My son the actor has recently joined one of the more prestigious voice agencies in the country and he phoned today to tell me he's got his first job with them...as the announcer of the PFA Footballer of the Year on MoTD2 this Sunday evening. Result! Now if the Irons can win tonight then it'll be a great week for our family.
Congrats to your son!
Now, if only I had some idea who or what The Irons were. I'm guessing a soccer club?
Quote from: Ithoriel on 20 April 2016, 03:47:43 PM
Congrats to your son!
Now, if only I had some idea who or what The Irons were. I'm guessing a soccer club?
The Irons is the nickname for West Ham United, my favourite team. To the rest of the world it's not soccer but football -you know, the game that flows and the players don't wear body armour. Unfortunately the word seems to be catching on over here on the right hand side of the pond.
Well done him!
Well done to him, but haven't watched for years, so highly unlikely to hear his debut.
Congrats !
(Never heard the 'Hammers' being called 'The Irons' before, though....How long has that moniker been going, Sub ?)
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: Techno on 20 April 2016, 07:26:49 PM
Congrats !
(Never heard the 'Hammers' being called 'The Irons' before, though....How long has that moniker been going, Sub ?)
Cheers - Phil
From 1895-1900 the club was known as Thames Ironworks before changing to West ham United from 1900 until present. Hence the chant 'Come On You Irons' which is also used as the acronym COYI when written. The 'Hammers' nickname dates from about the same time due to the ironworks in the area alongside the River Thames.
You learn something new every day !
Thanks, Matey. :)
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: Techno on 20 April 2016, 08:04:16 PM
You learn something new every day !
Here's one you might not know then.
Who are the 'PARS' and why?
Had a quick Google because I haven't really got a clue and it came up with a few options, the two best being the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society ...or...possibly more relevant, Dunfermline Athletic FC. it goes on to say that one of the origins of PARS was because
'..."Most tend to confirm the more common belief that the name arose from the team's parallel striped shirts, their drinking habits or their style of play. The latter were both described as "paralytic". The earliest theory claims that in the early days when the Football Club was closely connected with the Cricket Club, the footballers were renowned for their performances at the bar and so were called the "Paralytics".' (copied directly from Wikipedia.) I like that kind of origin.
Quote from: Subedai on 20 April 2016, 09:07:38 PM
'..."Most tend to confirm the more common belief that the name arose from the team's parallel striped shirts, their drinking habits or their style of play. The latter were both described as "paralytic". The earliest theory claims that in the early days when the Football Club was closely connected with the Cricket Club, the footballers were renowned for their performances at the bar and so were called the "Paralytics".' (copied directly from Wikipedia.) I like that kind of origin.
Dunfermline Athletic is the correct answer to which team but the meaning of PARS is quite wrong.
Try harder.
Good luck to your son, but why didn't they hire Jeremy Irons? The name should have been decisive.
Why are Dunfermline called "The Pars?"
(https://49.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrdrefvofF1r1zdtdo1_500.gif)
Because they're well below it..... :D
Quote from: jimduncanuk on 20 April 2016, 09:49:37 PM
Dunfermline Athletic is the correct answer to which team but the meaning of PARS is quite wrong.
Obviously not many Fifers on this forum.
Dunfermline Athletic are known as the PARS because:
There is an organisation in the UK called the Royal Navy. They have bases all over the UK (and the world) but the main bases used to be Plymouth and Portsmouth which are on the south coast of England. Off duty sailors quite often went to the local football matches when they were not doing the things that off duty sailors do at other times. Plymouth Argyle apparently got a lot of support from them.
The Royal Navy would often post ships away from their home port and some of them were sent to the navy base in Rosyth, Scotland whose local football team were Dunfermline Athletic. The sailors, faithful to their own clubs would attend/support home matches of Dunfermline but would carry banners saying 'PARS' meaning Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Section.
So, there you go, a wonderful piece of trivia that you can use to amuse your granny, your next door neighbour or your cat. Might come in handy in a pub quiz.
Tenuously terrible reasoning! ;D
Quote from: mad lemmey on 21 April 2016, 04:01:32 PM
Tenuously terrible reasoning! ;D
http://www.dafc.co.uk/story.php?t=Origins_of_Club_Nickname&ID=8875
I have never been a member of a forum that is both interesting and informative at the same time. Unfortunately in this particular case, the interesting bits weren't informative and the informative bits weren't interesting. :d :d :D
I was born in Dunfermline, my maternal grandfather initially lived in Plymouth and worked in Devonport but came up to Rosyth during the war.
He was adamant that the Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Section story was tosh and that PARs came from "are they on a par with Dunfermline?"
I'll stick with my Allan Davies suggestion that nobody knows.
I like the stripey fish theory.
As a long time season ticket holder at West Ham I feel duty bound to join this discussion :D. The two Hammers on the badge represent the Ironworks and the East Ham railway sheds with the castle the place on Green St where Anne Boleyn reputedly stayed, hence the name of the ground.
On a more military note, during ww1, the 13th btn of the Essex Regiment were known as the West Ham Pals. Their battle cry being 'up the Hammers'.
There is a book on them that is on my ever increasing reading list.
http://westhampals.blogspot.co.uk
I didn't know that about the 13th Battalion.
There's another good (within reason) football/war story related in this book.
http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pride-and-shame-in-book.html
Subedai, how did the son's debut go??
Quote from: paulr on 25 April 2016, 08:38:26 PM
Subedai, how did the son's debut go??
Hmmm, he was told he would feature on MoTD 2 on Sunday night but no, didn't happen. I recorded the PFA Awards Show highlights on last night and still have to watch it. So the honest answer is I don't know at the moment. Thanks for asking.
Quick update. No 2 son phoned his agent this morning and found out that his piece ended up on the Cutting Room floor as they say. He was a tad miffed after telling everyone because it was MoTD otherwise he said he wouldn't have bothered. But suitably mollified after being paid he has pragmatically moved on.
By the way, did I mention that his wife is the tall blond office worker in the latest Mikado choccy sticks advert? They are putting themselves about that pair, I'm telling you.
Despite growing up in Edmonton, less than a mile north of 'The Lane', my old man is an Irons Fan - apparently in the 50's when he used to go they played more attractive football.
I am hoping that 1) Leicester bottle it and 2) the Hammers win all their remaining matches - the last is against United and watching the fake Manc's being kicked out of Europe will be a joy on all men's hearts.
Quote from: Last Hussar on 27 April 2016, 07:30:28 PM
Despite growing up in Edmonton, less than a mile north of 'The Lane', my old man is an Irons Fan - apparently in the 50's when he used to go they played more attractive football.
I am hoping that 1) Leicester bottle it and 2) the Hammers win all their remaining matches - the last is against United and watching the fake Manc's being kicked out of Europe will be a joy on all men's hearts.
Nah, the Irons to hammer The Baggies on Saturday and Leicester to bladder Man U on Sunday. That way WH will go above MU on goal difference. Win win I call that. Then they only to stay one win more than MU and then the Reds will have to hope they get into Europe another way. Nice to know there are a few discerning football aficionado's about.