Billy Boys
The Billy Boys is a loyalist song from Glasgow, sung to the tune of "Marching Through Georgia." It originated in the 1930s as the signature song of one of the Glasgow razor gangs led by Billy Fullerton and later reflected the long running sectarian divide in the city. It is associated in particular with Rangers football club.
The song is at the centre of a controversy surrounding "ninety-minute bigots", an expression allegedly coined by former Rangers chairman Sir David Murray: "Ninety-minute Bigots do not hold sectarian beliefs but nonetheless sing songs at football matches which are sectarian, simply to join in with the rest of the crowd." Rangers have adopted several measures to tackle this behaviour, with Murray speaking out against it on many occasions. In June 2006, Rangers were ordered by UEFA to make a public announcement at all home games, prohibiting the singing of the song.
Billy Boys is the title of a book on the history of Orangeism in Scotland.
Famous quotes containing the words billy and/or boys:
“Where the blackbird sings the latest,
Where the hawthorn blooms the sweetest,
Where the nestlings chirp and flee,
That’s the way for Billy and me.”
—James Hogg Hoffmann (1770–1835)
“Navajo men and boys have an odd way of showing their friendship. When two young men meet at the trading post, a “Sing”, or a dance they greet each other, inquire about the health of their respective families, then stand silently some ten or fifteen minutes while one feels the other’s arms, shoulders, and chest.”
—Administration in the State of Ariz, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)