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Welcome Neil, cheers for dropping by, it is a pleasure to have you in as a Q&A guest at last – how are you?

My head is all over the place at the moment to be honest with you, I’ve had a very challenging week but on the flip side I’m incredibly glad to be alive. I’m not one to make a fuss, yeah I’m alright now honestly. I’ve had a Guinness, let’s move on.

Starting off with your love for mountain wear jackets, what came first, the passion for their style on the terrace or the rambling and hiking I see you are doing these days?

I’d say posing came way before hiking, though as a kid I did spend most of my time running up and down valleys and making dens in forests so maybe it’s always been there? Back in the late 80s my best mate Barclay was bang into his climbing which coincided with us both getting into acid house. He already knew his way around an outdoor shop and so we would spend many an hour in places like Alpenstock in Stockport or Magic Mountain in Glossop planning our outdoor outfits for a mad weekend getting high in Manchester rather than the Matterhorn. I should probably mention that I’m not really a football fan either so the terraces have never had much of an effect on me, apart from when I lived in Tuscany and used to go to the odd Fiorentina game which taught me a plethora of offensive hand signals.

I must ask, you were the co-editor at Proper Mag? I always liked it for a bit of a laugh and piss-take as much as anything else, how did the idea come about?

Yeah, back when it wasn’t just about gorpcore and house plants. It was created in a perfect storm of having a job with lots of down time alongside a strong desire to blag free jackets whilst having an innate need to make my mates piss themselves laughing whilst reading it. I miss you Mark, please get in touch to let us know you’re safe and sound.

Stockport County is your team, do you still go?

If it’s kicking off then yes I am 100% SCFC but as mentioned football isn’t really my bag. I did go to quite a few matches with my aforementioned mate and die hard supporter Mark but I’d find myself losing the will to live and would end up watching the weirder fans rather than the action on the pitch. I did see them beat Man City though which was really funny, our end were singing ‘are you County in disguise?’ to a sea of angry ‘Berts’ I believe they’re called.

Are you still DJing?

Since moving house last December I’ve not managed to set my decks up so I’m a bit out of the loop. My mates at ace menswear brand Bound did invite me over to DJ at their pop up event recently in Manchester but they didn’t realise I only spin on vinyl. Which meant I’d spent £100 on eighties gay European disco records in vain and that they no longer reply to my letters begging for a new pair of their cords. Honestly they’re amazing. 

If I was to ask for a favourite shoe would it come from Adidas SPZL range?

Without a doubt the Cote that Gary brought out in around 2016 I think. Around the time of the MCR exhibition I mithered him to reissue the Beach, not knowing that he was already on it with the creation of the Cote. I recently asked him to do an adidas Spezial ‘Bredbury Green’ because that’s pretty much where the UK HQ was when I worked there back in the day and their main offices are still just up the road in Hazel Grove. So watch this space all you fans of Stockport themed sports shoes. If he does another Lancashire based one I’m really going to throw my sambas out of the pram.

What projects have you got on the go these days?

I’ve got my irons in a few pies and my fingers in a couple of fires but my regular gigs are doing the PR for the amazing Swedish outdoor brands Haglofs and Dometic as well as working with the guys at Eddie Bauer. I’m also part of a hiking/climbing collective called Outdoor Licence whose ethos is to demystify the outdoors and get as many people out enjoying the hills as possible. Give us a follow and drop me a line if you fancy going up a hill with us https://www.instagram.com/outdoorlicence/

As Terry Hall once said … How do you feel these days about the Tory government and the shit they’re leading us into …

Oh Terry, why did you have to leave us? Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why? 

When a man who is most famous for his incredibly creepy impersonation of a cat is capable of putting the entire government to shame (both left and right) then it’s a sad day for British politics isn’t it? I feel like we’ve all come to accept corruption and ineptitude as perfectly normal. I’m still amazed that those chinless dickheads who went round in a bus spreading lies about Europe haven’t been hung, drawn and quartered for completely fucking up our economy. I might move back to France, those lads really know how to kick off when it comes to political injustice BRING FORTH THE GUILLOTINE! Speaking of which, have you heard that new Frankie Boyle podcast btw? He should be running the country.

I recall you were one of the first wearing Fjallraven around 20 years ago, is it still a favourite?

I still have one or two vintage pieces but there’s only really room for one Swedish outdoor brand in my life and that’s Haglofs. 

Standardly it’s time to give us your five favourite tunes ..

Ah man that’s kind of impossible but here’s what came to mind immediately….

Redondo Beach – Patti Smith

Kilburn Towers – Bee Gees

Waterfall – Wendy & Lisa

Gates of Heaven – Mary Wallopers

Flashlights (Leo Zero Disco version) – Mica Miller

Have you had a look at the Magnetic book archive by Tony Rivers & James Burnnet?

Yeah it’s terrific innit? I don’t know James but I’ve known Tony since the 80s Casuals forum days in the early noughties so I wasn’t surprised that it was a really in depth and clued up read. I was particularly chuffed to see my mate John Poland had written a piece about a mate of his (from Stockport I might add) who was wearing Stone Island when most of us were still getting our heads around Kappa. Who knew Nick Heywood was a dresser too?

Can you give us an IN and an OUT for this week?

OUT

Telling Emily Maitlis to fuck off when she questions you about Jewish space lazers

VAT

Lee Anderson’s Imagination

Watching Big Brother 

Italian brands sending swag to all your mates (but not you)

Skriking in a hotel

IN

Politely saying’ thank you’ to an American conspiracy theorist when they tell you to fuck off

LSD

Leee John from Imagination

Reading 1984

Rock stars habitually name-dropping you in their podcast (thanks Blossoms)

Hiking with Andy Votel

This will be tough can you give us your five top jackets?

This is the same as music in that I don’t have favourites, but I will tell you what I currently have in heavy rotation on my groaning coat rack….

TNF Purple Label Short Mountain Parka

Fresh Store Frida Fleece

Haglofs LIM ZT Mountain GTX Jacket

Natal Design Big ISDO Jacket

C.P. Company x Barbour Explorer

Have you any plans to tackle any hills or mountains up here in Scotland?

