O/T:- Favourite Opposition's Football Song/Chant

[Magpies1959]

The origin of the Wheelbarrow song was definitely coming from a negative place, but like you Newish, I now hear in a very positive way and is always sung when we are on top and never after having gone behind.

[ncfcog]

I remember being at the Shrewsbury game when the Wheelbarrow song was allegedly born, but I must admit I don't properly recall hearing it at the time. However, I remember being in the Roadside for the next game (Cardiff?) and definitely remember someone shouting "If I had a wheelbarrow the f***ing wheel would fall off!". I think that was my first real knowledge of it, however, if I try hard enough I can convince myself that I definitely heard it at Shrewsbury!

[upthemaggies]

Has anybody ever established what Shrewsbury were singing to that tune that night?
Are Shrewsbury even aware they had a song to that tune?

Wouldn't surprise me if whichever Notts fan came up with it misheard the tune also and not just the lyrics, being worse for wear and his mates thought it was funny and it became an in-joke for the next match.

It was the group at the back of County Road Stand next to the seats who started singing it v Cardiff at ML, but only a handful of them. At that point it was as self indulgent and esoteric as the "Let's all batter Seagraves" chant (Seagraves being a member of that gang) which would usually follow "Let's all have a disco". Presumably it was Birmingham away (where we won 2-1 in the game that followed) where it gained some traction before the memorable 3-1 win at home to Bristol Rovers. It would have been that Bristol Rovers game or the Bolton SF where it properly took off in time for the Wembley final.

[laddo]

I remember that Bristol Rovers home league game so well even to this day.

[ncfcog]

Has anybody ever established what Shrewsbury were singing to that tune that night?
Are Shrewsbury even aware they had a song to that tune?

Wouldn't surprise me if whichever Notts fan came up with it misheard the tune also and not just the lyrics, being worse for wear and his mates thought it was funny and it became an in-joke for the next match.

It was the group at the back of County Road Stand next to the seats who started singing it v Cardiff at ML, but only a handful of them. At that point it was as self indulgent and esoteric as the "Let's all batter Seagraves" chant (Seagraves being a member of that gang) which would usually follow "Let's all have a disco". Presumably it was Birmingham away (where we won 2-1 in the game that followed) where it gained some traction before the memorable 3-1 win at home to Bristol Rovers. It would have been that Bristol Rovers game or the Bolton SF where it properly took off in time for the Wembley final.

Me and my mates used to stand with the rowdy lot at the back of the County Road side. Definitely heard them singing it at some point because the guy who shouted what I quoted in my last post was literally just in front of me on the steps at the back.

At Shrewsbury I think I was more interested in having bets with my mates how many times the guy with the rowing boat would have to go out and rescue match balls from the river!

[upthemaggies]

Me and my mates used to stand with the rowdy lot at the back of the County Road side. Definitely heard them singing it at some point because the guy who shouted what I quoted in my last post was literally just in front of me on the steps at the back.

At Shrewsbury I think I was more interested in having bets with my mates how many times the guy with the rowing boat would have to go out and rescue match balls from the river!

You'd think somebody would have come forward and claimed "I was the fan who started the Wheelbarrow" by now. Maybe they have and I've missed it, but it would make for a great story for one of the newspapers or local TV.

[ncfcog]

You'd think somebody would have come forward and claimed "I was the fan who started the Wheelbarrow" by now. Maybe they have and I've missed it, but it would make for a great story for one of the newspapers or local TV.

This has always intrigued me as well. I might do some digging on the socials see if anyone comes forward.

[upthemaggies]

This has always intrigued me as well. I might do some digging on the socials see if anyone comes forward.

Let us know if anything comes of that. The fella might not be the type who enjoys being under the spotlight though, so we may never know exactly how it came into being.

A search of newspaper articles (including the NEP) doesn't flag up a mention of the Wheelbarrow song at all until the 1991 Wembley Play Off Final. Also that famous photo of Craig Short post-match pretending to push the toy wheelbarrow around the Wembley touchline was 1991 (not 1990), so this might lend some weight to my theory that the song hadn't properly attached itself as a permanent widely sung club anthem until the 1991 FA Cup run. I'm probably exaggerating a bit to suggest it had almost died out completely in-between the 1990 final and Spurs away 1991, but I do think it needed that 2nd wave of success-association to stick properly.

[ncfcog]

Let us know if anything comes of that. The fella might not be the type who enjoys being under the spotlight though, so we may never know exactly how it came into being.

A search of newspaper articles (including the NEP) doesn't flag up a mention of the Wheelbarrow song at all until the 1991 Wembley Play Off Final. Also that famous photo of Craig Short post-match pretending to push the toy wheelbarrow around the Wembley touchline was 1991 (not 1990), so this might lend some weight to my theory that the song hadn't properly attached itself as a permanent widely sung club anthem until the 1991 FA Cup run. I'm probably exaggerating a bit to suggest it had almost died out completely in-between the 1990 final and Spurs away 1991, but I do think it needed that 2nd wave of success-association to stick properly.

Getting some great feedback from Facebook users. Apparently there is an old issue of the Pie Fanzine around that time that talks about it in some depth. Someone also mentioned Warnock in an interview saying when he arrived at Notts it was a bit like having a barrow without a wheel.

[upthemaggies]

Getting some great feedback from Facebook users. Apparently there is an old issue of the Pie Fanzine around that time that talks about it in some depth. Someone also mentioned Warnock in an interview saying when he arrived at Notts it was a bit like having a barrow without a wheel.

I only looked at the text previews, but contemporary 1991 reports note there are all sorts of explanations for the origin but they appear to settle for Shrewsbury away as the first time it was sung. If nobody had told me about Shrewsbury then I would have said 100% it first got a hearing at ML late into the 1989/90 season on a Saturday afternoon in one of the lesser fixtures, and would have narrowed it down to either Crewe or Cardiff, which Shrewsbury was in-between. So date wise there's no question it began mid-April 1990.

Short of hearing an archive recording of Warnock saying those words before 17th April 1990 however, I'd be inclined to dismiss that as somebody trying to rationalise the absurd, and even if he did ever say it, it's probably a coincidence rather than the genuine inspiration. We were focussed on the promotion push and it would have been an odd time for Warnock to be reflecting on when he first came into the club, if the suggestion is that he said it shortly beforehand in an interview with Colin Slater and that prompted somebody to come up with a song for the next game.