How Did Clubs Get Their Nickname?

[Jan Žižka]

WHY ARE WE CALLED THE PARS ?

Date: Wednesday, 23rd Oct 2019

One perennial question, which comes up from fans of other clubs; is why we are called "the Pars" ?

When I interviewed older supporters in the 1990s; they said it derived from the banners sailors waved at the match with "Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Supporters" abbreviated to PARS.

Certainly, huge numbers of sailors, based at Rosyth Dockyard, but who came from Portsmouth or Devenport or Chatham supported the club in the years up to the SWW. Does any such photographic record exist?

My Parents` generation were adamant that it was not unknown in the 1950s for Athletic fans to call the players "Paralytics", which would hardly be deemed appropriate in the 21st century!

John Hunter,in his Centenary History, was not having that. He points out that he traced the term back to June 1912 when the "Dunfermline Press" began to use it. This was because the club, which had won so much minor silverware since 1885, were finally, belatedly, admitted to Scottish Division 2.

The "Press" said we were now on a "PAR" with the other big clubs. Such was the excitement that the News was flashed onto a screen at the Opera House in Dunfermline!

There was talk of building a 60,000 stadium and the Club, finally, took the decision to play in black and white from then on.

This was not uninterrupted though.They reverted to maroon in 1930 and all white in 1971.


Hartlepool United are known as the Monkey Hangers because the good people of the place hung a monkey believing it to be a spy during the Napoleonic wars.

 

[Desert Loyal]

Sellic got theirs due to a propensity for touching young men's sphincters.

 

[mark hateley]

I think Gillingham got the Gills because they like fish?

 

[Dbear 65]

Sheep shagges Don't Often Notch Silverware, hence the nickname filthy retarded wank stained ugly kunty wankers!

 

[Gazrfc]

Rangers are called the Gers because the last 4 letters of Rangers are "Gers"

 

[Porto Loyal]

Hartlepool United are known as the Monkey Hangers because the good people of the place hung a monkey believing it to be a spy during the Napoleonic wars.

Seems to be something of an 19th century Urban legend, as there are stories of it happening at various places on the coast

Was a monkey really hanged in Hartlepool?

A monkey is mistaken for a French spy by the people of Hartlepool and hanged - true story or myth?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Wazza]

Newells Old boys "The Lepers" got their nickname as they played in a fundraising match for people with Leprosy once.

 

[Porto Loyal]

Rangers are called the Gers because the last 4 letters of Rangers are "Gers"

And bears comes from rhyming slang of that

 

[andy17x]

We are called The Light Blues in reference to the lightness of our players.

Although not a nickname as such, but Shakhtar means miner in Russian, hence the clubs called that.

 

[Big Buff]

And bears comes from rhyming slang of that

And Teds from that, etc.

 

[Jan Žižka]

Seems to be something of an 19th century Urban legend, as there are stories of it happening at various places on the coast

Was a monkey really hanged in Hartlepool?

A monkey is mistaken for a French spy by the people of Hartlepool and hanged - true story or myth?

www.bbc.co.uk

Good read that, thanks.

The people of Hartlepool had never seen a monkey before - nor, for that matter, had they ever set eyes on a Frenchman.

Mistaking its chattering for the language of the enemy, they convicted the monkey of being a French spy and hanged the animal on the beach.

The people of the new town considered those in the old one to be somewhat intellectually impaired, Mr Gregson said, and so of course they were stupid enough to hang a monkey.

 

[Wazza]

"Die Kogge" Hansa Rostock, because of their links with Ships, a Kogge being a Ship like on their badge.

 

[Big Buff]

Often think it's fun to style a clubs name in the way Americans do, but using the nickname as the last word. Works particularly well in the lower leagues.

The Forfar Loons
The Montrose Gable Endies
The Cowdenbeath Blue Brazil
The Ayr United Honest Men

Those names are great.

 

[mark hateley]

Often think it's fun to style a clubs name in the way Americans do, but using the nickname as the last word. Works particularly well in the lower leagues.

The Forfar Loons
The Montrose Gable Endies
The Cowdenbeath Blue Brazil
The Ayr United Honest Men

Those names are great.

Cowdenbeath known as the blue Brazil because they once strung 3 passes together.

 

[Big Buff]

Cowdenbeath known as the blue Brazil because they once strung 3 passes together.

I love the Blue Brazil nickname tbh. Self-deprecating irony at it's finest. It's what we Scots do better than anyone else.

 

[Big Buff]

To get back into the spirit of the thread, some obvious ones:

Ayr United - Honest Men - From Tam O'Shanter
“Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a toun surpasses, for
honest men an’ bonnie lasses.”

