NEW INTERVIEW: My interview with Airdrie S (Section B member), 13 November 2019.

My interview with Airdrie S. (Airdrie supporter and Section B member)

Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2019.

Place: The Staging Post, Airdrie, Scotland.

Time: 2:00 hours.

KJ: Please take us through the history of Section B…

Airdrie S.: It started in 1977. There was football violence in Airdrie before then. They came together under one banner in 1977 named after a local punk band Section B. I believe it was named after the section in Motherwell’s ground where the Airdrie boys used to meet up. Section B was begun by Tiddles and one other guy. It was an amalgamation of neighbourhood gangs formed so as to prevent mobs from bigger clubs from taking over the town of Airdrie on match-days. It became a more organized thing across the country.

KJ: When did Section B become casuals?

Airdrie S.: Airdrie were not even casuals in the 1980s – they were skinheads, punks, local fellas. Airdrie became casuals in the 1990s. It was not 100% casual until 2000s. There were still people going with Doc Marten boots in 2003 when I started. Airdrie were like a throwback to the earlier days of football violence.

It kicked off regularly, people going into ends. It happened at Thistle, Maryhill. The motivation to get together was people coming here, including drunken mobs of Celtic and Rangers fans. It was a big rivalry as it was local. There were gangs such as Tamla Hill, Broomfield, Boot Boys, Tiny Mob, and Reos.

KJ: Tell me about the town of Airdrie.

Airdrie S.: It is a small town, only 33,000 people, something like that. It’s not big enough to have different gangs. The older fellas got together as mid- to late-teenagers and started to get people together under one banner. Hibs and Hearts had big mobs, Hearts were a very big mob by 1977 – Gorgie Aggro – it used to kick off all the time down there.

KJ: So continue on with the history…

Airdrie S.: Airdrie is the oldest continuing firm under the same name in Scotland. Younger ones join and older ones leave but there has always been a continuing core.

In January 2007, at Motherwell, there were geezers there in their sixties. That was on the main street there in the Cup.

In 77 or 78, there would have been a core of 50 geezers, 200 tops. We still have 140 now. In the 90s we took away 100 to Hibs. The biggest I have seen was 140 to Celtic in January last year [i.e. January 2018].

I have seen 110 at Motherwell, 2007 (Cup game, January 2007). I had stitches in my back. I was stabbed in December [2006]. I had the stitches still in my back, fighting in the main street. [Note: According to Wikipedia, since the original Airdrieonians were dissolved in 2002 and reborn as Airdrie United (now again referred to as Airdrieonians), Motherwell and Airdrie have only met once in a competitive match, the Scottish Cup Third Round tie on 7 January 2007 at New Broomfield, with Motherwell winning 1–0 and Richie Foran the scorer.]

In Airdrie, in my class at primary, 30, out of 16-17 guys, 2 supported Airdrie. The others were “Old Firm” – there were more Rangers fans than Celtic fans and more Celtic fans than Airdrie. I know of one or two people who like Aberdeen – it is Rangers, Celtic, and Airdrie [in order of the number of supporters]. There are some people that support Rangers as their team but sometimes go to Airdrie games.

KJ: Was the firm involved in other criminal activities back in the day like Hibs’ Capital City Service?

Airdrie S.: I think they were involved in other things as well but I couldn’t say.

In the 1980s, there was another mob which started – Red Army Firm. It was started by some geezers who were casuals. They were trying to differentiate themselves from the others. It was late-80s – but it never took off.

We are the only mob that predates the casuals’ movement in Scotland that is still going now. There has been continuity. I have had people from other mobs say the same. In Airdrie it is just pride in the town, it was not about the fashion so much. In Airdrie you want some beat-up old shit next to you than someone in trendy gear who will f***ing run. Guys my age it’s all pretty much casuals. But we are not fashion-oriented. Fashion is not the most important thing for us.

The fashions never spread to Airdrie so much. It was about being Airdrie – we say “your mates, your town, your team” – these are the three most important things.

KJ: So what is Airdrie, the town, like?