I really really want to go to Skye but haven’t made it there yet. My mate Liam from Edinburgh is an amazing climber and I’d love to go for a hike in the hills with him too though I fear he’d probably take me where I’d end up needing a helicopter and a defibrillator to get home. I might just admire him from afar on instagram instead, check him out, he’s a total legend https://www.instagram.com/liamjscott/

Finally, can you give us the name of your favourite crisps?

This may surprise you but I’m not that fussed about crisps though I am very middle class at least in what I eat if not my bank account. So I’ll say Torres Tapas Fried Egg flavour. De nada x

Thanks for dropping by mate.

My pleasure

To some Celtic is just a club
As silly as it may seem
It captures the imagination
Fulfils aspirations and lifelong dreams

For the global family of Celtic
This club is part of life and inspiration
A switch off from the troubles of life
Can lead you to despair or ecstatic elation

A club where strangers meet
Suddenly become friends
Ride the rollercoaster every week
And see it through till the end

A club that’s steeped in history
With many trophy’s in their cabinet
Many more within their grasp
The Big Cup in ’67 they never will forget

Champions League and Europa
It’s where they aspire to be
Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan
They’re all the same to you and me

Sometimes they may not win
But they always take it with grace
They never give up on their club
A club they shall never disgrace

For those who don’t understand
Why the fans hold this club so dear
Just look at the excitement upon their faces
When they’re winning year after year.

J.J. Whelan

By Philip Thornton 25/10/2023

As usual, it’s down to football fans worldwide to demonstrate their support first for the besieged victims of Israeli fascism in Palestine. Celtic fans, of course, have been at the forefront of this protest and endured the wrath of the FIFA cowards back in 2016 for daring to fly the Palestinian flag.

This highlighted the typical double standards and hypocrisy of the sport’s administrators who are okay with Ukrainian flags being displayed but not Palestinian and symptomatic of the broader political hypocrisy that condemns oppression and slaughter in one country but watches on or provides tacit support for the same crimes in another. The sickening spectacle of our supposedly ‘democracy’ loving political leaders lining up to support the Israelis only intensifies the hatred of those who can see through this charade. In fact, to many Muslim, the response to this will undoubtedly be more support for the jihadists.

Let us be clear, the cynicism and sophistry of those that declare any opposition to Zionism as a form of anti-semitism is to desecrate the memory of those killed by the Nazis during WW2. These self-justifying definitions of ‘anti-semitism’ only silence legitimate criticism and debate about Israeli crimes against humanity. Zionism IS a form of fascism, based on self-imposed racial concepts of ethnic purity, dubious tribal claims to land and religious dogma. It is a falsehood as nauseating and evil as the Nazi ideology that slaughtered 6 million Jews. To deny this form of fascism as any different to that of the Nazis is to repeat that most evil era of human existence. We should be against fascism in any form, whatever disguise it chooses wears.

The football fan community cannot be silenced so easily as our supposed political, religious, intellectual, cultural and sporting ‘leaders.’ Fans don’t bow to the demands of Zionist lobbyists and apologists. The Palestinian flag has been flown at grounds across the world to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people the types of banning orders and restrictions placed upon The Green Brigade and other fan groups will only backfire on those that seek to control the political narrative being spun by our corrupt and bought off media.

HWS invited Commie Lee along to share one of his musings.

By Commie Lee 8th October 2023

A prequel story to the Epic ‘Fun and Frolics’ of the Hibs Casuals saga.

All that follows is entirely fictional and bares no resemblance to anyone living or dead and does not need to be scrutinised by any ‘Bizzy Fuck’ !

‘The Leith Mods’ were never at the Vanguard of any left wing movement and were more interested in Scrapping with Skinheads from neighbouring Edinburgh. Despite fiery left wing Ron Brown’ being their local MP. Some of his left wing confrontationalism must have rubbed off.

It was the early Eighties and the Miners Strike was always in the Headlines. It was all prevalent. Bus loads of outside Policemen would regularly traverse down Leith Walk returning from the flashpoints and heavily policed Coalmines of Bilston Glen and others. It felt that the social drowsiness of the UK was falling apart.

Being Young and the social norm for working class youth to be at odds with the ‘not so local Constabulary’ the Leith Mods would ritualistically stone the passing buses full with Yorkshire Policemen and the like. Being Working class Leithers they had no natural camaraderie with The Police. The direct opposite in fact. Stood to reason !

The Leith Mods kept learning and became very aware of their own prowess. In the early Eighties it seemed that everyone was becoming directly or indirectly politicised.

There was tales of two young Leith Mods disgruntled at a local unscrupulous employer who was known for hiring people for Youth Training Schemes then unceremoniously dumping them at the end of their contracts. Retaliation was justified and the youngsters decided to Petrol Bomb his premises. As you naturally do ? Unfortunately a resulting gas build up saw the Mods being blown unconscious and they served time ! Blessed with bravery if not brains the explosion was epic !

There was the story of a young Leither during ‘Riot Training’ pulling his arm back to throw a bottle of which only resulted in him dousing his parka with lit petroleum ! His mates in an effort to douse the resulting flames rushed for him but being from Leith he assumed his friends were going to give him a beating ?? So he fled from them resulting in a very red faced young Mod running about Victoria Park parka ablaze ! ‘Oh how they later laughed’ !

As the Summer progressed there was strange tales of Parka clad youth engaging in ‘Riot Training’ preparing for imminent ‘class warfare’. The use of ‘Petrol Bombs’ around Leith was becoming all to prevalent.One Mod swears to this day that a surprise visit to his dwelling by the Police led to them finding and securely concealing a pair of petrol soaked leather gloves

Troublesome as they were there, and I’m not suggesting any direct collusion, there was the strange case of a (more) troublesome Rangers supporting family moving into the Fort area of Leith. This ‘Red, White and Blue’ family were in direct contradiction to the Hibs supporting Leith Mods ! One occasion saw a Young Black Mod being viciously beaten this notorious family. They were becoming a real problem in the area. Again I’m not suggesting that ‘Racial Harmony’ was at the fore point of their thoughts but the bloke was a ‘mate’ and this in Leith parlance was ‘sacrosanct’ Retalition was mandatory ! The rascist Rangers supporting family with all that that brought had to go ! To cut a long story short the family were soon Fire bombed out of their home ! The Leith Mods and the local Police had their problems solved !

