The one thing that John Lennon and I have in common is that we both went to Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool (a couple of years apart). Quarry and The Liverpool Institute (alma mater of Paul McCartney) were the two most sought after prizes of the Eleven Plus Examination and two persistent rivals for the Liverpool Grammar Schools Football Cup.
St Johnstone have just become the fourth football club in history to win both the Scottish major trophies in the same season. The unusual and outstanding thing about that is that all the members of the team were born in Scotland.
That made me think about my school football team and then the amateur teams I was involved with when I left school.
The chant for my school team at the inter-school cup final (and any other matches for that matter) was:
Chuneranna chuneranna chun chin chee
We are Quarry, Quarry are we.
Chuneranna chuneranna chun chin chow
Quarry never lose, Quarry win now.
Followed by suitable roaring.
(I've put that totally irrelevant bit of information in simply because I remembered it.)
What was important then was that you could only play for an amateur team if you were encompassed by the name of the team. So only Quarrymen played for Quarry Bank. Only members of NALGO played for the NALGO team. And so on. I wonder if it's still the same.
And yet they manage to maintain the facade that Liverpool represents Liverpool, Leeds Leeds and Hull Hull. Even in the lower leagues, players are not local - Selby Town have players from all over the north of England. Yorks CC dropped their born-in-Yorkshire requirement (aside: I knew someone who rushed his pregnant wife across the Pennines to Yorkshire to give birth so his son would qualify to play for the club, and then got a girl).
ReplyDeleteThese days, that might not be such a disappointment - girls are starting to be included in many sporting clubs that used to be all male.
DeleteTasker, I think many clubs 'represent' a place they have no loyalty to any more. I saddens me really but as it's something about which I can do nothing (even if I cared enough) I just ignore it.
DeleteMarcheline, you've certainly got a point there.
Of course, John Lennon's first band was The Quarrymen! And I loved that you shared that chant! Have to tell you...my sister was a cheerleader in high school and one of the cheers that I remember, I have used it at work with my co workers to be funny...."I'm big, B-I-G, I'm bad, B-A-D, and I'm boss, B-O-S-S, B-O-S-S, BOSS". (Bit of a sing song, to it. I am not a boss to anyone, but when I give info to someone and it is is correct and then, they let me know it is appreciated, I "sing" that little cheer to them! HA HA, I make 'em laugh!) Also, John Lennon...that little ditty you gave us about your school, can't you just hear that in John's lyrics? I can!
ReplyDeleteKay, it was indeed John Lennon's first band. He was considered eccentric at school but he was certainly entertaining.
DeleteJohn Lennon and I have a lot in common.
DeleteYou don't want to know how eccentric I am but I share it with you anyway. HA HA.
It would be a very different league if players had to be a native of the town/city they played for. It reminds me of Zola Budd (sp?) who became British, just so she could run in the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteYes, Cro, there was quite a stouchie about Zola Budd at the time. I recall, too, that she always ran barefoot.
DeleteWhat really struck me as funny about this post, and following on from the previous post, is that it involves you remembering something relatively trivial about your past, the football chant at school! I enjoyed the post and the fact that you do remember some things just like I do. The football observations you make are very true and have been for a number of years and Arsene Wenger the one time Arsenal manager who arrived from France in the 1990s set the scene for the introduction of the foreign players into Britain and the globalisation of football and is famed for sometimes fielding complete Arsenal sides without a single British player, let alone a Londoner.
ReplyDeleteRachel, when I thought about the old school football matches the chant just popped into my head. I suppose there's more in there if there is the right trigger to activate it. I had no idea about that nugget of information about Arsenal.
DeleteHere in the States, the chant I recall from my school days is a cheerleader chant (I was NOT a cheerleader, but I was on the kickline, thank you very much.)
ReplyDelete"BE aggrESSIVE, B - E aggrESSIVE! B - E - A.G.G. - R.E.S.S.I.V.E!" (To be chanted top volume at a group of boys playing football that needed to be told to be aggressive about as much as they needed a shot of testosterone.) 8-)
Marcheline, in the UK aggression would not be the first requirement in a football match. Indeed it's more likely to hamper than produce positive results.
DeleteRugby, on the other hand.... 8-D
DeleteMarcheline, they are just big pussycats really!
DeleteI've only ever been to two proper football matches, it was okay but a bit expensive. I took my son and a friend when they were little to Bramall Lane. On the second visit they were all clued up. "Catch that steward dad and tell him we can't see then he'll let us go next to the pitch." Worked a treat until it was time to go. Have you ever tried to go down stairs when everyone else is going up? I did consider leaving the little sods but I knew my wife would be cross.
ReplyDeletePS. I don't recall chants like the ones here. The ones I heard were far less PC. Some quite melodic but although amusing and inventive I doubt most were physically possible But who knows with Wendyballers.
Adrian, I'm sure there were some very un-PC chants at our school matches but I admit that I can't recall any.
DeleteYou make a good point that players should be from their home town.
ReplyDeleteRed, I think it would give some credibility to the game.
DeleteYou also had imagination in common with Lennon, Graham. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never been a follower of soccer, and have, as far as I can recall, ever watched one game, at most two. My late brother played Rugby League when he was a young fellow...in the position of "rake".
Take good care, Graham. :)
Hmmm, Lee. I'm not sure tha my imagination has ever had much going for it if I'm honest
DeleteDo you know what a Chunerana is? Google was unable to help. Lesley
ReplyDeleteLesley, so far as I know it's just a made up word.
Delete"Chuneranna Chuneranna Chun Chin Chow"? Wasn't that one of The Beatles' greatest hits? John Lennon tried to claim it was his own composition - the ruddy scoundrel!
ReplyDeleteNot the catchiest lyrics, YP.
DeleteI have often thought it is strange how football players don't come from the area where they play and that they can change clubs without any loyalty just chasing the big bucks.
ReplyDeleteYes, Diane, I think football has lost something as a result. Just about every sport is big buck chasing these days.
DeleteCan't think of a thing to say related to football (my 'sports filter' kicking in) Funny what things we sometimes remember from childhood/youth, though. That chant reminds me of a nonsense counting-out rhyme used in my childhood to randomly select someone for something, in various school yard games.
ReplyDeleteMonica, yes, we did have such rhymes too but I can't recall any at this moment.
DeleteSometimes it's good to rest Graham. Your garden looks good too, mine is slowing down and hibernating.
ReplyDeleteAmy, after the last few weeks reading you comment has made me smile. I would love to have a wee few days of rest with no commitments. I'm pencilling a week or two in September!
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