Football and Music » JohnPeel

Football and Peelie

Webbie - Footie And Music — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:01:30 +0000

October 25th: We are #KeepingItPeel

Today is October 25th.

Today is a solemn day, but not for long. Because we don’t mope here. We celebrate.

Celebrate and commemorate a life less ordinary and one that touched hundreds… thousands… dare I say it – millions of people.

But not because of what he did, well yes partly… more because of the music he played.

I’m not going to start listing all the bands/artists he played. Just pick a letter and see for yourself.

Peelie impacted and influenced my life more than I could say. This is why I started the #KeepingItPeel project. Initially the idea was that we – the people who listened – that we show our appreciation. Then the podcasts came along because once again the BBC, as the did with the John Peel Day and with a podcast – they abandoned them.

This is why it’s vitally important that all of us continue with #keepingitpeel today and every day. This year and every year.
Not just with the Peel Sessions, but by going out and finding new music. Listening to the new upcoming bands.

Right I’ve prattled on enough. It’s time that I added my contribution to #keepingitpeel today:

As you would expect with a football and music website – plus with John Peel himself being a big football fan, guess what this special edition podcast is about… Yes that’s right. Flower arranging.

My source for this podcast, as it is with all the #KeepingItPeel podcasts is the very excellent John Peel Wiki.

As everyone knows John was a huge Liverpool fan, going as far not only getting married in Liverpool colours, but by giving his children middle names associated with the club.

The podcast today has items featured on the football section of the John Peel Wiki, as well as material taken from or sent by ross ofcourse my collaborator on the #KeepingItPeel pods.
Suffice to say if you are a Liverpool fan you will enjoy this. Even if you are not but still a football fan you’ll still like.

Tracklistings (with explanations if needed):

The first 13 minutes of his show from 30th May 1984:

This was the night when Liverpool (after a penalty shoot out with Roma), won the European Cup. Watching along in the studio with Peel at the time was David “Kid” Jensen and Kid asks John about the game and how he feels about it.
Tracks played in celebration:
a) Kop Choir – You’ll Never Walk Alone
b) (Church Bells)
c) The Mighty Wah! – Come Back
d) The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

The first 14 minutes of his show from 24th June 2004:

Once again John is watching another crucial match which went the same way at the 1984 game, this time though it was England and unlike Liverpool’s fortunes from the penalty spot, we all know what happens with England.
Peel has to start his show whilst the game is into extra time. He puts on his favourite song by The Fall at which point Frank Lampard scores, so he then plays the same track again. – Listen to the audio for explanation. Tracks played:
a) Beny Page – Neck Breaker (12″)
b) The Fall – Kicker Conspiracy [twice !]

Audio clip (from 1992) talking about football and the magazine When Saturday Comes.
Show from 24th June 1998 show on BFBS:

John is once again watching football, this time it was the 1998 World Cup. In the clip he mentions Robbie Earl’s goal for Jamaica and plays an excerpt from: Black Congo – Reggae Boyz. *If anyone has the full track please contact me.

Makabe – Pam Pam Cameroon
The first two minutes of his show from 27th April 1982:

John starts with a German nursery rhyme/song and then: Ju Ju – You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Before Half Man Half Biscuit performed live – John Peel asks Nigel Blackwell about Pat Nevin
The Tractors – Pat Nevin’s Eyes
Half Man Half Biscuit – Even Men With Steel Hearts (Love To See A Dog On The Pitch)
Pink Floyd – Fearless (played on 30th April 2002 show)
Billy Bragg – Greetings To The New Brunette
Costa Rica Football Team – The Costa Rican 1990 World Cup Song
John Hegley – Jimmy Greaves
Jeff Astle – Sweet Water (played on 22nd January 2002 show)
Barmy Army – Sharp As A Needle (Festive Fifty show)
Albert Whelan – Pass! Shoot!! Goal!!! :

Taken from John Peel and Sheila: The Pig’s Big 78s: A Beginner’s Guide

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

[See post to listen to audio]
» D/load [pod is 1hr 9mins/File size is 63MB]
- or » D/load & embed the file on your own site.

If you like this sort of thing (the Peel stuff) then get yourself over to #KeepingItPeel for updates.

Without whom…etc.

A huge thank you to @rossofcourse for his invaluable input.
To all the chaps who contribute/maintain the fantastic John Peel Wiki.
Thanks to Fredorrarci at Sport Is A TV Show for his continuing support.
Also to Chris from Obscure Music and Football for his time.
Thanks to Mark at We Love All That for his support.
And finally to The Vinyl Villain for the inspiration.