Times, music and fashions changed as they ultimately do. Bowling Shoes and Desert Boots changed to Adidas trainers and Timberlands. Foes changed from Edinburgh Skinheads to Aberdeen Casuals and the ilk. Trouble had been assured from the off from the Aberdeen Soccer Casuals and the Hibs Casuals, the Capital City Service both battling to be seen as Scotlands Premier Outfit. After a game at Easter Road in one of Scotlands main shopping areas, Princes Street, they clashed ! A solitary flame was ignited and the Aberdeen lot fled as a Petrol Bomb was thrown into their midst. The Aberdeen Casuals were left in no doubt that the Capital City Service wished to claim the Number One spot as their own.

Between You and Me if the full plans for that day had been enacted the Combatants might just be getting released from their Cells now ! Maybe ?

In an interesting aside to all this, a Petrol Bomb being discharged in Scotlands Premier shopping street the press response was strangely muted compared to the frantic hyperbole of the English Press so desperate to tell all who would listen to how crazy their English hooligans were. There seemed to a reluctance to report on how troublesome our own Casuals were. I’m not suggesting that there was any direct collusion between Edinburgh Council and the Lothian and Borders Police in a Major Tourist destination. I doubt whether any of this story would go down well with the Disneyfication of Edinburgh !

It is after all just a made up story ! Wink, wink !

With regards to ‘The Stanley Man’ and ‘Nosferatu’ !

By HWS – August 19th 2023

Team HWS embarked on a day trip to research a cool independent clothing shop owned by the interesting and charismatic Brett Rowden. His store, “It Started in the North,” located on Rose Street in Edinburgh, served as the ideal venue. This conversation had long been overdue and aligned perfectly with our themes of music, fashion, subculture, and football.

Thanks for having us Brett.

Starting here at your shop, very impressive with cool images. I like the mix of threads and vinyl like a perfect gold mine and a place to hang out in. Would you say you have a combination of a mod look and a terrace vibe?

Yes, it essentially represents a mix of subcultures. I know many people dislike this label, but it does evoke a sense of retro style.

So, the name of the shop interests us, I think I’ve heard the quote before. Does it relate to Northern Casuals claiming the scene as their own?

Yes, loosely, it was in a kind of tongue-in-cheek way. It was a bit of a joke until we come up with something different or better. From then, when it was mentioned people seemed to like it and with me having a southern accent and having the shop up here in Scotland it was a bit of humour; people then took to it.

I suppose it makes people curious, and it could mean anything you want. The sign is very effective.

The customers and visitors who come in are often curious, sometimes wondering if it could be related to Northern Soul. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Adding “Edinburgh” to the sign was a great idea that helped clarify its message.

I know you prefer to call it the mod movement but for a young age, how and when did your passion start for this?

Random really, my mum was big into Oasis I suppose it went from there so I was always looking deeper. There were also bands like Ocean Colour Scene and a bit of that Britpop thing. However, luckily where I lived there was always a kind of scene and having central London on your doorstep you have the bars, the shops and the record shops. I was buying records at a very young age and that was an image thing more than anything else as it was when CDs were in the main. I credit a lot of it to where I grew up to be honest with you.

Before I even knew what Mod was I was already interested in the ’60s at a very young age. As I say I like to call it a movement as there have been so many types of music attached to going through the decades. It keeps evolving under a loose banner.

London is probably the best city in the world for these things although I think it can be quite fickle?

Yes, 100% especially with the mod movement. It became very insular within and a lot of criticism led to one-upmanship, I didn’t like that.

How did you see Oasis when they came on the go? For us, it looked like very much a football terrace vibe at first. I’m not sure it was manufactured for them but I personally welcomed that as I was coming out of the club scene so it was good timing.

Definitely, and they took some original terrace and mod looks and evolved them. Although I like the football look a lot of it was quite baggy and that didn’t sit too well with me so I probably went more into the mod look and the knitwear. From then I was reverting back into books and magazines and seeing styles more slim cut and the cool knitwear from the ‘60s. Also, there was a lot more music attached to the mod movements I suppose.

I think I mentioned to you before that the mod revival of ’79 didn’t go down well with me. Perhaps it was just the place I was living in then, but these Mods were very much single dimensional with parkas covered in patches such as targets also boating shoes etc. I actually preferred the punks at nine years old then two-tone came.

Agree 100% clones after watching Qudadrophina. The parkas with patches was perhaps influenced by scooter clubs but I didn’t see that as stylish either.

I think when the casuals started although there may have been a crossover, it was a crossover with the original Mods of the ’60s. The link was the attention to detail.

I’ve heard you speak highly of Paul Wellers – Stanley Road album. Is that up there with your best?

I would say so yes, I think it’s like a lot of albums though where you need to be in the mood for certain ones. I think it’s certainly his best. It was like his big comeback it’s different from his early Jam stuff but shows exactly what he can do and it is very original. That’s the thing with Weller, he might split opinions but his stuff is always authentic.

From there, it’s time to give us your other four favourite albums …

Oasis – Definitely Maybe ,

Marvin Gay – What’s Going On

Artic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not

Jay Z – Beyond Reasonable Doubt

Then while we’re at it, your top favourite clothing labels?

Fred Perry

Lacoste

Gabicci Vintage

Sergio Tacchini

Art Gallery

We connect or football club as always … Celtic is your team also. Do you get to see them much these days?

Not as much as I would like to these days, I was a season ticket holder up until this season but I had to let it go as I wasn’t getting to the games. I had the ticket for a long time and it actually hurts not having it this season.

Do you expect another long period of domination?

I certainly hope so and I can’t see any reason why not. We seem to be quite financially secure and the recruitment has been spot on,

How do you see the present team? Are you pleased with Brendan Rodgers bring back?

Obviously I’m gutted like everyone else that Ange has left but it’s nothing we’ve not been through before and at least BR has a proven record of success at the club. The transfer window hasn’t exactly filled me with confidence so far, particularly in regards to Europe, but it’s still early days so all we can do is get behind him and the team. One thing I was encouraged by was him signing a three year contract, simply because it shows that the board are looking to make a real long-term investment in him – now they need to back that up with signings!

