Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ The chant, The Billy Boys can be heard often at Glasgow Rangers and Linfield football matches and on Orange parades around the six counties and Britain, particularly Glasgow and Liverpool. 

Hearts supporters also sing a version of this hate filled bigoted song which is sang to the air Marching Through Georgia. A different version of this song, totally unrelated, in fact in many respects the absolute opposite, can be heard at Old Trafford Manchester as Manchester United fans sing; We are the Busby Boys in tribute to Matt Busby United’s former legendary manager. The same song as that at Old Trafford can be heard at Broadhurst Park, home of FC United of Manchester, as their supporters also claim Matt Busby’s heritage. The Glaswegian version, unlike that of Man Utd fans, is an anti-Catholic chant and Rangers FC, in fairness, tried to ban it. UEFA looked into the possibility of banning the song but concluded that as the Scottish Government had not done so (up to that point) they were powerless. So much for kicking racism out of football as this song is in itself a kind of racist chant or, at very best, ethnocentric.

It is often erroneously thought the song was originally about the Williamite Wars in Ireland, 1689-91 and the victory of King William, the Dutch Protestant, over England’s last Roman Catholic monarch, James II. This is not an unreasonable assumption but it is wrong. The song over the years took on and evolved into a dual meaning, the original and the evolved version about the events of the late seventeenth century. King William, William III, Prince of Orange, was also known as King Billy so it is perfectly understandable how the song quickly evolved into relating historically to his victory. Having briefly examined the historical connections, referring William III “King Billy’s” victory over James II in 1691, to the chant it is time to examine the songs real origins.

The Brigton “Billy Boys” were a sectarian Glasgow gang of Protestant bigots formed in 1924 by Glasgow’s own “King Billy”, William “Billy” Fullerton. Fullerton was an arch sectarian bigot, anti-Roman Catholic, who formed this gang of notorious thugs as he had allegedly been attacked by a gang of Catholic youths. Another tale is that he was an up and coming footballer until he was injured in a game and the offending player happened to be a Roman Catholic. Whatever the reason he decided to form one of the most ruthless razor gangs in Glasgow, the “Brigton Billy Boys” named after himself. Their anthem was The Billy Boys which was adopted by sections of Glasgow Rangers football supporters. 

The area the gang came from was Bridgeton Cross in Glasgow’s east end, not far from Glasgow Celtic's football ground, the traditional Catholic club in the city. Their anthem would ring out when the gang paraded through Catholic areas where they were often opposed by the native “Norman Conks” gang, a Catholic retaliation group. The Billy Boys words were/are: 

Hello, Hello, we are the Billy Boys, 
Helllo, Hello you’ll know us by our noise. 
We are up to our knees in Fenian blood surrender or you’ll die, 
we are the Brigton Billy Boys. 

Sometimes it is changed to “up to our knees in papist blood” but the meaning is still the same. Glasgow Rangers FC tried to ban the song due to its sectarian meaning, how hard they tried is open to interpretation, but have been unsuccessful. In 2011 the Scottish government (local authority in real terms) included this song on their list of chants banned from football grounds in Scotland. It was specifically banned because of its sectarian “up to our knees in Fenian blood” line. Billy Fullerton often gave public orations against Roman Catholic and Irish immigrants in the Bridgeton Cross area and was a well known street agitator of the most right-wing kind.

The “Billy Boys” often took part in Orange parades in Belfast where the song was adopted changing the words “we are the Brigton Billy Boys, to we are the “Shankill Billy Boys” and by now the song was becoming equated with the Williamite wars in Ireland, themselves part of a much larger European conflict between Catholic France and the Protestant Dutch Republic led by William Prince of Orange. How a Prince could be head of a republic is another conundrum and would be far too long to go into for this article.