Airdrie S.: Airdrie is an industrial town, a lot of steelworks, old mill, and market town. The ass fell out of the industry, like everywhere else. You proved your manliness in other ways. In primary-school, we were changing the words of the hymns to “Section B”. With LSD [Love Street Division, St Mirren casuals], every four years it is manned by different people; the mob changes completely. Now it is the same fellas [in Section B] as were going in the mid-80s, 90s, 2000s. We don’t have a big turnover. With Falkirk and LSD, you don’t hear about them for four years, they reform as a group of kids. We are always the same; we are the same fellas all the time. LSD played here in a cup game, 2005, at Airdrie’s ground. We were staying around, 30 or 40, in the rain on the phone to St Mirren. They would not get off the bus. We were in the rain. They were in a cup final; the game was played at Airdrie’s stadium. They might have played someone like Hamilton. We got together as they said they were coming out. [Note: According to Wikipedia, the 2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, also known as the Bell’s Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football match between St Mirren and Hamilton Academical played on 6 November 2005 at Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie.]

KJ: What do Airdrie fans think of Old Firm fans?

Airdrie S.: Most hate them including me. Some of the fans support both [i.e. Airdrie and an Old Firm team]; they have a leaning towards one or the other. Most don’t like the Old Firm but, if anything, they choose Rangers. Many f***ing hate them, I f***ing hate them.

I don’t understand that people leave this town to support someone else. Someone from England or Scotland wouldn’t support France in the World Cup. A lot of money leaves the town to go elsewhere.

KJ: Why do you like to fight?

Airdrie S.: Adrenaline rush – best thing in the f***ing world – there is no feeling like it, the mixture of fear and adrenaline; you are living on the edge; it’s like a working man’s extreme-sport, you feel like you are fighting for something, the buzz of it is second to none. I have had many fights not at the football but none of them feel like they do at the football, living on the edge, you’re alive.

There was a guy, Justin Fashanu, you sang: “he’s black, he’s gay / he plays for Airdrie.” That was in the 90s, 1993. [Note: Justin Fashanu (19 February 1961 - 2 May 1998) played 16 games for Airdrie in 1993 and scored 5 goals.] He was aware [of the song], he never complained; he would have loved it. It’s still sung now.

When I started in 2003 there was a bit of a lull. Airdrieonians had folded; the new club had started. By 2004-05, a lot of people my age had come through [into Section B]. We were 20-25 lads, teenagers and early-20s (15-24-years-old). We went to Dundee, Perth, Paisley, we took it to every place, including Hampden; we had it with Rangers in the Gorbals; that’s where I got stabbed. The name has never changed at any time. We resumed it. In 2000-01, we were at a peak. Airdrie was taking 90 boys to f***ing Thistle - they did Thistle in Maryhill, and 2002, before I started going, and at Falkirk.

End of 2003, beginning 2004 - we weren’t taking big numbers. I started getting a few Airdrie fellas going. There was a big influx of people my age who got involved, Airdrie has a reputation; the lower-league teams are not interested. They don’t want to fight you, e.g. Clyde, Greenock Morton. 2005-06 - people were coming back who hadn’t been involved for a while. Three guys with famous names turned up at Perth versus St Johnstone, 2005-06 season.

Love Street Division (St Mirren)

Fountain Gardens, Paisley

Airdrie S.: We went to St Mirren that year [in the old Scottish First Division, now Championship]. At Fountain Park [i.e. Fountain Gardens on Love Street in Paisley], we caused mayhem. We were in a boozer in the scheme of Ferguslie Park. We didn’t go to the game; we had 55 to start with; the police called the bus company and cancelled it. I would book the bus under a different name. If the police find out, they would call and cancel, so only 35 came. We were from the Love Street side. The Old Bill drove the van into the gate, but blocked the gate with the doors. There was fighting in the road-side of the park. A few of us got nicked then and at their houses afterwards. There were banning orders. There was fighting all the way to the station [distance 0.4 miles, walking-time 7 minutes]. Love Street Division was not very good that day. They joined firms with Thistle after that when we played them.

Motherwell Saturday Service

Airdrie S.: Not many come here. Motherwell has come twice – 2005, they had the better of us, and 2004, we done them and we won the league [Scottish Second Division, now League One].

2005 - Motherwell came here; they had a good mob that day. We had about 15-16 guys, they had about 80, this was 2005. In 2004 we done them.