Returning to the threads. I have recently discussed those early Skinheads with Terry Farley and others on how smart they were in the Ivy League look and of course very mixed race, very cool. Would you agree those Skins were an off-cut Mod back then?

Again it’s that evolvement, I think it was very much working class with a smart representation of yourself. And you mention the Ivy thing, to me that will always be amazing. I mean UK working-class kids finding Ivy League shirts, I mean how cool is that. From affluent American university types. Same with the Italian knitwear the working class kids were perhaps from the polar opposite but they went after the threads. And you mention the mixed-race element, a lot of it was Jamaican music and a lot of Caribbean communities had well integrated and their styles had started filtering through such as pork pie hats and loafers.

I know, Skinheads would never have existed without its black influence.

No! And amazingly elements of it were highjacked by the far-right stuff, but yeah it certainly came from Caribbean music and style. I liked Shane Meddows’ thing – ‘This is England ’86’ it didn’t shy away from the racist element but it also put a massive negative portrayal on it at the same time.

In conversation with A State of Mind, you talked about Fred Perry and its continuous thread through subcultures. I’ve started wearing it again as I see it as a staple possibly for that reason. It’s been mentioned that the casuals dumped Fred Perry for Lacoste. This isn’t factual either. It’s always been there. Northern Casuals wore it under the name Perry Boys. I believe it’s how you wear it?

Completely agree, you get certain people trying to make out they were or are the trendsetters and style makers and because Fred Perry is popular it’s easy to think I have moved on from that. And as you say it was more Northern Casual thing. It was worn with a skinhead or a wedge haircut. But if you look at a lot of old photo books from images from the late 60s and 70s, what’s the recurring brand … it has to be Fred Perry. I mean it’s been questioned if there is such a thing as subcultures now but you look at the 100 Club in London with the bands and their influence. They actually secured the existence of the 100 Club. So, if you want to identify one brand with a subculture then it is Fred Perry.

https://www.the100club.co.uk/fred-perry-100-club/

And yes as you say it is how you wear it. Not everyone may agree but I think there are certain brands or heritage styles that do things better. For example, Fred Perry does the best polo in my opinion whereas a tracksuit I don’t think they do the best; but Sergio does a better tracksuit. Another example would be a Fred Perry hoody might be seen as less of a definition piece but a cardigan or polo more defined. The Made in England range is the best though I think, that’s the M12 polos although slightly more expensive.

Gabbici is another label you stock, this is a favourite of mine also. It also had a crossover with a few countercultures. From Mod, the early Casuals even the London Cabbies?

I associate the Gabbici knitwear with the original London casuals more. Although

Did you go much on the club scene when staying in London, was that your thing?

Yes and no, not overly. I did go but I wouldn’t say I was a clubber. I think I was more into bands and sitting in cool bars talking about this stuff. I think the best days of the club scene were probably before my time to be honest.

That brings us to the last question, did you go much on Andy Weatherall?

Absolutely, 100% yes, when we’re here chatting about clothes he was so innovative with all. What he done with Primal Scream he produced Screamadellica anyone who is innovative like that deserves credit. Then there’s the early Boys Own stuff, I think his legacy speaks for itself. The reaction when had passed away says it all. He broke down barriers.

Cheers, Brett, we could have chatted all day but thanks for having us mate.

Pleasure

It Started in the North can be found at 107-109 Rose Street Edinburgh. Website: https://itstartedinthenorth.co.uk/

*my purchases for the day were the Green Sergio Dallas and Gabicci Linekar long-sleeved polo

By Philip Thornton 31st July 2023

Like most things, we can lay the blame for the Saudi’s sports-washing agenda firmly at the door of British imperialists.

Back in the First World War, Britain fomented Arab nationalism in order to undermine the Turks who had sided with the Germans. The newly confederated Kingdom of Saudi Arabia quickly established itself as the dominant force on the Arabian peninsula and when oil was discovered in the 30s found itself in a position of economic and military importance that it was courted by the very nations that once despised their race and religion.

The double standards and hypocrisy of the west demonstrated in Israel and Yemen, Syria and Ukraine only exposes the nauseating lies of ‘war to protect democratic freedoms’.

Yeah! As long as there are billions in arms contracts and fossil fuels to export them the noble NATO freedom fighters are prepared to look the other way.

The Saudis can murder, torture, slaughter at will but those evil bag men in the Stick Exchanges of London and New York can wash that money clean and award themselves even bigger bonuses and share dividends.

Footballers are hardly the most intelligent or moral of people. Are the players signing for Saudi clubs now betraying say LGBT fans? They don’t really care if there’s £700k a week on offer and it’s still those at the end of their careers going there as they did in the US and China.

If Mbappe signed and gave up Champions League football then maybe there’d be more of an outcry but despite the creeping colonisation of international sport by oil rich sheikhs and assorted oligarchs and franchise fuckwits there’s still a slim sliver of hope that fan power can stave off total corruption.

FIFA, EUFA, tge FA/SFA are all tarnished. They exist only to maximise their own salaries/backhanders and exploit the game as a global entertainment brand.

Fan power can still make a difference. Celtic fans have taken up the Palestinian cause and rightly won lots of friends eager to dismantle the apartheid of Zionism. Liverpool fans let their republican sympathies show at Wembley and became once again the enemy within of our free speech loving media.

I don’t care if Man United are taken over by an oil- rich Arab or a strike busting Mancunian, both are as rotten as each other.

The game WILL implode at some point. The weight of obscene wages, corrupt administration and incompetent ownership will bring it down. The sooner, the better.

By Tony B — 18th June

I don’t buy the Daily Mail, I don’t read the Daily Mail and I have that particular publication muted on social media.

As far as I am aware, they are the only mainstream UK newspaper to have been banned as a source by Wikipedia for being ‘generally unreliable’. To put that into context, Russia Today, the Russian State media news channel and propaganda outlet for Vladimir Putin regime, is still considered an acceptable citation for Wikipedia articles. Quite the achievement. 

Every once in a while, though, my attention is drawn to a headline that piques my curiosity and draws me in. Credit where it’s due, their subbies certainly earn their dough with their headers.