The “Billy Boys” gang were often used as expendable foot soldiers by the Conservative and Unionist Party at election times. They were used to break up Labour Party, socialist, and trade union meetings by the Tory respectable thugs in parliament. Billy Fullerton was also a notorious strike breaker during the 1926 General Strike called by the TUC in support of the miners. Despite his sectarianism, much of it privately shared by some Conservatives, he was commended by the Conservative and Unionist Party for his strike breaking. Fullerton regularly scabbed, doing the work of striking workers. Fullerton later went o to join Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) and also tried to raise a branch of the US Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as they were, like him, anti-Catholic and, again like him, anti-Black racist people. This last escapade gained little traction. He would also have been known, if not friendly with, the Conservative and Unionist MP, Archibald Ramsey. Ramsey was a supporter of the Nazi ideology and opposed the war with Hitler. He was interned along with Mosley during the Second World War.

There were many ironies surrounding Billy Fullerton because despite his well-documented hatred of Roman Catholics he often did work for some people who were Catholic by denomination. One such character who Fullerton was in the employ of was Tommy Gilmour. Gilmour was a bookmaker and boxing promoter and a Roman Catholic yet, and despite his open hatred of Catholics, “King Billy” worked for him, often to erect boxing rings, a job he was renowned for being competent at. 

After the Second World War Fullerton worked for the Glasgow bantamweight boxer, Peter Keenan, another Roman Catholic and devout Celtic supporter. Keenan was the only Scottish boxer to win two Lonsdale Belts outright, 1953 and 1957, and was held aloft on Fullerton’s shoulders on the Parkhead pitch much to the delight of the Celtic fans. Had “king Billy” changed his opinions? Or was it a question of if the price is right! It must be wondered what the views of the Celtic fans would have been had they been aware who the person carrying the boxing icon on his shoulders was.

Billy Fullerton, Glasgow’s “King Billy” died in poverty in 1962 aged 57.

The Williamite war in Ireland ended with the siege of Limerick resulting in the Jacobite forces surrendering under Patrick Sarsfield in 1691. This signalled the successful conclusion, for the aspiring bourgeoisie and British rulers, the Tories and Whigs (later the Conservative and Liberal parties) of the misleadingly termed “Glorious Revolution” and the installation of King William as the King of Ireland, as well as England and Scotland. The chant The Billy Boys was made up by sectarian bigots led by Billy Fullerton, the Billy Boys, in 1924 two hundred and thirty-three years after the Siege of Limerick and the end of the war. It quickly evolved and was adopted by the Orange Order and those who celebrate the Williamite victory as to be about “King Billy”, William III and is so to this day. The Williamite war was not, and is not, the origins of this song and it initially was not about William of Orange and his victory over James II, the last Catholic King to sit on the throne of Britain and Ireland, now “Northern Ireland” as some term it. It was initially about Glasgow’s own “King Billy”, William Fullerton. 

To this day Fullerton, despite dying in poverty, is hailed as a hero among elements within the Glasgow gangland and Orange Order, Freemasons and other Protestant triumphalist groups. In truth he was a ruthless street thug, sectarian bigot, racist and anti-Semite. Whether, as some have argued, in later life he tried to change his life around would be contradicted by the large Protestant gangland attendance at his funeral. The truth about his final years will perhaps remain shrouded in mystery and could be adapted to suit the narrative of the teller.

Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent 
Socialist Republican and Marxist

The Origins Of The Billy Boys ✑ Sectarian Song

Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ The chant, The Billy Boys can be heard often at Glasgow Rangers and Linfield football matches and on Orange parades around the six counties and Britain, particularly Glasgow and Liverpool. 

Hearts supporters also sing a version of this hate filled bigoted song which is sang to the air Marching Through Georgia. A different version of this song, totally unrelated, in fact in many respects the absolute opposite, can be heard at Old Trafford Manchester as Manchester United fans sing; We are the Busby Boys in tribute to Matt Busby United’s former legendary manager. The same song as that at Old Trafford can be heard at Broadhurst Park, home of FC United of Manchester, as their supporters also claim Matt Busby’s heritage. The Glaswegian version, unlike that of Man Utd fans, is an anti-Catholic chant and Rangers FC, in fairness, tried to ban it. UEFA looked into the possibility of banning the song but concluded that as the Scottish Government had not done so (up to that point) they were powerless. So much for kicking racism out of football as this song is in itself a kind of racist chant or, at very best, ethnocentric.

