Tag: Birmingham City Football Club

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NEWS: Community shocked over sudden death of Kingstanding singer songwriter

Words by Adam Smith / Pics approved for use by Tina Phillps

The sudden death of a popular Kingstanding singer songwriter has left his community shellshocked and sparked a wave of online tributes.

Family, friends, fellow musicians, and Blues football club fans posted their favourite memories on social media of Darren Phillips who recently took his own life.

The 52-year-old had been a stalwart of the Birmingham music scene for more than 30 years. He started his musical career as a left handed drummer aged just 16 and appeared in numerous bands.

He switched to guitar in 1999 and also penned lyrics as well as singing vocals for bands including The Hungover Stuntmen. He and Robb Swadkiss formed rock outfit Geezer in 2005 and enjoyed success touring across the country and performing at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club.

In recent years Darren was releasing music and performing as Jack the Biscuit.

Kingstanding club promoter George Hadley was “gutted” by Darren’s sudden death.

He told Erdington Local: “Darren was what made Kingstanding, Kingstanding. He’d always take time for a chat and ask how I was. He was a really nice guy who was talented too, he was a singer songwriter who had success and was always interested how my promotion Sum Cellar was getting on.

“He was a real family guy too and we are all gutted for his family. These lockdowns have been so tough for so many people and seeing the amount of people in Kingstanding and beyond who have posted on social media has shown how loved he was.”

Darren’s wife Tina, whom he had three sons and four grandchildren with, pleaded with those suffering with mental health problems to confide to loved ones.

She said: “I have lost my best friend my world my rock. The best husband, dad and grandad in the world. I can’t believe I never had an inkling what was going through his mind. I would like to thank you all for your heartfelt messages I am absolutely heartbroken.

“Darren would be overwhelmed with all the kindness. Good night God bless my darling I will love you forever. Please all remember mental health matters just talk, if only Darren had I wouldn’t be writing this now.”

Darren’s beloved Birmingham City Football Club paid tribute to him during their home match against Swansea City on Friday 2 April.

They projected his picture on the big screen with the message ‘Singer Songwriter, Bluenose and Friend. Keep Right On Darren and Keep Rockin With All the Other Stars in Heaven. RIP.’

Former bandmate Robb Swadkins said: “Massive thank you and well done to Birmingham City FC for doing this at last night’s game. You did yourself and Darren proud.”

A GoFundMe page has been launched to help Darren’s family to pay for the funeral which raised more than £350 within 24 hours.

A memorial party is being held at the Sack of Potatoes Saturday, June 26 at 4pm, everyone is welcome.

To donate to Darren Phillips fundraiser visit www.gofundme.com/f/funds-for-darren-phillips-funeral-and-his-family

If you have been affected by issues surrounding mental health contact Bimringham Mind at www.birminghammind.org or call (0121) 262 3555

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NEWS: Erdington’s Red Lion pub rally round for their longest regular, after heartless thieves steal mobility scooter

Words by Adam Smith / Pics by Kevin Smith (Stav)

Big-hearted regulars at Erdington’s Red Lion have helped replace the pub’s longest-serving patron’s mobility scooter – after it was stolen from outside his home.

Alan May, who has been drinking John Smiths bitter at the pub for more than sixty years, was distraught when his mobility scooter was taken by heartless thieves.

Within 24 hours of the Red Lion landlord, Kevin Smith, finding out about the theft Alan was presented with a new scooter in the pub in front of cheering regulars.

Kevin, also known as Stav, told Erdington Local: “Every day Alan comes in and we make sure he has a cob and his pint of John Smith, he has been drinking in here for sixty years and is in his seventies, he is part of the place. He’s got dementia so we look after him the best we can.

“So when he said his scooter had been stolen from outside his house we wanted to do something. We put a sign with ‘some dirty lowlife has stolen Alan’s scooter, let’s buy him a new one’ on the bar and within an hour we had more than £100.

“It was no surprise how generous the regulars were because everyone knows Alan and everyone was upset to hear his scooter had been stolen.”

