It’s The Cup Final But I Don’t Care, I’m QPR!
Berättelsen om när en före detta Sex Pistols-medlem avbröt ett nummer för att berätta vilket som är hans lag.
Artikeln publicerades ursprungligen på www.indyrs.co.uk den 30 juni 2010 och återpubliceras på SvenskaFans med artikelförfattarens tillåtelse.
Every now and again the topic of so called personalities that follow the R’s is discussed. What about so and so, he used to be seen at Loftus Road, does he still go? Some years ago, I picked up a copy of the ‘Metro’ and inside was a short interview with Glen Matlock, one time Sex Pistol who proudly proclaimed his allegiance to the Superhoops. The following year, the flyer for the Olympia Record Fair stated that he would make a personal appearance on both weekend days of the Fair. The Saturday also happened to be Cup Final day, but I was committed to doing the Fair and meeting him.
So I joined the line of old and new Punks, queuing up for their Pistols LP’s and photos to be autographed. My turn eventually came, and I surprised him by remarking that I didn’t want anything signed, I just wanted to have a chat about the Rangers.
He was born in Kensal Green and attended Clement Danes School. I was pleased to hear that he’s also a big fan of the Small Faces. As we were chatting the procession continued. I stood aside for a moment as one young guy asked for his CD to be signed. ‚‘Who should I sign it to?’‚ he enquired. ‘Just write fxxk off’‚ came the reply !!!
I also took the opportunity to get a few publicity pictures signed with ‘Come On You R’s’ to pass on and I even kept one for myself. I’m not really a fan of the Pistols, but I thought the least I could do was hand over a tenner for a ‘Philistines’ CD titled ‘Open Mind’ that was strategically placed on the table and then returned to my stall to eagerly await his mini live set scheduled in about an hour or so.
His solo set more or less coincided with kick-off time. Some previously unfamiliar tunes followed such as, ‘Burning Sound’, ‘Different World’ and ‘Sad Meal For One’, a song from the ‘Open Mind’ CD which was about Yuppie types who buy their microwave meals in the Edgware Road. He stopped abruptly mid-way through one number yelling: ‚‘It’s Cup Final day but I don’t care, I’m QPR!’ which provoked a response from yours truly of ‘UR’ssss’ from behind the Punk ensemble. The Punks didn’t know what was going on of course, but I did and it was wonderful. He belted out another song from what was then his current album, which was all about having ‘shit for brains’ and titled appropriately ‘Idiot’. The mini set concluded with the classic Pistols number ‘Pretty Vacant’ with as you can imagine, the chorus of ‘And We Don’t Care’ was sung by all and sundry, young and old. In his intro, he had termed the set, ‘Acoustic Punk’ and it really was pretty special even for a non-believer.
He returned the following day for another signing session, plus of course more talk about the R’s before setting off for a gig in Liverpool. He told me that he couldn’t get down to Loftus Road as often as he would have liked because of his band commitments and seeing his kids at weekends but he added that Gary Crowley was a fan. I had to tell him that I had respect for him and Mick Jones and contempt for people like Phil Collins. I gave him a badge which he proudly pinned on his shirt and he left me with a wonderful football and music related story. He was at Loftus Road on one occasion and during the half-time interval, he was hanging around with Mick Jones and he clocked a very attractive young girl eyeing them up and down. Eventually she came over, but upon arrival, she pointed to a much older guy situated near them and said to their amazement. ‚‘Is that Bruce Welch of the Shadows standing over there?’
Glen Matlock is most definitely one of our own.
Steve Russell