This morning I had a couple of folk alert me to an article by Gary Keown with a headline that suggested Brendan Rodgers period as Celtic Manager between 2016 and 2019 was somehow a failure. It’s an interesting take on a man who won precisely 100% of the domestic trophies available to him in that timeframe and left his successor well placed to see out the league title and in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup en route to the 3rd of 4 consecutive domestic trebles.

The fear and pain at the prospect of Rodgers potential return was palpable throughout every paragraph. I think its fair to say that the prospect of a Rodgers return has ruined the summer for poor Gary.

It was an astonishing article and an incredible attack on a top class manager, who only be desribed as a failure by a failure if you were either deranged or a completely bitter man. I’ll let Gary decide which one of those categories he belongs to. Perhaps both, eh Gaz?

I’ll dissect the thrust of Keown’s article in a bit more detail in a minute, but a brief look back at some earlier articles give the indication that Gary might not exactly be objective in his outlook when it comes to Celtic.

The most astonishing thing about the article? It was based on a hypothetical scenario that exists only in the authors head. Unless I have missed a significant media release from Celtic, no managerial appointment has been made and there have certainly been no pronouncements from Brendan Rodgers on his European ambitions and looking to lead Celtic to a European final within 5 years. As I said to my old man this morning when speaking to him about it, one person who won’t be privy to internal discussions between Celtic and any managerial candidates and the fine detail of their contracts is Gary Keown.

Keown hasn’t always worked for an outlet deemed too unreliable for citation by Wikipedia. Back in 2015 he had unfettered access to Mark Warburton and The Rangers in his days with the Glasgow Times. The Rangers were still stuck in the 2nd tier of Scottish football in those days and in October 2015 (after 10 games) Keown had seen enough of then Manager, Mark Warburton, to decide that it was a huge coup for the Govan club to have him and that he wasn’t long for Scottish football and would be lured south, citing Fulham as a possible destination where their then gaffer, Kit Symons, was under pressure and would soon be dismissed.

Keown wasn’t alone in getting ahead of himself about the Rangers gaffer with fellow reporters touting him as a future England Manager. It’s a peculiar outlook that defines successas being 10 games unbeaten in the Scottish Championship whilst deeming a man who has had unparalleled domestic success as being a failure.

The following year, after seeing the much-vauntedWarburton side easily dismantled 5-1 going on 7 or 8 in the first Glasgow derby of the season, Keown delivered a puff piece ahead of the teams meeting in the semi final of the League Cup making all manner of excuses for their performance in that game and outlining how it’d be different and that we’d see the ‘real Rangers’ in the upcoming tie.

Rangers got out of Hampden with a 1-0 defeat but even the most ardent Rangers fan would concede that the scorelineflattered them as Celtic dominated and outclassed their opponents that day. It was as comprehensive a 1-0 win as you are likely to see.

Warburton never lasted too much longer and moved south back into obscurity. Keown, too, was also on the move from his employ with a Wiki credible newspaper to the ‘generally unreliable’ Daily Mail. In 2020, he penned an excitable article outlining how Steven Gerrard winning the title as Manager with Rangers would eclipse his achievements in Istanbul where he dragged his Liverpool team from a 3-0 half time deficit to become Champions of Europe.

Time and again Keown has shown he is simply incapable of objectivity in his reporting of Scottish football and bashes up an article which reads like something lifted from Follow Follow. Maybe it’s fitting then that he works for an outlet deemed less likely than Russia Today to be capable of accurate reporting. A joke reporter working for a joke organisation.

As for today’s article, where the hell do you start? I don’t routinely (well, ever) respond to articles from the SMSM. Life is too short. After a blether with HWS though, I agreed to fire over my response. I doubt Keown will ever see this, but he’ll probably consider it job done given the attention his article has received elsewhere across social media.

For a start, Rodgers would know – unlike Keown – that following this season, clubs will no longer drop down from the Champions League to the Europa.

I’ve already covered that the premise of the article was based on a fictitious version of events by Keown where Brendan Rodgers had stated he would lead Celtic to a Euro final in 5 years despite the fact he is yet to be appointed for a 2nd spell at Celtic Park and no such statement of ambition has ever been mentioned.

Lets face it, the only realistic potential route to a European Final for Scottish clubs remains via the Europa League or the Conference League.

After this season, participation in either competition would mean domestic failure for Celtic and would almost certainly see Rodgers replaced before the following seasons euro journey commenced such are the standards at the club.

Keown followed this by stating that Rodgers failed in his first (and as yet, only) stint at Celtic Park. How winning every possible trophy available to him can be construed as a failure is simply beyond comprehension.

You could draw parallels with Walter Smith and his first spell in charge of Rangers where Rangers were routinely embarrassed in Europe at a time where the gap between the big 5 leagues and the rest was nowhere near as vast as it is today. If anyone was to suggest that Walter Smith was a failure then they’d quite rightly be laughed at and dismissed as a bitter halfwit whose opinion could simply not be taken seriously. Smith won 7 titles in 8 years with 3 League Cups and 3 Scottish Cups.

For the bulk of that time he was up against a Celtic team on its knees because of the incompetence of the Kellys and Whites. Was it Rangers fault that Celtic were a shambles on and off the park? Of course not.

There was no invincible treble, no double treble and more from Smith as Rodgers managed to achieve. Was Walter Smith a failure, Gary? Of course he fucking wasn’t. Starting to see how foolish you look now?

Smith was understudy to Jim McLean at Dundee United when they made the European Cup semi final against Roma, he was assistant to Alex Ferguson at Mexico 86 and had won the European Youth Championship with Scotland under 18s in 1982. His Assistant, Archie Knox was at Aberdeen under Alex Ferguson when they won the Cup Winners Cup against Real Madrid. 2 proper football men. Did Rangers underachieve in Europe in the 90s? Probably, but Smith and Knox were far from failures. However, Keown’s logic would dictate otherwise.

The prospect of Brendan Rodgers returning to Celtic was first mooted on Monday afternoon as Ange Postecoglu move to Spurs neared completion. Poor Gary, he’s clearly been distraught at the thought of this for nearly a week to deliversuch a poisonous, hate filled article. He refers to ‘crash barriers’, dropped in cutely enough for him to plead plausible deniability if challenged on use of a term that is rhyming slang for a sectarian slur used by some of the more extreme elements amongst the Rangers support.