In January 2007 they came here in the Cup [Third Round, 6 January 2007, at New Broomland Stadium; Motherwell 1 defeated Airdrie United 0, Ritchie Foran scored in the 31st minute, attendance 5,924]. I still had my stitches on from Rangers. It went on in the main street. I saw a geezer get hit by a turnip! One Airdrie guy got hit by a potato. There was a fruit-and-veg store. It was 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. A Motherwell boy got hit by a turnip right on the nose, man. It kicked off for a bit. A big geezer hit me two or three times. The Old Bill broke it off. It kicked off in the car park between Motherwell and Airdrie guys who never had tickets for the game. I had tickets for the game. There were 110 of us, 90 of them. Nobody won, it was back and forth. Only so many guys can stand in a street. If you got 30 good guys, you can stand your own against 100.

Ayr Service Crew

Airdrie S.: Ayr came here twice I know. First time they went into the Albert [64 Clark Street, Airdrie ML6 6DW] – they had 40, we had 5, and we got stuck into them. Out of the blue, one of our boys (an older fella) drove his car right into them and they were scattering from all sides. There were 40 boys, 35-40 boys. Two of our boys came out of the bookies, we had 7-8. They said “Airdrie surrounded us” – how did we manage that, lying lengthwise? The f***ing idiots.

They came with a good mob, 50. I was coming home from work, it was a Saturday; they marched up the main street. We were 35-handed, it kicked off in the street; it was pretty even. The Old Bill managed to stop it.

In [April] 2013 there was a re-match. We were playing in Airdrie that day; they were playing in Coatbridge (Albion Rovers). We went in and it really kicked off. One of my mates knocked this big guy over - he didn’t know what happened to him. My nose broke. I didn’t notice it at the time. They turned around and faced us and they had paving slabs. It was about five minutes; it goes so quickly due to the adrenaline. You can’t remember any of it afterwards. Thirteen fellas got nicked, just Airdrie people. At least a dozen from Ayr got nicked about a month later. Overall, there were maybe 40 of us and the same number of them (April 2013).

Inter-City Firm (Rangers)

In 2006 we went to the Gorbals. We were playing Clyde. We turned up in the Gorbals, December 2006. It was like a little expedition; we had about 15 people. They [Rangers ICF] told us: “We only have 10, can you wait?” We said “OK”. We shouldn’t have done that. We should have got right into it. More and more were coming in with knives. Airdrie backed off. I kept fighting; the c*** stabbed me in the back. I still have the scar. I could put my finger in it. It was 6:30 p.m. It was bleeding badly. I walked to High Street [station]. One of my contact lens got kicked out of my face. I got the train back to Airdrie. All the normal punters were on the train after day-shopping. You should have seen the looks I was getting. I got off at Coatdyke, walked to the hospital, went in and said “have you got anything for two assholes?” They sewed me up. It was only a flesh wound but you could put your whole finger into it. I was the last one there [at the fight]. Rangers walked me back across the bridge. My mate took a bad one as well. This was the ICF. I read bits of their books.

KJ: Favourite hangouts?

Airdrie S.: Here (the Staging Post); the Treasury; Cue Here.

KJ: What is the relationship like between casuals and scarfers?

Airdrie S.: Good – in general, massively favourable. You get the occasional one who opposes us. It is an institution in Airdrie. This town is a bit insular, very few people leave. A town councilor told me that Airdrie has the highest percentage of people in the UK who were born and died in the town. There is a good community spirit. A lot of people turn out for Airdrie’s mob who don’t like football or they support Rangers or Celtic – it’s about town pride and fans will sing Section B songs. Most of the male fans, a big percentage, will have had a stint in the Section B. It’s a proper institution, I can’t stress this enough. It has been going 42 years; a lot of people here have never lived in the town when there was no Section B. It is an established thing within the town.

KJ: How about relations with the club?

Airdrie S.: I don’t know how they view it now but in previous years very favourable. The club shop sells merch with a nod and a wink to Section B - Airdrie Rambling Club, which means Section B. It is ingrained in the whole psyche of the club and the town.