Webbie – Football And Music + #KeepingItPeel: 25th October 2011

WSC ’86: NME C86

Webbie - Footie And Music — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:42:19 +0000

It is thanks to a couple of compadres who first mentioned these football and musical items, both of which have reached the same anniversary…

The first one was from the now sadly defunct I’m Not Always So Stupid blog who originally owed and scanned the very first edition of When Saturday Comes. It was a hand crafted, lovingly put together football fanzine which eventually became the source and King of all the fanzines. WSC has now reached it’s 25th anniversary and throughout those years has managed to survive Gazza, Tim Lovejoy and so much more…

Click on the images below to read the first issue:

Additional thanks to @weloveallthat who keeps me clued in and finds great music which has been of use with my #keepingitpeel project. – The other day in a tweet he mentioned a link to a fantastic article (and d/loads) of a seminal tape that the NME (it’s all initials today) gave away with a copy of their publication in 1986.

I say seminal because this one tape gave the name to a new musical genre, that of jangly bands with twee lyrics. Although there were other types of music on the tape.

Some self indulgence here because there’s no actual link to fitba with the C86 cassette. Doing this because of both items have reached the same milestone.

So then to a couple of selected tunes from me:

[See post to listen to audio]

» The Shop Assistants – It’s Up To You

This one I remember at the time, I thought it was an absolutely terrible tune. But I also remember that when we got drunk everybody used to sing this at the top of their lungs as we staggered home:

[See post to listen to audio]

» Stump – Buffalo

…and I asked @weloveallthat to select some of his faves.

They are:

[See post to listen to audio]	» The Mighty Lemon Drops – Happy Head
[See post to listen to audio]	» The Bodines – Therese
[See post to listen to audio]	» Primal Scream – Velocity Girl
[See post to listen to audio]	» The Wedding Present – This Boy Can Wait

- Don’t forget to visit and read the full article about the cassette.

#keepingitpeel today

Webbie - Footie And Music — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:01:35 +0000

I’ve been banging on about this for a while now, you’ll be glad to know it’s finally here…

If you haven’t read anything about it, the idea is a simple one – chose a Peel Session song performed by your favourite artist and post it. Anywhere. If you are on Facebook or Twitter or have your own blog… It’s easy to find a track. Google is your best friend obviously, but so is You Tube – just do a search for Peel Session and select a song.

More info if you want to join in today. Go to:
» footballandmusic.co.uk/keepingitpeel/
» keepingitpeel.wordpress.com

I’ll be posting updates of everybody who will be #keepingitpeel on the above WordPress site. If you will be taking part leave a comment or Contact me here.

My contribution to #keepingitpeel obviously features a football and music connection and selecting the session tracks to featured has actually been a difficult task. I’ve changed my choices a number of times but eventually I gave up.

I didn’t want to post stuff recorded by The Fall, but I can’t help it… them along with Half Man Half Biscuit are footie & music. They are inseparable.

I’ve subtitled today, and you can turn it into a drinking game if you want: “Take a sip every time you spot a track by The Fall…”

Before I get to the actual music though, some footie memories about the man himself, and all these snippets come from the John Peel Wiki which is mostly curated by Steve from Teenage Kicks.

“I always say, rather flippantly, but it’s not a million miles from the truth, that football supplies many of the requirements that other people seek and find in religion, with the difference that you can actually see the truth of it being demonstrated on the pitch every Saturday afternoon, and that’s enormously satisfying.” - John Peel

“I find that football provides any number of useful analogies for life.” – John Peel

Listeners to John Peel’s radio shows were unlikely to miss his fanatical devotion to Liverpool football team, which went as far as wearing a red suit at his wedding and giving his four children names that included references to the Anfield club. Favourite players, such as Kenny Dalglish, also inspired something close to worship. As a fan, Peel attended many Liverpool matches – including three European Cup finals – and was deeply affected by the disasters of Heysel and Hillsborough. In later years he went to fewer games, mostly those involving Ipswich Town, his local side, but his on-air comments left little doubt that his heart remained firmly with the Merseyside club.

From a wider perspective, the DJ seemed heartened by the emergence of the new fan culture that grew up around the game from the late 1980s, epitomised by the emergence of football fanzines. Nevertheless, he remained distrustful of the increasing commercialism of the modern game, along the motives of those who ran it, drawing a parallel with music:

Although both are run by vulgarians with nothing but contempt for the paying customers, the product itself in both cases retains the capacity to play upon the emotions in a matter entirely beyond the understanding of said vulgarians.

In both football and music, Peel appeared reluctant to dwell too much on the past:

I’m more concerned about what Liverpool do next Saturday than what they’ve done in the past. Their past history, although matchless, isn’t of particular interest to me … It’s the same with the music, when I say I’m more concerned about those records that I have in the back of the car that I’ll listen to this weekend than I am really even in the ones I’ve played in this week’s programmes.