The rest of the article is so full of inaccuracies, half truths and bitterness its incredible that it wasn’t spiked by the editorial team – even for a publication noted for being ‘generally unreliable’.

He also bizarrely manages to shoehorn a reference to a proposed Celtic tour of Japan in 2008 as somehow having any relevance to Brendan Rodgers who wouldn’t turn up at Celtic Park for another 8 years. Again, Gary’s pain at yet another title triumph for Celtic still causes him hurt even though 15 years have passed. What Gary omits to mention is that the league that year was extended for the only time in its history for the sole benefit of one club. No such offer was available, nor expected 5 years earlier when Celtic also reached the UEFA Cup Final.

It was an article riddled with contrived negativity and one that betrayed the fear of its author and his almost acceptance that Celtic will continue to dominate the domestic landscape for the foreseeable future should Brendan Rodgers indeed seal his Celtic return in the coming days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left leg in, left leg out! Shake it all about with the Friday IN and OUT!
In conjunction with David Rosling productions.
It won’t be televised; for social media platforms only.

IN:

Debating the best chippie in Rosyth/Dunfermline area.

That Beautiful Sunday song with changed lyrics.

Big Ange

Bouncing about in the singing section at 53

Koyogo doing his thang

The marvellous Craig Gallagher

Blasting and singing the SAM song by Irish Brigade

Lisbon Lions anniversaries .

Deciding to wear Nike Omega Flash again.

The sinister emergence of hooligan darts crews.

Twatting anyone who says ‘bants’

Twatting anyone who says ‘nom nom’

Fi Gal an inspirational individual.

The marvellous John Gilmartin

The marvellous Jamie Devine

35 year reunions.

Pottering around the garden and twirling yer compost bin.

Pottering around the attic and finding the original copy of the bible.

Stevie Gerrard becoming a complete roaster.

Big Boots Big Toots.

Cold Water exposure – beak in reverse

Gene Gallagher wearing the Hoops.

Beard Gardens (you only get in with a beard)

Days out not nights out.

Doing a runner from Pizza Hut in Windsor and shouting ‘cheers now’

Arthur Shelby being a Tim

OUT:

Thinking yer 10 years younger than everyone!

John Lundstram — Ninja assassin

The cost of living

SEVVIE’s singing ‘we hate Kaffliks’ in the middle of Spain and seen as just a Cirry oan

Teeth suckers in the workplace, not my job attitude ae life!

Saying ‘thingio an that ‘

Normal looking lips.

Fuzzy hair styles in Old Swan.

Man buns, shit clobber.

People telling you ‘so I got them telt’ when they telt them f*ck all!

Hibby Gammon heads

The ‘so a turned around and said’ quote

SEVCO Herrenvolk Hurbis attitude.

Anything by Simply Red or Meatloaf.

Having a ball without a ball in sight.

That ‘build me up buttercup’ song on the radio every half hour.

Nazi hipsters.

Thinking you’re Tony Montana after a few stripes

Hiding from the ‘online’ delivery fella, as you have severe beer-fear.

Hangsxiety

That’s it for this week. Eay yer greens, switch everything off at night. Keep on Keeping on. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre and yer off.
Cheers now.

Come and see the team at HWS Towers, 96 Holywell Street next to Celtic Park, get yersels roond.

By J Whelan 17 March 2023

The water looked deep and inviting as we sat staring at the flowing waterfall with our bloodshot eyes. We had been there for over four hours now and how time had flown. The whole gang was there reminiscing all our exploits of the past. It had been a few years since we had all met up, on this occasion we had been at the funeral of a dear friend and decided to re-live our youth and return to a spot of our past where many a happy night was spent drinking and laughing around the fire, with the occasional fight thrown in for good measure. We had returned to our own special place “THE FALLS”.

We were a bunch of scallywags, who were brought up in and around the local council estates throughout our small mining village, where if you were lucky your parents worked for a living or unlucky they lived off the state, we never had much money, but we were happy and we made our own fun. A great bunch of guys, who like all others, had some fantastic stories to tell about one another and some even better ones about ourselves as we moved on through our journey of life.

Now Jimmy Lorenzo he is the real charmer of all the guys. He’s always seen himself as a bit of a Jack Palance type of guy, you know, a ladies man, but if truth be told he’d be better off pulling pints than birds.
We were in London on this occasion when he and I decided to go out on the town after work (with our bricklaying gear on). As we sat in bar after bar getting more and more inebriated by the minute we decided it was time to hit our local and give the ladies a little taste of our charm. (We could hardly understand each other by this time). We sat at the bar nonchalantly giving signals to each other deciding it was time for us to make our way to the Grand Piano which was situated right in the middle of a raised platform on the dance floor. We proceeded to hush the adoring crowds that had gathered to hear us and meandered off into a somewhat incoherent rant of Dean Martins “Little Ole Wine Drinker”, which amazingly had a great effect on Lorenzo’s pulling power in that public house for the rest of his career in London. After our gratuitous standing ovation like two cowboys we proceeded to return to our perch when all of a sudden the wheels fell off our wagon and crash bang, there was I head smashed off the bar foot rail with blood pouring from me with Jimmy Lorenzo lying on top of me still singing. After a little TLC from a couple of lady friends we continued drinking into the wee small hours of the morning….

Dusty (RIP) was an introverted type of character who never liked anyone getting too close to him, for reasons only he will ever know. He was a very generous guy who would have given his all to help you, even if he had nothing.
I could go on and on about this guy but this is one story that really sticks in my mind.
We were only young around seventeen at the time, he had always been the type of a Jack the lad character with a bit of this and a bit of that and always had cash. He had just procured a large cash windfall and decided he wanted a car. Here am I sitting in the house this day, when a horn blasts outside and gracing the pavement with its presence was BIG GUS (cars pet name). A 3.5 litre vintage Rover Coupe fully equipped with leather interior, cocktail cabinet the lot. My eyes lit up (it’s a council estate we lived in). So there we were cruising around our little town in this working mans Rolls Royce that was possibly better equipped than some of the houses our neighbours lived in, with our Buckfast, Eldorado and anything alcoholic that would fit into that cocktail cabinet. Time stood still that day for us when Dusty departed this mortal soil. But life goes on……….