North Glasgow Express (Partick Thistle)

Airdrie S.: [Section B] was very active for a long time but, after 2013, people got nicked, one of our boys got three years after the Ayr thing – then it got quiet, there was nothing happening. A young group of Thistle came to Airdrie in 2015. It kicked off in the main street. They were just young guys just testing their mettle. They were about 18-years-old. One of our boys got nicked at Rangers, I was the witness; the case got dismissed at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Celtic Soccer Crew

Airdrie S.: This year [January 2019], we took a good mob to Celtic, 140 there. They gave us the run around, f***ing us about. We ended up going to the Gallowgate, nothing happened at all. When we were at the Gallowgate, they were at the stadium attacking normal fans and old men. They are good at throwing things and attacking people who don’t want to fight.

KJ: How about the Old Bill?

The Old Bill (The government’s mob)

Airdrie S.: Historically the [Old Bill] were quite hands-off generally, pretty disinterested. I saw Old Bill drive past, a geezer lay in the middle of the road, bleeding; an ambulance was there, the geezer who knocked the guy out was standing there. They backed away [i.e. reversed] from the scene so they could get back to the police station. I was a doorman here [The Staging Post].

They are less friendly now since the alleged assault on one of their colleagues 2013. They pretty much tried to make my life difficult after that. They got a landlord of another pub to make up a story about me which wasn’t true. I was quoted in the Daily Record; it was a travesty, the three-year sentence [for Airdrieonians fan Gary Russo]. My name was in the frame after that. He [Russo] didn’t do f***ing anything. He got out after a year or so.

Kirkcaldy Soccer Casuals / Kirkcaldy Baby Crew (Raith Rovers)

Airdrie S.: 2015 – The worst excuse not to turn up for a fight was with Raith. It was a cold night like this. We were in a park calling up. We eventually called this lap-dancer – she said he fell in the park, he got his jeans dirty, and so everyone went home”, it’s ridiculous. We were like “f*** this, man” and went back to Airdrie.

One day me and two fellas went up to Raith in a car. More people won’t turn up as they get disappointed. This was a match-day. We heard that two guys were troubling the scarfers, one had a white jacket. We saw then, this was after the game. I punched one, my mate kicked them; my mate ripped off his hood; it came off at the seams; they ran up the street, my mate was chasing them saying “do you want your hood back?”

Falkirk Fear

Airdrie S.: [Raith Rovers] and Falkirk are the only ones in League One with a firm. We took a bus up to Falkirk, November 2012, by memory [2012-13 Scottish First Division, now Championship]. We went up on a bus; there were 35 of us. We got off the bus; it was 12:30-1:00 p.m.; they were in their pub called the Mill Inn.

Two of us walked in, me and my pal. Falkirk was sitting in a comer. The barmaid said: “who is this?” My mate said: “Section f***ing B.” We chased them out the back door, up the street; the place was f***ing wrecked; everybody came in although not everyone managed to get in. The build-up to this was that they were all over the internet. We had been up during the week; we did a bit of a recon. We were trying to get away from the police [after the event]; we sat in the bowling club for 45 minutes. We gave the postcode to the bus-driver; he picked us up at the bowling-club; we were back in the pub [in Airdrie] by 3:15 p.m. We had done Falkirk, a nice day out. From that day up until this year they never turned out against us. The next time, they said, they are going to get revenge. The guys drove through Airdrie. We told them the name of the pub but they never showed up.

Two months ago they got chased from the Coup (dump) to the other end of Airdrie, about a mile-and-a-half. I have never seen a football mob get chased that far. I gave up after 300 yards; I’m not here for a cross-country. We went there last Saturday. They weren’t there. They were all young guys; we were a mix – teens, twenties, and mostly guys in their thirties.

Before my time, in the 90s, Airdrie and Falkirk kicked off at Falkirk. The judge said: “sounds more like the Falkirk Fearties” - everybody is pissing their pants. They never got over that. Most of the mobs in our division are not worth much.

KJ: What are your comments about the new Airdrie stadium?

Airdrie S.: There’s nobody in it, it’s f***ing pointless. After that old ground became a Morrisons [supermarket], we lost 2,000 fans just like that. The capacity is 10,100 – that was the stadium requirement of the time. Then you need it to get in [the Scottish Premiership]. Airdrie bankrupted themselves to get there.