Peel also played football from an early age and frequently commented that the only unfulfilled ambition in his life was that he had not played for Liverpool. When asked to name a luxury as part of his contribution to Desert Island Discs, he chose a football and a wall to kick it against.

» Read the full entry including the Football and Music section.

John liked a kickabout himself and I found via Getty Images three photographs that Bob Thomas took in 1982. It is of Peel playing for a Radio 1 Team in a charity game: Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3. I believe the ground is Prenton Park (home of Tranmere Rovers) and I’m sure it was to John’s dismay that he had to play in a Derby County kit.

So to the music then and (take a few sips now) before the obvious ones – another Peel Session track recorded by the band who did his favourite song… I know this one isn’t actually about fitba, but because of the title and because I like it…

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Undertones – When Saturday Comes (Peel Session)

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Eat Y’self Fitter (Peel Session)

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Rebellious Jukebox (Peel Session)

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Theme From Sparta FC (Peel Session)

I bet you’ll spot these track quite a few times today…

Previously posted…

[See post to listen to audio] » HMHB – Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets (Peel Session)	[See post to listen to audio] » The Tier Garden – The Afrikaan (John Peel)
[See post to listen to audio] » A Flock Of Seagulls – Committed (Peel Session)	[See post to listen to audio] » The Skids – The Saints Are Coming (Peel Session)

- My favourite all time Peel Session though was this one.

Extra Time:

- As well as the above You Tube search for Peel Sessions, have a look (especially today) on The Hype Machine for them. Plus the previous items posted on F&M.

- A special final mention for Dandelion Radio who keep the spirit of Peel alive with their online radio station. Their policy is the same as the great man himself, by discovering and playing new music. but especially playing what they like.
Additionally they’ve also continued another John Peel tradition – the Festive Fifty – and you can submit your choices for the 2010 Festive 50 by going here.

[See post to listen to audio]

» Bis – We Love John Peel (Peel Session)

Now you’ve read/listened to all that, get yourself over to:

keepingitpeel.wordpress.com

for lots lots more…

#keepingitpeel

Webbie - Footie And Music — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:55:30 +0000

[This is the original post - a copy reposted on the front page for maximum exposure]

I have a cunning plan.

Put this date in your diary:

25th October

An explanation…

In 2010 on Teenage Kicks that if John Peel was still alive he would have been 71 years old… He probably wouldn’t still be on Radio 1, but I bet he’d be on 6Music.

6 Music is a (sort of) legacy from Peel, the station has been saved (for now) but the threat of closure still hangs over it’s head.

After looking around for other John Parker Ravenscroft mentions a plan began to formulate.

There was John Peel Day, started by Radio 1 a year after he died, but then they stopped. The day still continued with various events taking place [click here for 2011 events], but sadly these shows are getting less and less every year.

We shouldn’t forget his memory and should not forget his legacy. All those bands… all that music we discovered because of him.

There should be a web version of the John Peel Day, but this one being for those who listened…

So on 25th October I want everybody to post a Peel Session track by any of their favourite bands. If you are a Facebook user post a link to a video on your page. If you are a blogger then how about writing something. – If you are on Twitter: on October 25th post a tweet using the hashtag: #keepingitpeel and add a song or video clip – again from a Peel Session.

That date, you’ve probably already worked out, is the date when we lost the great man…

This was partly inspired by JC using the same idea he had with the Paul Haig Day and I hope that he and all his fellow writers will join in to support this one.

» Your help is needed: Please write about or tweet #keepingitpeel on Oct 25th.

If you’d like to give a hand it would be most welcome. You can Contact Me Here.

For now to get you in the mood… a preview of #keepingitpeel on 25TH OCTOBER – Some tracks from Mr Peel’s all time favourite band:

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Eat Y’Self Fitter

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Hit The North

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Theme From Sparta FC

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Kicker Conspiracy

Extra Time - A couple of football and music/John Peel related items I found:

- John Peel interviews Ian Rush
- A very surreal ambient track using the voice of John Peel

» There is now a dedicated website and Twitter account created for the event. Please visit:

Twitter: @keepingitpeel

» keepingitpeel.wordpress.com

and finally…

The obligatory, seminal, legendary track:

[See post to listen to audio]

» The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

Remember:

#keepingitpeel – 25TH OCTOBER

England’s Heartbeat

Webbie - Footie And Music — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:36:29 +0000

I want to post stuff associated with other countries, but I’ve still got a backlog of England songs that need a mention so I’m starting on them now.

These are decent tracks mind, none of your rubbish here. The aim of F&M is to find and post the good and ignore the bad… so don’t come over here looking for J _ _ _ C _ _ _ _ (no not the bloke with the robe and the beard, the other bloke who is bloody everywhere at the moment) because you are not going to find him.