Oh now we have Reggie the complete opposite of the latter who would talk the ears off Dumbo and return to sell him a hearing aid? An in your face very opinionated type of guy, but very lovable character.
This is a great story as it involved quite a few of the boys to set it up, we had been out and about doing our usual Saturday drinking starting in Maxwells on to Teddy’s and on this day we decided to venture across the river to one of the more affluent public houses Angels, and as it was a fine sunny day to have ourselves a little go at these things they called a beer garden. Our town had never seen the likes. After another long tiresome slog on the beer we decided it was time for a party, so off we set to Eddie’s bachelor pad with drinks a plenty. We were all rather inebriated by this time and as time went on some started drifting off to sleep. Reggie having being the first one to have a little nap was therefore to be the first to face the consequences of whatever dreaded deed was in store from the cunning “Prankster Police”, so lying there on the sofa with his flowing locks of black hair and six inch quiff he was a prime target for the scissor brigade. (I cannot name names here as it was collective prank and to this day still frustrates and angers Reggie when we mention it.) So out came the kitchen scissors and off came the quiff, which was then placed strategically upon his head. Upon awakening we heard the screams and I could not think to mention the language that was used and to our own hilarity he had to trim the rest of it to look presentable as we had another big day of entertainment ahead of us and nothing would have stopped him from attending that…….

I have not forgotten about Noodles who incidentally has too many nicknames to mention. A very smooth character that walks with that swagger that has a little grace yet cheekiness about it. A dapper chap as the gentry would say and very straight laced, well that was up until this fateful day.

Noodles had not long arrived in the Smoke and began working the hod with the rest of the guys but decided enough is enough and had to move on to pastures new. Now you are talking a guy who was living with a millionaire’s daughter in very salubrious area in Bromley in Kent and bringing cucumber sandwiches to work while we were pot licking with cheese. Anyway he lands a new job with large men’s clothes retailer as a manager. Everything is going great guns until one day in walks Dusty (remember him) with of couple of cockney geezers, they get talking and acquainted and one thing leads to another it turns out that these guys are a couple of grifters who are friends of the shady Dusty. The question is does Noodles accept their offer or go home to millionaire’s row looking like Tyson’s punch bag? Well to cut a very long story short in the end everything turned out great and I believe everyone was a winner as his shop sales went through the roof, he got manager of the month, the guys were kitted out for virtually nothing and for every dodgy credit card that was declined at the shop after it was maxed out Noodles got a £50 reward. Result…………

Fred and Bob well, this has to be done as a double act as one could out do another with character, charisma, cheek, petulance and last but not least madness. I think this defines these guys’ characters.
This unfortunately is another London story but sums these two guys up. After getting a knock on my door about 5pm one Friday evening only to be confronted by two friends who could pass for Laurel and Hardy anytime as they proceeded to tell me all about their journey down from Glasgow to Ashford and crashing the car because they were arguing, not because they were drunk and they couldn’t see. Well after “TELLING” me they were staying for a few days, we set out on yet another drunken escapade to our local hostelries, every barman got a little character assassination in the true Fred and Bob style (shut it ya dick). We ended up in our local Chinese where everything comes with peas (I was defined by my Chinese friend as the without the peas man). Anyway one of the local hard men was in there terrorising everyone just for the sake of it. He starts going around everyone asking what team they supported and everyone supported Arsenal or Spurs etc. until Bob pipes up and ask the hard man. What team do you support? The hard man replies “PALACE”, Bob replies, what “BUCKINGHAM”. The whole place fell about laughing and the little hard man left with his head hanging low, he had been out witted and out smarted by Fred and Bob in true Blantyre style…….

As a collective bunch of guys we all lived in the same rented house during a period in our life, well let’s just say there was a lot of UB40 and Bob Marley going on and life was very herbal and loads of free love.
We would all sit in the front lounge slightly worse for wear and as we had lost the remote control for the TV we would cut cards to see who was turning the TV over (it was actually quicker to turn the TV over as it was a longer walk to cut the cards. It was a principle thing). This particular evening the world cup was on so it was game after game and we were preparing dinner etc. Studs decided to go for a bath and Jimmy Lorenzo (remember him) decided to put the fryer on and the crispy pancakes under the grill for our dinner. We all sat down to watch Ireland play and chill out with a couple of herbal cigarettes. “What about the dinner?” Boney said. We smelled the aroma of burning plastic over the pungent herbal smell and all rushed to the kitchen to find it ablaze, we were running around in a stoned sort of frenzy, looking for buckets, pots anything to put water in, to put the blaze out. Studs who was lying in the bath in another planet was subject to attack from five crazy guys with basin, bowls anything that could hold water, taking water out of his bath to douse the flames in the kitchen only for him to say “What’s Happening Man”. When all the smoke and flames had dispersed the cooker had all but melted, the kitchen was black with smoke and was not habitable, so we decided to paint the hall to keep the landlord sweet, keep the kitchen door closed for the remainder of our tenancy (one month) and buy a microwave for the living room. We still never found that remote control and we thought it better just to moonlight the day before our lease was up and forfeit our deposit. We had some strange funny times……

Then there was the was the night when Nolly, The Colonel and Big Archie were out partaking in a bit of fishing with a rather large carry oot into the early hours of the morning. Packing up the fishing gear they decided they needed more drink and as the pubs were closed they decided it was Archie’s house for more drink. As the evening progressed the Colonel feared it was time to go home, so off he set, but as Nolly lived in Hellhouse he was carefully put up on the camp bed in Archie’s living room. Now as Nolly was renowned for, let me put it politely wetting the bed Big Archie warned him, “Remember Nolly nae pishing the bed.” Nolly’s reply “OK big Guy,” and all went to bed. Three O’clock prompt and Nolly (Marine Boy) wakes up to discover, yes, you’ve guessed it, he pished the bed. In a panic he decides to put the mattress next to the fire to dry and duly fall asleep on the couch.
Seven o’clock dawns and Archie’s wife and kids get up for work and school only to open the door to be engulfed by a pungent pishy smell and steam filled room from the drying mattress, with eyes nipping and gasping for air they had to flee to the back door for air. As Archie ventures down the stair Nolly wakes up from all the commotion as says “what’s all the fuss the mattress is dry,” as Archie flies at him Nolly grabs a can of cider and scurries out the front door like a rat deserting a sinking ship. Needless to say Nolly was never a guest in Archie’s abode ever again……

