Football and Music

News article here about Robbie Williams and the football team he set up in Los Angeles. He’s disbanding them because a couple of “mates” on the team, who also kipped on his couch, have scammed Williams out of £200,000. Don’t know which of them it was. Additionally: An Observer Sport Monthly interview with Robbie done before all this happened.

Thanks to the prediction league player MickMills I have more songs about Ipswich Town than I care to own, but he is a loyal supporter of the club and who knew that there was so much footie and musical songs dedicated to them.

Another mini collection I’ve got going is (unsurprisingly) from Liverpool. Not just the Anfield Rap. A low moment even for them. Because of the amount of items from or about just the one team I’ll be doing a Liverpool theme week in the future. So any non-supporters of them if you want to…
No don’t switch off. Stay and have a listen to what they offer, it is interesting and you’ve never heard some of it before.

If the featuring of these songs annoys you then fight back ! Stand up for your club and email me with evidence of your teams vocal prowess.

Before all that I want to highlight one song about Ipswich. It ties in with the current news that a mystery investor has just become the majority shareholder of the club. Pretty boy Sheepshanks stays as chairman though.

Sheepshanks… Why is it every time I read that name I hear the chant in my head: “SHEEPSHANKS OUT !”
There was a time I think when he wasn’t all that popular and now with a new bloke holding the purse it will be interesting to see what happens if they get up to the Prem. Going by their current form it is looking favourable for them. But I’ll say no more because I don’t want to jinx them.

I’ve gone on a tangent there. Back to the main subject:
A local band who are fans of the team have re-recorded an old Ipswich song in order to raise funds for the M/S Society.

Research into Multiple Sclerosis is a cause close to my heart. My Dad had M/S and I would do anything in order to help them.

The band are called The Ballistics and they are self described Ska Tossers. The old Ipswich song they covered is one originally recorded by “Edward Ebeneezer and Supporters”.

I can’t find much more info about them than that. It is a classic down Portman Road and the fans still sing it. Originally released in the 70’s it is a singalong song which seems to run out of lyrics near the end. (I could insert a joke about keeping it simple for the Town fans, but I won’t).

The Ballistics version of the song isn’t online for listening anywhere yet, so until then have a taste of the original:

Edward Ebeneezer and Supporters - Come On The Town:

No downloads of this track, if you like it enough you can buy it for yourself but I urge people - especially the Town supporters to purchase the CD from The Ballistics.

More info can be found at:

- http://www.itisc.org.uk/news.htm

- http://www.oxfordmusic.net/product.php?link=new&id=1733

I have some exclusive celebrity gossip. You’ll not see this in the National Enquirer. Only on here.

It is about the erstwhile drink/drugs/party all the time Lindsay Lohan.

Did you know that she is an immortal and the real reason that she checks into rehab clinics is to get a blood changes so she can regenerate. Her last few visits have only been for top-up’s, previous to this she was in deep rehab for about 20 years. Hidden away at a clinic in deepest darkest Wales.

We in Blighty saw her before that, back in 1986 when she was on the telly once a week at tea-time. As we sat there watching, eating our plates of corned beef and chips on our laps, Ms Lohan, or Julie Foy as she was calling herself back then, was playing a character in Jossy’s Giants.

S’true. She is one and the same. I swear my season ticket to Dudley F.C on it.

Linds..sorry… Julie played the part of Tracey Gaunt, who always got the team out of the trouble they always seemed to themselves in every week, as demonstrated in the video clip here.

[This paragraph contains links to pictures which will popup when you click on them]
The Glipton Grasshoppers, renamed as Glipton Giants AFC, were managed by an ex-footie pro - one Joswell ‘Jossy’ Blair, who’s playing career at Newcastle read: Played: 1, Scored: 0. In fact he didn’t finish playing that 1, he sustained a knee injury in the match. An injury which stopped him playing football ever again. After his forced retirement Jossy opened a sports shop and agreed to manage a local hopeless football team. Yeah I know they’ve got Big Sam and the SuperOwen, but still… Runours that Glenn Roeder used to watch episodes before picking the team are unfounded.

The comedy/drama only ran for two series, which just like a newly promoted club down the M4 there, started out brightly but faded on the second season. - It was when they started noticing girls and paid less attention to their football.

The show was notable because it was the creation of the darts commentator Sid Waddell, better known now, probably to his annoyance, for his voice-over in the Orange Tango adverts.
I don’t know… a darts commentator writing a children’s drama… you’ll be telling me next that an ex-Spurs and England manager wrote a 70’s detective series…

Other notables were the appearances of Sir Bobby Charlton and a very wooden Bryan Robson (”How could you tell ?!)

Another character on the show was Bob Nelson, a local bookie and a part-time DJ. When he was on the disco he looked like this.
» From the Bob Nelson’s disco page a track which Bob played all the time:

» Art Of Noise - Close To The Edit

Extra Time:
- Download/listen to the theme tune and other sound clips here.

- Did you know there is a real Jossy’s Giants F.C. They play in the Winchester & District Sunday League Premier Division.

Thanks to DaveC for the submission

Flavio Briatore has just appointed De Canio as the new boss of QPR. No not the fascist saluting Di Canio, who Barthez once called a cab for him, but the ex-Siena coach. (Specialist subject - saving teams from relegation.) QPR are currently in the bottom 3 of the old 2nd Division - with Crystal Palace and Norwich - things are looking grim for all of them.

We go over to the Sports Desk and Brian Collins with the round up and results…