What you are going to find, as I said, are some very decent tunes about England at the World Cup.
Yes by the way, I am banging these out earlier than scheduled just in case it all fecks up.

- Starting this mini-series (of 2) is the Bard of Manchester… and before you say owt I know that John Cooper Clarke is the Bard of Salford… but there’s another resident, the Broughton born lead singer of a certain group who I’m referring to here.

Yes that’s right, Mark E. Smith got on the England/World Cup song bandwagon:

Yes it’s true , the singer songwriter of long time music refuseniks The Fall, Mark E Smith has written a World Cup song with ex-Fall member and collaborator Ed Blaney and Jenny Shuttleworth (aka Girl Peculiar), and here it is in all it’s emotive glory. A world cup song with a Salfordian slant.

” This is not 1974, this is not 1976, you are not at Stamford Bridge, but you are on a Boer Ridge”.

It invokes English players to “take care of the invention of your nation”, “socks up at last or be a brazilian breakfast”.

It’s even got a rousing chorus and a tune to win the world cup for and a hard edged twist at the end. It’ll frighten the wits out of the old enemy too.

Witty and impassioned it’s an appeal for a show of pride from England in South Africa, “remember the pitch in December”, gone should be the days of England teams wilting in the June sunshine and acting like a bunch of big girls blouses. This is possibly the greatest world cup record ever, it’s England’s Heartbeat, sent from heaven.

Shuttleworth (Feat Mark E. Smith) - England's Heartbeat:

- Link to video

You can download the track via Amazon UK, or purchase the CD – or at Voiceprint Music.
- In the Americas you can download from Amazon USA and the import CD is here from June 22nd.

Extra Time…

Mr Smith has over the years has guested on many other songs. Some collected below:

D.O.S.E feat Mark E.Smith – Plug Myself In

DNA feat Mark E.Smith – Misery

Coldcut feat Mark E.Smith – (I’m) In Deep

Inspiral Carpets with Mark E.Smith – I Want You

Elastica with Mark E.Smith – How He Wrote Elastica Man

Gorillaz feat Mark E.Smith – Glitter Free

…and finally this collaboration via Fades In Slowly:

Entrailicus vs Mark E Smith- Wogan on Blankety Blank

Football Vs Music: A Difficult Match

Webbie - Footie And Music — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 18:47:14 +0000

If they do go through with the threat and do kill 6 Music, as Yoda would say: “There is another…”

The other is Dandelion Radio, an online radio station which was inspired by John Peel.

The idea for the station (named after the record label that Peel ran) started around 2003. After some discussion on a web group and eventual meetings, a plan was put in place to create an online radio where the music played is in the spirit of the legendary man. They didn’t want a set playlist, they wanted to keep it Peel and they do this by finding and playing new music. The station went live in 2006 and just like 6 Music and others you can tune in any time of the day or night to listen to their broadcasts.

One of the DJ’s on the station is Mark Whitby and all through this month on his show there will be an extended segment dedicated to football and music:

‘You can’t beat a good football song…There aren’t many of ‘em though’. So said the great John Peel on playing ‘Strachan’ by The Hitchers back in 1997. It was chiefly this moment that made me play the track in my monthly Peel Back & Sniff feature in my June Dandelion Radio show, which I’ve rather crudely labelled a World Cup ‘special’.

Challenged to include an hour or more’s worth of football-themed music for the show, I’ve obliged and, in doing so, had ample time to contemplate why, relatively speaking, the two chief obsessions in my life are so often such an ill-fitting match and yet, when it does work, the results are pretty fantastic.

Maybe that’s something inherent in the nature of football itself, which can be more glorious than anything else in life, yet so often the experience is one of mundane anticipation. The best football music works in this area of strange and uncanny realism. Anything over-celebratory (which is what most football songs are or aspire to be) is crap. When it works, it articulates something about the game’s melancholy, its difficult truths, its perversities.

In the last eighty minutes of the three hour show, I yield to this unsettling realm of twisted human spirit. Attila The Stockbroker reflects on the one moment Brighton & Hove Albion’s apparent glory, cruelly snatched away by Gary Bailey’s legs, in ‘And Smith Must Score’. Barcelona celebrate Kasey Kellar under a barrage of 30 Brazilian shots on goal. Dandelion favourite Pete Green meditates on the brief honeymoon of the on-loan journeyman footballer in ‘The Ballad of Phil Jevons’. Brazilians Marijohn & the Jacks glorify, not Pele or Zico, but Fio Maravilha, who once refused to score an open goal because it was too easy.