Celtic fans from Airdrie

Airdrie S.: 2018 - Section B attacking the Harp & Shamrock Irish bar after an Old Firm game. We were on our way back from an Airdrie game in East Fife. We were attacking the Celtic fans from Airdrie. 

KJ: Which some might say they deserve for following a team from outside of here. 

Airdrie S.: Wholeheartedly.  There was a build-up for a couple of months. This place shut down and became the Staging Post again. The incident didn’t help. They put individual shutters on each of the windows to close up at night. When it was the Irish bar, the windows got put in all the f***ing time. 

Dundee Utility

KJ: Any confrontation with Dundee Utility?

Airdrie S.: I can’t understand how they can go together.

KJ: So that they could get the numbers.

Airdrie S.: it’s just a f***ing excuse if we can get the numbers in a town this size.

Cowdenbeath Bastard Squad

Airdrie S.: Cowdenbeath Bastard Squad – they exist more on paper than anything else. I have never f***ing seen them. They have a rivalry with Dunfermline so they will turn out for that. 

Online Articles:

Airdrie Section B versus Ayr Service Crew, 13 April 2013

http://thefirms.co.uk/hooligans-clash-in-coatbridge-airdrie/

***THE END*** 

NEW INTERVIEW: My interview with Airdrie fan Kristoffer Dalziel, 19 February 2020.

My interview with Kristoffer Dalziel (Airdrie supporter)

Date: Wednesday, 19 February 2020.

Place: The Staging Post, Airdrie.

Time: 2:00 hours.

KJ: Did you have involvement with Airdrie Section B?

Kristoffer: When we were younger, we sat with them as they have a passionate atmosphere. When I got older, I got a couple of offers to run with them but I decided not to do that. They are good fans because they are really passionate about the team. They put their money where their mouth is. They get involved. They get a bad reputation but they are very passionate about the team.

KJ: What’s the relationship between Section B and the town?

Kristoffer: This is known as an Airdrie pub. There are a lot of ‘Old Firm’ fans here. It’s an Old Firm-dominated town really. The people in Airdrie don’t have much time for Section B. It’s a minority supporting Airdrie and they have a reputation for causing trouble. They don’t really bother about being liked [laughs]. They just love the town and the team. They got a hatred for the Old Firm. It’s a bit mutual [laughs].

KJ: Tell me more about the town.

Kristoffer:  It’s a small town where everybody knows everyone. I moved down to Coatbridge but it seems everyone knows everyone. Everyone is very loyal to their [housing] scheme, e.g. Plains and Thrashbush. People in their mid-thirties are still gang-affiliated which is messed up. There is a hierarchy within; people had reputations and it was known not to mess with them.

KJ: How about Section B?

Kristoffer: Section B are not really affiliated with any scheme. They just do their own thing. They are from all over Airdrie. It’s a different type of thing. With scheme, it is about drugs and everything. They want to be seen as the top scheme. Section B are not really about pushing drugs; it is just about having a scrap at the football.

KJ: Tell us more about the football club.

Kristoffer: When I was young, they were fanatical. When I was young I liked the strip and the players in the team. I liked the sense of supporting your local team and you felt partisan. You knew everybody at the game and you had the common interest. Airdrie was not a liked team and you felt proud of that. There was an atmosphere against Partick Thistle, Motherwell, Morton - they were the big games you looked forward to. Partick were like a student team but Morton were very rough - they were like two opposites. I started watching Airdrie when I was youngest. We went through the ‘Spanish Armada’ process; they brought out these Spanish players from La Liga.

Airdrie had a game against Peterhead in the Scottish Cup. The administrator would not allow them to play the game to pay the bills. You felt that there was anti-Airdrie sentiment. We could have gone through in the Scottish Cup. We could have got the gate-money. We were chucked out of the Cup. We felt it was anti-Airdrie. With other clubs, people will chip in. We won the Challenge Cup two years in a row.

It was us and Partick Thistle, 2001/02; we had ‘Save the Diamonds’ campaign. It was the first-division; we were pushing it to the wire. We had a lot of injuries. We went up 1-0 and the place erupted. I can just remember it. People were going mental basically. We thought we were going to do it. It finished 1-1 and Partick Thistle won the league. Airdrie went bust in the summer. Airdrie had to apply to get back in the league.

