath.
Where did it all begin? Like many of the many vagaries of football ‘casual’ fashion, the roots of this particular phenomenon are lost in the black hole of tribal folklore. For some there was a religious or political affiliation to the sectarian politics of Glasgow’s two teams, for others it was just a loose identification for a Scottish team, although I don’t recall seeing any Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen or Motherwell hats about.

In Liverpool, although its’ the English city closest to Glasgow in terms of Irish and non-Irish identity, the sectarian divide between Everton and Liverpool was never that marked. True, Everton were perceived as the ‘Catholic’ team and Liverpool the ’Protestant’ team but that never caused much a divide in their respective support bases. In Manchester, United were also perceived as a ‘Catholic’ team but again, their support drew on a much wider base than parochial north or south Manchester church affiliations.

During the early 80s, the issue of national identity was becoming an issue, thanks largely to the recent Falklands war whipping up a xenophobic hatred for ‘foreigners’ that manifested it’s ugliness on England trips to the continent. The ‘English Disease’ spread its cancerous doctrine all across Europe and beyond. At home, the IRA’s battle against British rule was fuelled by Bobby Sands and the other hunger strikers needless deaths.

This gave rise to the racist elements within some clubs, notably the London based ones to become even more hostile and Combat 18 (the one and eight being the initials in numerical order of Adolf Hitler) were active at places like Chelsea, where they made it their cause to attack ‘Troops Out’ demonstrations and such like. It was Chelsea fans that first made a tacit link to their fellow Loyalists at Glasgow Rangers and also to paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.

On the terraces, some fans chanted ‘Rangers!’ whilst others responded ‘Celtic!’ and some chanted both. Me being a left winger, I adopted the green not the red, white and blue and wore my half United half Celtic hat and Celtic pin badge despite having somewhat tenuous links to Auld Hibernia. My nan’s family were from Mayo but that was about as Irish as I could summon.

Despite being a soul boy, I also had a soft spot for The Pogues and went to see them perform at the Royal Court in Liverpool which is still one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. It was perhaps the gig that was most like being in a football terrace during those heady days pre-Heysel and Hillsborough.

85 was the year that changed everything. Heysel, Bradford, Luton, Birmingham. Riots, fires, deaths, mayhem. Suddenly the atmosphere had changed from carefree yobbery to misery and attacks from the Tory government and their ever-reliable police enforcers. The miners , the crusties, the football fans, we were all enemies within to be crushed, literally. Hillsborough was the end product of decades of class hatred, of fans being treated like scum by the politicians, the FA, the police and of course the clubs themselves.

I remember going to Anfield with my mate after Heysel when Chelsea were playing, just for a laugh as we booth supported United. Walking through Stanley Park there were about ten or fifteen coaches down from Lanarkshire. The Chelsea/Rangers alliance had been cemented. Outside a scouser from our town, a well know member of the Liverpool firm was trying to get up a mob on the wasteground on Kemlyn Road. He didn’t have many takers.

Fast forward thirty years and a mate of mine has a company that trains stewards at places like Wembley, Chelsea and Rangers. He’s asked me to come up to Ibrox to help him out.I’ve never been inside before although we once got lost en route to Ben Nevis and had to ask for directions outside the old stadium. To be honest, I didn’t fancy the trip but it was a day out and he was paying my train fare.

As we travelled up, a scouser got talking to us who said he’d been following Rangers since the 70s and then as more got onboard at various stations, he went over to talk to his fellow Gers pals from across the north of England. They seemed an OK bunch, not the stereotypical Hun bigots. Inside Ibrox itself, I got talking to their head of security, a rather camp ex bizzie with ‘Lodge’ written all over him. Rangers were playing Ayr United; that was their ‘derby’ at the time and he was worried about Ayr’s casuals causing mither.

The pre match entertainment consisted of divs waving massive flags about and all in all, the game was about as exciting as watching a Cheshire Cup quarter final but with less atmosphere. Like many clubs , Rangers supporters were almost exclusively male, white, working class and good natured enough. The injection of alcohol and politics always adds fuel to any game and obviously the decline of Rangers as a top side has affected their status, if not their sense of wounded pride.

Celtic have had it too easy for too long. Maybe they need a kick up the arse. The gap between them and their arch rivals in down to 2 points. Maybe if they get an rich Arab torturer to plough blood money in instead of Fat Mike, they’ll copy City. Nightmare on Edmiston Drive!

By Macaroon 21st October 2018.

Uppers.

Telling people ‘they ain’t seen nothing yet!’

Asking the Barman for a drink that all the young yins drink these days!

People who pil-fridge from M&S Food shop.

Justifying necking a whole box of Go Ahead Bars!

Aldo’s Hot Dogs.

Any record by Harry Lauder!

A flag on behalf of good lads!

Asking ‘s’appenin?’ on a Conference Call.

Saying ‘Cheers now’ after a Conference Call. 

Back off the booze after too much Guinness! 

CBD Oil by CBD Yums!  

Framed picture of Griffiths waving the tricolour!

Liam Gallagher getting the Rebs on!

Testing all the aftershaves in Debenhams.

The marvellous Tez Beatson.

Smoking out racists on social media.

The Football Lads Alliance about to implode.

Diet Irn Bru.

Zipping up yer Boots!

Big Boots Big Toots!

Bowie – Starman full blast on iTunes.

Eighty Nine sweater from Social Recluse!

Downers.

Getting texts telling you you’ve won a Diet Coke if you … sign up to …’

Getting a leaflet through the door every two days for Dominos Pizza!

Anxiety stigma ‘why don’t you just set yourself a 30 minutes worry period a day’

Black Mutt provoking horizontal sleet/snow in April.

Not getting 30 mins cardio a day.

The Voice… f*ckin cringefest!

Islamophobia.

That dilly dilly Budweiser advert!

People slurping yogurt on the train, scooping with the silver lid.

Media witch-hunt against Jeremy Corbyn.

Sevconian Moon Howlers.

A student cafe in Manchester called ‘Nom Nom’

5p a bag!

Getting asked if you want a bag!

£75 average for Adidas OG’s.