We find, also, those elements of football’s dark underbelly that the post-90 World Cup post-Gascoigne’s tears tourists, still high on Nick Hornby and World In Motion, deny and decry. But the vicious recriminations of The Vichy Government’s ‘Poor Little Chelsea Fan’ and the urban destruction that follows a missed penalty in Paul Elstak’s ‘You’re A Hardcore Hooligan’ are, whatever people like to believe, as much a part of the beautiful game as Sultans Of Ping FC’s ‘Give Him A Ball (And A Yard Of Grass)’. As my late Old Trafford colleague Tony Wilson noted, that towering bank of blood-hungry vandals that made up the bulk of the Stretford End in the seventies, was as much a source of the modern mass appeal of Manchester United as Busby, Best or Law.

Such dichotomies aren’t just part of the game’s appeal; they ARE its appeal. So somehow I, without a nationalist bone in my body, can still get off on The Pocket Gods’ appropriation of Land Of Hope & Glory; it’s a world where Switzerland’s Vanilla Muffins can make a song about Spanish supporters of Fulham FC; where the vindictive ‘Chaucher enforcer’ holds sway over school football field creativity in Zen Baseballbat’s ‘I Am The Champion Concrete Mixer.’

You can hear my show streaming every day at different times throughout June at www.dandelionradio.com. The schedule on the website will show you exactly when it’s on. I’ve also got an exclusive session from Nickname: Rebel and a whole load of other non-football themed stuff as well.

And to get more of yer World Cup fill, you’ll live to regret not visiting Football and Music and Fantasy Cheaters League sooner rather than later.

Elsewhere on Dandelion Radio this month you can hear the third part of the wonderful Errors gig Andy Morrison’s been playing. Greg Healey has sessions include Farmer Joe & The Ignorant Corpses, Wire Mother and Autorotation, while Rachael Neimann’s got poet Rebecca Willmott along to pick some favourite records. And Mark Cunliffe’s got the new Lianne Hall album as his featured album – not to be missed.

Some music from a couple of bands mentioned above…

[See post to listen to audio] » Marijohn & The Jacks – Fio Maravilha

[See post to listen to audio]
» Barcelona – Kasey Keller

» The Pocket Gods – Come On England (No Nookie or Playstation)

According to the Dandelion Radio schedule, the next broadcast of his show will be at 21:00 BST on Saturday, then 18:00 BST on Sunday.

It Was 20 Years Ago This Month…

Webbie - Footie And Music — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:29:05 +0000

One of the greatest football memories I have is of Wembley on the 19th May 1990.
This was when Barrow AFC reached the FA Trophy Final, where they beat Leek Town 3-nil.

» View the full size image

…and now 20 years later they’ll be back there again. But this time it’s “Barra” who’ll be the underdogs.
[Back then Barrow were from the Conference and Leek were in the Northern Premier League - on Sat May 8th it'll be AFC (who skirted with relegation) taking on Stevenage, the reigning Blue Square Prem League champions.]

- Before I get to this year’s final, some memories of 1990…

This post may turn into a long meandering one so I've split it up into sections.

You might want to click/scroll down to find the bits that may interest you.

» A PERSONAL RECOLLECTION…

In the early 80′s because of Thatcher and the Tories I moved around trying to find work. (I can’t believe that people are actually considering voting them in again, they nearly destroyed the country the last time and there’s a danger that they’ll do it again.) Eventually I found myself in Barrow-In-Furness and working at Vickers.

[Anecdote] This was the early 80′s and because of Thatcher (milk and then job snatcher) and her lover Ronny Reagan and the cold war there was a real threat of the nukes being dropped. Everybody, including me, joined CND and went on the marches. Also because of this nuclear proliferation there was plenty of jobs going in “the yard”. Desperate for work I applied and got an interview.
On the big day I put on something that resembled a suit and went to meet the Head Foreman. I don’t know now if I did it on purpose or because I was still young and naive back then, but afterwards I realised that I went into this interview wearing an earring. An earring that was a CND logo. I don’t know/can’t remember if the Head Foreman didn’t see or didn’t care, but it didn’t matter. He still gave me the job. Obviously I let my CND membership lapse and there I was, young, free, single and earning.
Went to the Grain & Grape (aka the Groan & Grope) and Scorpio 1 every weekend.

Whilst working in the yard a workmate told me about this new manager who just took over at Barrow AFC, he’s pretty decent, you should take a look.

So I went and I ended up following the team all over the place – Which was made slightly easier for me when Barrow were relegated to the Northern Premier League. This meant no really long road trips, the away games were no further south than Staffordshire.

A few years later I packed in my job and not long after I was on the move again, once again looking for work.
I ended up down south in the very posh town of Henley-On-Thames. But I never forgot about Barrow AFC and kept a check every week for their results.