Gretna got back into the league instead of Airdrie. If Airdrie got in, they offered to take the debts of the old club. But Rangers got straight back into League Two. If we had stayed in the Scottish Cup, we could have got prize-money. It would have been Livingston at home. The Cup run could have been the difference between saving them or not. It gave them a chip on their shoulder. Archibald brought in the Spanish talent, Steve Archibald - he brought in the Spanish players. They all went on to a higher level. We didn’t get any fees for them. Archibald wanted to take over the club but the administrators didn’t let them. That’s when Ian McCall came in. That was the team which went close to winning the league. They were all old-timers. In the first game we beat Arbroath 6-0 and momentum built up. We were very close at one point but the title-chase died. It was April 2002, the game against Partick Thistle.

KJ: How about the new stadium?

Kristoffer: The new stadium was built in 1998. The opening game was against York and Stevie Cooper scored, I remember that. I was born in 1991. I can only remember the new stadium. A lot of older fans did not like the [new] stadium. They have the memories of the old stadium. They [the team] went to Clyde for a couple of years and the quality got worse on the pitch. That put the club into debt. It was the stadium which killed them off really. They built the big stadium thinking they would be up in the Premier League. It didn’t quite pan out. The original site got knocked back and they didn’t have a back-up plan. It was irresponsible financially. It took a couple of years to sort out another site. Then it ran further into debt. They were paying more ground-sharing costs. The team suffered. They were no longer challenging at the top.

The original stadium was where the Morrison’s is [now]. You could have got more fans then. Now you have to go for a long walk. It’s not really accessible. I was too young to go to Broomfield - you hear the stories. Before they moved ground, they got to two Scottish Cup finals, 1992 and 1995. They had a couple of promotions to the SPL. Airdrie played in the SPL in the early-1990s; they are like a yo-yo team. They played against Sparta Prague in Europe. Fans have good memories about that now. It was mismanagement by the board. You speak to the older fans and they have the feeling that it’s not the same. You can lose your soul. It’s like the Arsenal stadium - there’s no comparison in terms of the atmosphere.

KJ: Why did you support Airdrie?

Kristoffer: When I was younger I made my own decision. I went to a couple of games, you got the atmosphere; you are close to the pitch, it’s magical, you feel like you are part of something. If you are Celtic or Rangers you are just a number. If you are at Airdrie, you feel appreciated; you are like the underdog and you are not a glory-hunter. For a few years I sold the programs, you felt like you were helping the club. You felt like you could even approach a director, you felt appreciated. I liked the strips, I liked the players, the players, some of them were total grafters but the fans loved them for it. In the Old Firm, they expect success every season but with Airdrie you don’t know when you will get success. In 2005 [actually 2004] we won the league [second-division]; Challenge Cup was 2001, 2002, back-to-back; 2009 we [beat] Ross County.

I first went to games regularly when I was 12. I had a paper-round; you would save up your money to go to away games. If we won we were in a good mood; if we lost we were in a bad mood, then you repeat the cycle.

KJ: The Old Firm attracts most people in Airdrie?

Kristoffer: It’s not far away. It’s an easy thing to do. A lot of families enforce it on the kids, don’t they? My Mom was a Celtic fan; my Dad was a Rangers fan so they didn’t force it on me.

KJ: You don’t regret not following Old Firm?

Kristoffer: Not really. There is a lot of fucking bigotry with them. A lot of mates hang about with them; they always sing their IRA songs.

KJ: Why do you think it is that towns like Airdrie, Livingston, and Dunfermline produced so many punk bands and football hooligans back in the day?

Kristoffer: It’s a town no-one really cares about. It’s all working-class – people go through their own struggles. It will be low-income families from one scheme. People will group together and they are largely left to themselves. Some will get into drugs, some into punk. So Section B will become like a brotherhood, isn’t it? It’s a small-town, no-one cares about them, and it’s anti-establishment, isn’t it? It’s a small group when you think about it. When you get small towns, there is a common bond. No-one looks after them, it’s us-against-the-world. They get together and they can do extraordinary things, you know what I mean?

*****THE END*****