Ned is a very funny guy but doesn’t really know it, (if you know what I mean). Ned worked in the same place for twenty years and carried out the same toil day after day and led a funny but normal life for a single man. He and I had a great times together over a period of years, getting up to all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Ned was always late for work and had used every excuse in the book; alarm didn’t go off, granny died etc. He was in the middle of a disciplinary for his time keeping (again) when low and behold we had been out on the lash on the Sunday and I had crashed at his and he had overslept for work once again. He wakes up and having a nightmare of trying to put his clothes on, brush his teeth and wash his face he sprints out the door half an hour late. In his wisdom decides to take a short cut to work along the railway track to make up time, this being the middle of summer the grass at the railway was about six feet tall. He arrives at work and upon clocking in the gaffer gets a grip of him and said “OFFICE NOW”. No one ever found out what was said in that office but on returning to the local hostelry that evening as part of a single mans ritual, I asked him what was said, his reply to the patrons of that hostelry was, “when the gaffer asked me why I was late this time I said, “This time it’s the truth I got lost in the long grass and had walked right past the work”. The gaffer fell about laughing and told him he had heard it all now and let him off. (The whole pub was creased up with laughter) The mans a legend………

Barney, (RIP) Dusty, (RIP) Crock (RIP) and Hawky decided this day to dog school (play truant) like they did on many other occasions throughout their schooldays. So off they went on a grand adventure down to the local woods (The Cauther) to have themselves a full day of undisrupted fun. After playing around the boredom set in, so the mischief set in, they decided to wander up onto the street and low and behold outside the first public house they came across were a beer delivery truck. (Teenage delinquent’s dreams come true)They lay in wait for the driver and his boy to return to the pub for their customary drink from the landlord before they departed. As the truck was unattended it was easy prey for these young scallywags to help themselves. Up onto the truck Barney goes and throws off a barrel of beer and they rolled it off into the bushes, the unsuspecting driver jumps into his truck and drives away. “Result” says, Dusty, “but how are we going to move it in daylight”, “no problem” says Crock “we will return when it’s dark with my bogie.” Later that night the barrel is placed on the bogie (without the help of Hawky who they have decided to double cross) and they returned to Dusty’s house to go about the deed of emptying it.
In the kitchen of the house the barrel was placed on a table raised from the floor on a towel, the big screw top lid was off, the Alpine bottles were at the ready and the hose was in place to start siphoning the beer out. In the meantime Dusty’s mum and dad and two brothers were in the living room nonchalantly watching TV (very understanding parents). As the bottles filled up and the beer kept flowing, on numerous occasions throughout the evening Dusty’s dad was called into action to place his mouth over the hose so as not to spill any beer on the floor. The evening ended with all a little merry and Dusty’s dad got a few bottles of beer for his trouble not to mention about ten pints of overspill from the hose. Hawky never got to find out what happened to that barrel of beer until years later.

As the embers of the fire flicker and dawn approaches we are all heavy eyed as the talking and reminiscing has been concluded. We can only reflect and say, should we have chosen another path to go down, what would we have changed, would it have been for better or worse, we could be here along time …………….

To be continued with many more characters………..

By HWS 17th March 2023

Sometimes nostalgia and wistful reflection take you back to places that carry heritage. I believe that the loss of personal bohemia causes nostalgia. Although it can be mentally draining it’s what attracts the next generations.

“The Dean” is what it was – what it is and will forever be. The names the same.

You can sense the history in the ground and even more so in the club room. Families of generations have had functions here from the ‘60s rock n roll through to ‘70s Tony Christie and later dance music DJs including some renowned names such as Andy Weatherall, Danny Rampling and Slam. It seems like everything starts and finishes here. The stand here shown above is not just “the stand” it is a major player in the town of Galashiels. I have had family and neighbourhood links at the club since I was born, from Les Cossar right through to Kenny Nicol and onwards. I can still hear Wullie Noble saying: “hold it kid … coo on the line” and ” smashing fellie one of the all-time greats”. Those memories are vivid.

The local football club Gala Fairydean merged with Gala Rovers back in 2013. I had affection for both. However, they were always connected and in fact, the Gala Fairydean Rovers was first formed in 1894. In 1907 the club was separated into two teams, known as Gala Fairydean and Gala Rovers. It had been suggested that the Rovers were the Fairydean’s feeder team or reserve team in days gone by. Nevertheless, they are back as one.

The stand is a topic which in recent times has had many discussions. Personally, I am more than happy to know it has been maintained and saved. However, it had fallen into disrepair recently and had to shut down on safety grounds in 2018. Major repairs were approved on this football stand described as an “outstanding” example of the work of modernist architect Peter Womers designed the structure here at Gala Fairydean Rovers’ Netherdale ground in the 1960s. Scottish Borders Council granted planning permission for a £1.45m overhaul and upgrade. This construction has always felt quite unique to me, I have always viewed it as something well ahead of its time, very much a construct you would see in a continental football ground.

The Club is being run extremely well and I was welcomed along by Debi, Ryan and Coco they are family as is Paul Bertram who has been around the club all his life from being a young ball boy and is now considered a pillar of the club. Adam McGlory is still here and has also been involved in the club for decades. Then there’s Bruce Noble, the Wilsons, Tam Cass and not mention Jim Gray, I managed to get a chat with him in the VIP room at half-time.

That’s the beauty of this heritage it is very much community and family-based. As the saying goes “the more things change, the more they stay the same” but that’s how I like this.

Among all of this, the club has progressed very well. There has been a state-of-the-art pitch recently laid and new floodlights the facilities are one of the best in the lowland league – if not thee best. I must mention the pies! Much like Walters in the ’70s, they are magic.

The most humorous part of the afternoon was Ryzo phoning Debi to switch the floodlights on and then naming it “the big light”

As we always used to say “get Yersel doon!” and of course “Get involved”

Article dedicated to Ian Frizzel