In 1989-1990 season they were established back in the Vauxhall Conference and on an FA Trophy run. Now if you remember back then when there was no interweb and the only way to find out the scores was from watching Final Score (but the Non-League wasn’t given much if any coverage) or scanning the Sunday papers the next day. Because of this it was difficult for me to follow their trophy progress but thankfully (and expensively) there was the Barrow AFC Clubcall.

You remember those premium rate phone numbers ? 0898… etc, etc.
It was here in April of 1990 on the communal phone going through a few phonecards listening to Russell Dodd’s commentary away at Colne Dynamoes. The phone commentary wasn’t live, there was a 15 minute delay on it and at 5.15pm that Saturday tea-time after spending 20 quid on cards I heard the final whistle blow and Barrow AFC were in the FA Trophy Final.
I had to go to work that evening and I walked around the entire time in a daze, I remember nothing.

I still had my mate back in Barrow (the one who originally suggested that I go and watch them) and he got a ticket for me.

“I’ll see you down there,” he said. “Meet us at the front about an hour before.”

At Wembley. Stadium. The 70,000 seater stadium.
As luck would have it I found him straight away.

» THE MATCH BACK THEN…

I distinctly remember getting on the London Underground (at Paddington) and seeing carriages full of Barrowvians who were also making their way to Wembley. They must have stayed in London overnight.
These fans stood out because of the unofficial “uniform” that everybody wore. If they didn’t have an AFC replica shirt on they were instead wearing some sort of white top. All of them in blue jeans and a white shirt. As I was too. Uncanny co-ordination that was.

There were about 13,000 who came down from Barrow, I was told that the shops on Dalton Road were empty, some of them closed. It was a ghost town.

Those of you who’ve been to Wembley will know that there is so much to take in. Cursing myself now because I didn’t think to take a camera. None of us did though because we weren’t there for the occasion, we were there for the football.

At the beginning there were the usual nerves by both teams, but it didn’t take long for Barrow to get into their rhythm and Kenny Gordon was in and scored his first with a header. By half-time it was still that that single goal that separated them. Still not a certainty, needed another to settle it, don’t want them to get one back.

Then 12 minutes after the break Cowps (known locally as “God”) got the 2nd. Again with a header.

By this time we were sitting there pinching ourselves that this was actually happening when from a Kenny Lowe free kick, Gordon stole in and got the third. Another with his head*
Side question: Is this the first time that a team has won at Wembley with all three goals being from a header ?

Eventually the final whistle blew and Barrow had won the cup !
I was sitting to the left of the posh nobs (plus Graham Kelly) in the Royal Box and could just about see the top of the trophy being lifted.

It was a fantastic experience, a dream that I never thought I’d ever see come true. It was thanks to the late, great Ray Wilkie [speaking at the end of the video below].
Sadly I have to tell you that he died two years after this, but has never been forgotten.
Barrow honoured the man who gave me such great memories by naming the road behind Holker Street – and the Main Stand, after him.

Highlights from the game:

» Link to video

Fast forward to now:

Spooky with the music chosen in the above clip because in celebration of reaching Wembley again, the Barrow AFC squad have recorded and released a re-worded version of The Farm’s All Together Now, with the profits going to a local charity.

“Barrow AFC players are the talk of the town, not only because of their impending game against Stevenage Borough at Wembley but because their single “All Together Now for Barrow AFC” has gone to press ahead of its release on Saturday 1st May just a week before their FA Trophy final at Wembley on 8th May.

The single, which is now available at www.thebay.co.uk, is their own version of The Farm’s “All Together Now” and was recorded at Radio Station The Bay on 16th April. All profits are going to St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston.

The song, re-written by The Bay’s Sports editor Dave Salmon, is Barrow oriented and has generated much excitement in the Furness Peninsula ahead of the big game on 8th May. Dave Salmon commented: “We chose the song because it’s a great anthem with a catchy chorus that hopefully Bluebirds fans will be chanting on May 8th and beyond!” …

…Passions are running high about the song and of course the forthcoming Wembley game, so much so that there is a now an independent Facebook campaign to get the song into the Top 40! The campaign has so far attracted nearly 800 members and is growing daily…

… It is hoped that the limited release CD single will reach its fundraising target of £15,000 for St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston.

The only way to hear the full song or watch the accompanying video is by buying the CD single, but as mentioned it is for a good cause. – There is a short clip with the the making of the song, plus there’s another Facebook group with info about the single.

To the music from back just before then:

Some self indulgence here because there isn’t a footie link to the above (although there could be some AFC supporters in the bands), the main reason for their inclusion here is because all of the following groups were all from Barrow and were around at the time that I was there.