It is often erroneously thought the song was originally about the Williamite Wars in Ireland, 1689-91 and the victory of King William, the Dutch Protestant, over England’s last Roman Catholic monarch, James II. This is not an unreasonable assumption but it is wrong. The song over the years took on and evolved into a dual meaning, the original and the evolved version about the events of the late seventeenth century. King William, William III, Prince of Orange, was also known as King Billy so it is perfectly understandable how the song quickly evolved into relating historically to his victory. Having briefly examined the historical connections, referring William III “King Billy’s” victory over James II in 1691, to the chant it is time to examine the songs real origins.

The Brigton “Billy Boys” were a sectarian Glasgow gang of Protestant bigots formed in 1924 by Glasgow’s own “King Billy”, William “Billy” Fullerton. Fullerton was an arch sectarian bigot, anti-Roman Catholic, who formed this gang of notorious thugs as he had allegedly been attacked by a gang of Catholic youths. Another tale is that he was an up and coming footballer until he was injured in a game and the offending player happened to be a Roman Catholic. Whatever the reason he decided to form one of the most ruthless razor gangs in Glasgow, the “Brigton Billy Boys” named after himself. Their anthem was The Billy Boys which was adopted by sections of Glasgow Rangers football supporters. 

The area the gang came from was Bridgeton Cross in Glasgow’s east end, not far from Glasgow Celtic's football ground, the traditional Catholic club in the city. Their anthem would ring out when the gang paraded through Catholic areas where they were often opposed by the native “Norman Conks” gang, a Catholic retaliation group. The Billy Boys words were/are: 

Hello, Hello, we are the Billy Boys, 
Helllo, Hello you’ll know us by our noise. 
We are up to our knees in Fenian blood surrender or you’ll die, 
we are the Brigton Billy Boys. 

Sometimes it is changed to “up to our knees in papist blood” but the meaning is still the same. Glasgow Rangers FC tried to ban the song due to its sectarian meaning, how hard they tried is open to interpretation, but have been unsuccessful. In 2011 the Scottish government (local authority in real terms) included this song on their list of chants banned from football grounds in Scotland. It was specifically banned because of its sectarian “up to our knees in Fenian blood” line. Billy Fullerton often gave public orations against Roman Catholic and Irish immigrants in the Bridgeton Cross area and was a well known street agitator of the most right-wing kind.

The “Billy Boys” often took part in Orange parades in Belfast where the song was adopted changing the words “we are the Brigton Billy Boys, to we are the “Shankill Billy Boys” and by now the song was becoming equated with the Williamite wars in Ireland, themselves part of a much larger European conflict between Catholic France and the Protestant Dutch Republic led by William Prince of Orange. How a Prince could be head of a republic is another conundrum and would be far too long to go into for this article.

The “Billy Boys” gang were often used as expendable foot soldiers by the Conservative and Unionist Party at election times. They were used to break up Labour Party, socialist, and trade union meetings by the Tory respectable thugs in parliament. Billy Fullerton was also a notorious strike breaker during the 1926 General Strike called by the TUC in support of the miners. Despite his sectarianism, much of it privately shared by some Conservatives, he was commended by the Conservative and Unionist Party for his strike breaking. Fullerton regularly scabbed, doing the work of striking workers. Fullerton later went o to join Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) and also tried to raise a branch of the US Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as they were, like him, anti-Catholic and, again like him, anti-Black racist people. This last escapade gained little traction. He would also have been known, if not friendly with, the Conservative and Unionist MP, Archibald Ramsey. Ramsey was a supporter of the Nazi ideology and opposed the war with Hitler. He was interned along with Mosley during the Second World War.

There were many ironies surrounding Billy Fullerton because despite his well-documented hatred of Roman Catholics he often did work for some people who were Catholic by denomination. One such character who Fullerton was in the employ of was Tommy Gilmour. Gilmour was a bookmaker and boxing promoter and a Roman Catholic yet, and despite his open hatred of Catholics, “King Billy” worked for him, often to erect boxing rings, a job he was renowned for being competent at. 