Falkirk - The Bairns - From the town motto
“Better meddle wi the deil [devil] than the
Bairns o Fawkirk”

Ross County - The Staggies - The Seaforth Highlanders
In honour of the Seaforth Highlanders – the historic regiment of the British army under whom many local people served during the Great War – the new club badge adopted that of the regiment, a stag’s head.

Montrose - The Gable Endies - Difficult to explain, but described here:

Scottish Football Nicknames (Ranking 12-1) « The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast

terracepodcast.net

 

[bluestreak]

WHY ARE WE CALLED THE PARS ?

Date: Wednesday, 23rd Oct 2019

One perennial question, which comes up from fans of other clubs; is why we are called "the Pars" ?

When I interviewed older supporters in the 1990s; they said it derived from the banners sailors waved at the match with "Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Supporters" abbreviated to PARS.

Certainly, huge numbers of sailors, based at Rosyth Dockyard, but who came from Portsmouth or Devenport or Chatham supported the club in the years up to the SWW. Does any such photographic record exist?

My Parents` generation were adamant that it was not unknown in the 1950s for Athletic fans to call the players "Paralytics", which would hardly be deemed appropriate in the 21st century!

John Hunter,in his Centenary History, was not having that. He points out that he traced the term back to June 1912 when the "Dunfermline Press" began to use it. This was because the club, which had won so much minor silverware since 1885, were finally, belatedly, admitted to Scottish Division 2.

The "Press" said we were now on a "PAR" with the other big clubs. Such was the excitement that the News was flashed onto a screen at the Opera House in Dunfermline!

There was talk of building a 60,000 stadium and the Club, finally, took the decision to play in black and white from then on.

This was not uninterrupted though.They reverted to maroon in 1930 and all white in 1971.


Hartlepool United are known as the Monkey Hangers because the good people of the place hung a monkey believing it to be a spy during the Napoleonic wars.

Well if you come ashore in a French naval uniform what do expect

 

[Jan Žižka]

Well if you come ashore in a French naval uniform what do expect

https://imgur.com/a/8S3kXL1

 

[Zwingli'sSausages]

Cowdenbeath known as the blue Brazil because they once strung 3 passes together.

True story

 

[Zwingli'sSausages]

I love the Blue Brazil nickname tbh. Self-deprecating irony at it's finest. It's what we Scots do better than anyone else.

My old man told me it came from a very rare passage of silky play and an old guy shouted “it’s like watching the blue Brazil”.

 

[Big Buff]

My old man told me it came from a very rare passage of silky play and an old guy shouted “it’s like watching the blue Brazil”.

Class.

Of course, then Brazil became the Yellow Cowdenbeath after that 7-1 defeat against Germany.

 

[Davie86]

Interesting fact. The manky mhob label came about as a result of Pacific shelf 595 fans generally being absolutely reeking Toothless orks with poor hygiene.

 

[bedsblue]

Sheep shagges Don't Often Notch Silverware, hence the nickname filthy retarded wank stained ugly kunty wankers!

Just rolls off the tongue as well,you can see it rhymes.

 

[daviemc1872]

dumbarton are called sons of the rock because they are the offspring of Dwayne Johnson

 

[tcbuzz]

Dundee United's unofficial nickname of the Arabs is because in the 70's due to bad weather and bad maintenance, their pitch was about 80% sand.

 

[Davidw72]

Just rolls off the tongue as well,you can see it rhymes.

Aye top 10 hit in the making

 

[colincolincolinstein]

dumbarton are called sons of the rock because they are the offspring of Dwayne Johnson

Dundee United's unofficial nickname of the Arabs is because in the 70's due to bad weather and bad maintenance, their pitch was about 80% sand.

I thought it was because they rhymed with Arabian Knight.

 

[a_weir]

Dundee United's unofficial nickname of the Arabs is because in the 70's due to bad weather and bad maintenance, their pitch was about 80% sand.

Is that true? Weird reason!

 

[buffaloskinners]

Is that true? Weird reason!

I think that is true mate .

 

[Bermondsey Wall West]

A quite entertaining wee thread.

 

[theytriedtokillus]

The scum Just because they are.

 

[minder]

Clyde---Bully Wee.No idea but someone must know

 

[Jan Žižka]

Clyde---Bully Wee.No idea but someone must know

Most plausible...

links the term to the old Victorian idiom "bully" meaning first-rate or high standard and suggests that Clyde, a small club, would have been regularly referred to as "Bully Wee Clyde", with the first two words eventually becoming the standalone nickname.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Most plausible...

links the term to the old Victorian idiom "bully" meaning first-rate or high standard and suggests that Clyde, a small club, would have been regularly referred to as "Bully Wee Clyde", with the first two words eventually becoming the standalone nickname.

Sure it wasn't cos of Jim Bowen?