Back then I was a frustrated/failed musician, so I became a DJ. At the time I played the music from the charts but I kept up with the local indie music scene.

I’ll start with the “biggest” band, or at least one you may have heard of…

» THE TIER GARDEN

It is because of the wonderful inventions of You Tube and Facebook that has enabled me to get back in touch and to remind me of the music from Barrow from the early/mid 80′s. To this end I found out that the seminal band who were involved with and influenced others reformed for one gig in December last year (2009). It doesn’t look like there’s anything else additional to that, ah well, at least there’s something. I found this out via The Tier Garden Facebook Page. Plus I was able to see some old photographs and hear some of their music again.

In my possession is the one single that I still have from them. It was the one that got them their highest exposure and a play on the radio from John Peel himself – It was here that I heard them, I still remember it, clear now as it was back then.

It was late one night and I had the transistor radio next to me on the pillow so I could hear it better.
As I was listening to Peelie he talked about the band and then played the following song.
The next day in the yard I saw Dave Cooper (drummer of The Valley Forge featured below) and I told him about John Peel playing the Tier Garden on his show the night before.

And thanks to the web I am able to listen to that John Peel airing once again:

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Tier Garden – The Afrikaan (John Peel)

This next band were associated with the Tier Garden, I believe the lead singer joined them later on… I might be wrong on that. But anyway…
A few years ago there was another band that used the same name as this band (or very, very near it) and for a second I thought that… but no, sadly it wasn’t.

So now to the original…

PERFECT CIRCLE

The lead singer I thought would become famous. He was born to sing.

[Another Anecdote] A mate’s sister got a flat on Barrow Island and he roped us in to help paint the walls. It was a warm summer and we were still there late at night painting when we took a break. As we were sitting there we heard somebody below singing. It was closing time so he must have been coming back from the Dev (Devonshire Arms). This persons voice was carried through the summers night still air. The singing voice. It was pitch perfect. As I listened I immediately recognised that voice: “Jimmy ! Jimmy Tunn !” I said. (I knew him in the yard.)
As he got closer we realised that he was coming up our stairs and threw open the door. We then saw Jimmy going into the flat opposite. He’d had a few drinks, was very happy that night and greeted us all before going in.
Ah what a memory. I know a small boring one, but it is one that stuck with me.

Jimmy as mentioned was a singer and in a band of which I have this next single.
Another member of this band you can find nowadays posting some great stuff on Castles In Space. Together with assistance from some members of The Tier Garden, they recorded the following single:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Perfect Circle – Only When I Rains

The last one I have is from a 12″ single. Which was put online via an Italian website. I’m glad they did because my attempts with an old hi-fi I have here failed.

The name of this next band is…

THE VALLEY FORGE

As mentioned in my above meanderings I knew the drummer Dave Cooper and I saw him around the yard.
Dave told me about his band and kept me informed of what they were up to and when they produced the single below I bought a copy.

I also remember a bloke who used to go round with selling the latest singles, indie, punk, new wave…pop.. here had the lot and knew his stuff. He had this big bag full of 7″ records. Can’t remember his name now, but later on he set up a record shop on Rawlinson Street…
A bit off tangent there, thought I’d throw that in for no particular reason.
- Back to Dave’s band and this track:

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Valley Forge – Fit To Fall (The Mix)

It took me 3 days to write this because of the personal reflections above. I am a very slow writer though. But this post is important to me because it was in Barrow with their football and with the above bands that I really got into footie & music. They were a catalyst to what you see here now.

So then I’ll finish here by saying: “Come on Barrow !” I hope they are victorious again.
I wish I could be there this coming Saturday, but once again thanks to this wonderful interweb I will be able to watch – and shout myself hoarse again – from 3000 miles away.

More Peelie

Webbie - Footie And Music — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:25:19 +0000

Once again the Beeb is doing nothing for John Peel Day. But it doesn’t look like there’s anything else doing this year either which is sad.

But we here at F&M keep his memory alive and every October (11-13th) we commemorate the man himself with some (sometimes related to footie) music.

This year featuring his favourite band who do not need any introduction:

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Eat Y’Self Fitter

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Hit The North

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Theme From Sparta FC

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Fall – Kicker Conspiracy

» Kicker Conspiracy video (filmed at Burnley)

Oh and how about Mark E. Smith reading out the football results:

» Link to video

» Find more Peel via the tag:
http://www.footballandmusic.co.uk/tag/johnpeel/

» Also keeping it Peel is Dandelion Radio who are having a “Peel Legends” month featuring bands who have featured on Peel Sessions including I, Ludicrous amongst others.

UPDATE:
Ignore my token gesture here and head over to Town Full Of Losers for a better nod to the man.