After the Second World War Fullerton worked for the Glasgow bantamweight boxer, Peter Keenan, another Roman Catholic and devout Celtic supporter. Keenan was the only Scottish boxer to win two Lonsdale Belts outright, 1953 and 1957, and was held aloft on Fullerton’s shoulders on the Parkhead pitch much to the delight of the Celtic fans. Had “king Billy” changed his opinions? Or was it a question of if the price is right! It must be wondered what the views of the Celtic fans would have been had they been aware who the person carrying the boxing icon on his shoulders was.

Billy Fullerton, Glasgow’s “King Billy” died in poverty in 1962 aged 57.

The Williamite war in Ireland ended with the siege of Limerick resulting in the Jacobite forces surrendering under Patrick Sarsfield in 1691. This signalled the successful conclusion, for the aspiring bourgeoisie and British rulers, the Tories and Whigs (later the Conservative and Liberal parties) of the misleadingly termed “Glorious Revolution” and the installation of King William as the King of Ireland, as well as England and Scotland. The chant The Billy Boys was made up by sectarian bigots led by Billy Fullerton, the Billy Boys, in 1924 two hundred and thirty-three years after the Siege of Limerick and the end of the war. It quickly evolved and was adopted by the Orange Order and those who celebrate the Williamite victory as to be about “King Billy”, William III and is so to this day. The Williamite war was not, and is not, the origins of this song and it initially was not about William of Orange and his victory over James II, the last Catholic King to sit on the throne of Britain and Ireland, now “Northern Ireland” as some term it. It was initially about Glasgow’s own “King Billy”, William Fullerton. 

To this day Fullerton, despite dying in poverty, is hailed as a hero among elements within the Glasgow gangland and Orange Order, Freemasons and other Protestant triumphalist groups. In truth he was a ruthless street thug, sectarian bigot, racist and anti-Semite. Whether, as some have argued, in later life he tried to change his life around would be contradicted by the large Protestant gangland attendance at his funeral. The truth about his final years will perhaps remain shrouded in mystery and could be adapted to suit the narrative of the teller.

Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent 
Socialist Republican and Marxist

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for that, Caoimhin. The socio-historical aspect of Scottish football is perhaps more interesting than the level of on-field genius... This is a poem about Billy Fullerton, and issues raised... Worth checking out: http://www.glesga.ukpals.com/profiles/billyordan4.htm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ramon, must look it up.

      Caoimhin O'Muraile

      Delete
  2. That hasn't been sung inside Windsor or Ibrox for near on 20 odd years. Yes in the past definitely but credit where credit is due. They are successfully stamping sectarianism out. Supporters are gradually not caring over such trivial matters. Not sure why you'd a pop at the Freemasons though? There's plenty of catholic mason's and Dublin is a major seat for them. Odd.

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    Replies
    1. Not true, alas, Steve. Rangers and Linfield fans still sing the "Billy Boys" along with the "Sash My Father Wore". I know Rangers FC tried to ban it, as have the SFA but it is still sang, admittedly normally at away games. A few years ago, about five years, the Rangers contingent at Park Head, "old firm" game were singing it. The Scottish administration, as I pointed out, have banned the song but, as you know, that means, in the real world, very little. I'm sure Freemasonary is alive and kicking in Dublin, as is a small OO, who keep their heads down when it comes to sectarian songs and in no way is it the same level of bitterness which is present in the Six Counties. The same in Co. Donegal where an orange march takes place on the 12th. The article is about the words to a particular song, not the right of Protestant people to have a march, just drop the sectarian aspects of them.

      Caoimhin O'Muraile

      Delete
  3. That is interesting always believe it originally came from King William of orange

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    Replies
    1. It was adapted to relate to the Williamite victory, which is understandable, but the origins are 233 years more recent in Glasgow.

      Caoimhin O'Murailr

      Delete
  4. Sandy Campbell would have some interesting thoughts on this, I am sure

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would look forward to hearing his views Anthony.

    Caoimhin

    ReplyDelete