 

[Jonathan E]

Always liked The Cobblers for Northampton Town because, just as we used to do pre-season at Gullane Sands, Northampton used to run up The Cobbler in Arrocher.


(Nah, it's because of Northampton's historical connection with the shoe-making industry. Or that might be a load of....)

 

[dbear]

WHY ARE WE CALLED THE PARS ?

Date: Wednesday, 23rd Oct 2019

One perennial question, which comes up from fans of other clubs; is why we are called "the Pars" ?

When I interviewed older supporters in the 1990s; they said it derived from the banners sailors waved at the match with "Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Supporters" abbreviated to PARS.

Certainly, huge numbers of sailors, based at Rosyth Dockyard, but who came from Portsmouth or Devenport or Chatham supported the club in the years up to the SWW. Does any such photographic record exist?

My Parents` generation were adamant that it was not unknown in the 1950s for Athletic fans to call the players "Paralytics", which would hardly be deemed appropriate in the 21st century!

John Hunter,in his Centenary History, was not having that. He points out that he traced the term back to June 1912 when the "Dunfermline Press" began to use it. This was because the club, which had won so much minor silverware since 1885, were finally, belatedly, admitted to Scottish Division 2.

The "Press" said we were now on a "PAR" with the other big clubs. Such was the excitement that the News was flashed onto a screen at the Opera House in Dunfermline!

There was talk of building a 60,000 stadium and the Club, finally, took the decision to play in black and white from then on.

This was not uninterrupted though.They reverted to maroon in 1930 and all white in 1971.


Hartlepool United are known as the Monkey Hangers because the good people of the place hung a monkey believing it to be a spy during the Napoleonic wars.

The guy that wrote that section on Dunfermline was my history teacher at school.

 

[Gasoil]

Remember having a book in the early 70's as a young boy......had all the English (old) 1st division clubs plus Rangers and Celtic. Each page had information like when the club was founded, where they played, ground capacity, record crowd etc. Also had club nicknames and this is the only time I've heard this but it referred to our nickname as the Ibrox Oarsmen. Has anyone else heard this? I understand why that might be the case but is this just a writer from England coming up with a guess based on our origins?

 

[Stevie McDougall]

Shame F.C. derived ftom their history.
Torbett F.C.
Paedophiles harbouring F.C.
Scotlands shame F.C.
Saville F.C.
Glitter F.C.
Despicable F.C.
Scum F.C.
Footballs shame F.C
Penn State F. C.
Nonce F.C.
They all knew F..c.
All aliases

 

[Jan Žižka]

Remember having a book in the early 70's as a young boy......had all the English (old) 1st division clubs plus Rangers and Celtic. Each page had information like when the club was founded, where they played, ground capacity, record crowd etc. Also had club nicknames and this is the only time I've heard this but it referred to our nickname as the Ibrox Oarsmen. Has anyone else heard this? I understand why that might be the case but is this just a writer from England coming up with a guess based on our origins?

Ralston’s research indicated that it was in fact members of Clyde ARC who were responsible for the founding of Ranger FC. This is evidenced through the 5th “founding member” of Rangers: Tom Vallance.

Vallance was quite the athlete and competed in various sports with success during his early life. Ralston’s research uncovered an article from the Scottish Athletic Journal in 1885, profiling Vallance and mentioning his membership of Clyde Amateur Rowing Club.

It is quite possible that not all of the founding members were members of the same rowing club, however another interesting indicator that it was members of Clyde ARC and not Clydesdale ARC, who founded Rangers FC, is found within the symbol of Clyde – the Clyde Star. The six pointed, light blue star is the official symbol of Clyde ARC and appears on the club flag, club badge, club rowing kit and is referenced in the club constitution. The first known picture of the Rangers squad shows the 1877 team, resplendent in white shirts, with a light blue, six pointed star on the left breast. According to Ralston, the presence of the star was an interesting puzzle to many Rangers enthusiasts. On uncovering the link between Vallance and Clyde ARC, and the official symbol of Clyde ARC, the mystery is arguably solved.

A final note on this saga, is something that is forgotten in both clubs’ keenness to lay claim to such a link. Sadly the founders of Rangers FC chose to leave the sport of rowing for the greener grass of association football. Whichever club these boys hailed from, the world of rowing could not keep them.

 

[muffed ivor]

The Bonnie Wee Rovers, that's what my granny from Coatbridge called Albion Rovers.

If you don't like this post then my granny says F-ck Off.

 

[hawkfalcons]

Shame F.C. derived ftom their history.
Torbett F.C.
Paedophiles harbouring F.C.
Scotlands shame F.C.
Saville F.C.
Glitter F.C.
Despicable F.C.
Scum F.C.
Footballs shame F.C
Penn State F. C.
Nonce F.C.
They all knew F..c.
All aliases

think you have pretty much covered it mate