Get On The John Peel Train

Webbie - Footie And Music — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:00:21 +0000

Four years since we lost him…

» Saw the article below via the Beeb (who didn’t do anything for John Peel Day) and for some reason it rang a bell….

Memorial sees Peel try new tracks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7679157.stm

“The late DJ John Peel is to have a train in Merseyside named after him.

Merseytravel, which co-ordinates passenger transport in Peel’s home region, said it was a tribute to “a true broadcasting legend”.

Peel’s widow Sheila Ravenscroft will attend the naming ceremony and be aboard the train’s first journey into Liverpool on Thursday.

Mrs Ravenscroft said: “We are just really delighted that John is being honoured with this train. He would have loved it.”

Peel was Radio 1′s longest-serving DJ at the time of his death, having championed new music for nearly 40 years on his late-night Radio 1 show.

Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: “We are very proud of the man John was and of his connection with Merseyside.

“Naming this train in his honour is our tribute to a true broadcasting legend.”…

Why is it…? I’ve seen this… I’m sure… Didn’t they…?

A quick google confirmed it. This has been done before. There’s already been a train named after him.

In 2005, on the first anniversary of this death they dedicated a train and named that the John Peel:

- Listen to the clip about the naming ceremony on Home Truths. John’s wife was there for that one too and pretty much said the same thing.

But I’ll admit this is different because the 2005 one was for an InterCity train that goes around the country and the latest one is for MerseyRail and will be in and out of Liverpool.

UPDATE: BBC Northwest Tonight video report on the event

(and before any anorak trainspotters comment that the first one was a locomotive and this new one is a passenger carriage… they are both fcuking trains. Period.)

Anyw… the reason and pisspoor excuse for the posting today is because of the footie connections of course (J Peel and Liverpool), but also because of another footie link mentioned later on in that same story:

Favourite song

Ian Prowse, from the group Amsterdam, will perform at the ceremony what was one of Peel’s favourite songs, Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?

Mrs Ravenscroft previously spoke of her husband’s love of the song as part of a Radio 1 tribute evening.

She said: “John just loved the song. He always became emotional when he played it.

“He wasn’t capable of playing it without crying. If he played it on the radio he’d have to put something on straight afterwards because he wouldn’t be able to speak.

On this one Amsterdam sing about the history of Liverpool, about some of the places in the city, some people, past events and the last line…

[See post to listen to audio]
» Amsterdam – Does This Train Stop On Merseyside

-> Click to view the lyrics

McKenzie’s soul lies above the ground in that
pyramid near Maryland (Street)

Easyjet is hanging in the air
takin’ everyone to everywhere

See the slave ships sailing into port
the blood of Africa is on every wall

Now there’s a ley line runs down Mathew Street
it’s giving energy to all it meets

Hey does this train stop
does this train stop on Merseyside?

Alan Williams in the Marlboro’ Arms
giving his story out to everyone

Famine boats are anchored in the bay
bringing in the poor and desperate

Hey does this train stop
does this train stop on Merseyside?

Boston babies bouncing on the ground
The Riggers beamin’ out to every town

Can’t conceive what those children done
guess there’s a meanness in the soul of man

Yorkshire policemen chat with folded arms
while people try and save their fellow fans

Why don’t you remember?

Additional »

- Found this vid via MySpace Video in which Ian Prowse, the band’s lead singer, and bass player Paul Hagan take us around Liverpool and show us some of the places which they mention in the song:

Excellent insight there. Nice to discover the meanings and reasons for the lyrics in a song.

Haven’t watched it ? Ah g’wan.

Peelie Celebrates

Webbie - Footie And Music — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:47:41 +0000

Usually around this time (October 10th-13th) there’s the annual John Peel Day.
But for some reason Radio 1 are not doing anything this year.
They dare to dismiss a man who gave credibility to a station that also had Ed “Stewpot” Stewart, Alan “Fluff” Freeman and the “Hairy Cornflake” ?”

But there are still many events taking place around the world to commemorate Peel Day.

I’m celebrating JP Day here with a footie and music contribution from the man himself.

- This is the broadcast from the night of the 30th of May 1984. It was the night many Liverpool fans will recognise instantly with just seeing that date.

It was the The European Cup final in Rome, against AS Roma. The match was still drawn after extra time so there was a penalty shoot-out and Alan Kennedy had to go up to take the final pen which…

Non Lidipool supporters will remember that night better because of this.

Listening to the commentary (Emlyn Hughes was the pundit for the match that night, can hardly look when Kennedy steps up) in the studio with Peelie was his friend David “Kid” Jensen. After the match is over John celebrates and starts the show with a familiar Liverpool tune.

Because of the size of the file (20mb/44 mins long) I've uploaded it to a shared hosting:

<< AUDIO OFFLINE >>