Kevin, who recently spent five years in a wheelchair, is vice chairman of Birmingham City Football Club’s disabled supporters club AccessiBlues – and got in touch with its founder Steve Portman about getting a new mobility scooter for Alan.

Kevin said: “I phoned Steve and that night he came down with a new scooter. When I offered him the money we had raised, he said we should use it to spend on security at Alan’s house so the new one does not get stolen.

“This is a Villa pub but I’m obviously a big Blues fan, so I was really proud AccessiBlues could come through for Alan – it was a great night when we surprised him with his new scooter.

“I’ve been involved in AccessiBlues for a couple of years now and am really proud of all the good work we do. And not just for Blues fans, we have been working with Brentford Football Club to ensure best practice for disabled supporters.”

AccessiBlues, which is sponsored by Stechford Mobility, were runners up in the 2018 Footballers Supporters Federation Awards #FansForDiversity award and have recently secured charity status.

Alan was overwhelmed with the gesture, he said: “I’m overwhelmed, I can’t believe I got a new scooter so quick, the Red Lion is the best pub around.”

Kevin has been in charge of the Red Lion, which has been serving Erdington locals since 1899, since the summer and is looking forward to the end of lockdown to get back to normal.

He said: “We have been here three months and the week before the latest lockdown was our best yet, the regulars have been brilliant.

“The Red Lion is everything a pub should be, it is part of the community and we are hoping to be serving locals drinks for many a year to come yet.”

To find out more about the Red Lion in Erdington, visit www.redlionerdington.co.uk

For more on AccessiBlues, visit www.stechfordmobility.co.uk/news/accessiblues

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NEWS: “Hooligan masks” sold in Erdington pubs, ahead of mandatory face covering measures on 24th July

Words by Adam Smith / Pics of pubs by Ed King – pics of masks supplied by anonymous

“Frightening hooligan masks” are being sold in the pubs of Erdington – ahead of next week’s Government deadline for everyone to cover their faces in shops and on public transport.

The “Zulu masks” with the logo of the feared Birmingham City Football Club hooligan group The Zulus are being snapped up for £5 by Blues fans wanting to “look hard” on the street.

However, Aston Villa fans have complained the masks will worry young and old people as they are “inciting violence.”

Steven Lee, aged 53, said: “This is typical Blues. The Zulus are known for hooliganism. If my son, who is a teenager, is wearing his Villa mask, sees someone on the bus with this Zulu mask of course he is going to be afraid.

“The fact that hooligans are cashing in on their violent past during COVID-19 pandemic is frankly sickening. They are being bought by idiots trying to look hard.”

He added: “It looks like the Villa are going to be relegated so next season we will be playing Blues, and I bet a lot of their hooligans will be wearing these masks on derby days, it will be chaos.”

Another Villa fan, who did not want to be named, added: “I give it a week before one of masks is used in an armed robbery or some street violence, celebrating criminals is just wrong.”

However, the mobile salesmen who has been hawking the masks around the pubs of Erdington, said: “It is just a bit of fun, I sell Villa, Blues, Liverpool, Manchester United masks and my supplier offered me these Zulu ones and they have been pretty popular.”

The salesman, who refused to be named for fear of recriminations, told Erdington Local: “I was a Zulu myself so I know most the people who are buying them are not remotely hooligans, I should be getting congratulated for helping stop the spread of the virus.

“I’ve been in the Red Lion, The Charlie Hall, Church Tavern and the New Inn, amongst other pubs, and will continue selling these Zulu masks until they run out.”

The Zulus were formed in the early 1980s and quickly became notorious. standing out among other firms as they were multi-cultural whereas as others were mostly white – they featured heavily in the 1989 Gary Oldman film The Firm and various football violence documentaries since.

However, in recent years prominent members like Barrington Patterson have become celebrities in their own right – raising £100,000s for charity. Zulu members also organised a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Birmingham city centre earlier this month where the masks were seen in public en masse for the first time.

“I was driving past the coach station, turning right onto Rea Street, and got caught in the middle of the Blues-Black Lives Matter march,” describes one eye witness, “everyone was wearing masks, but some of the bigger lads had the Zulu branded masks and t-shirts on.

“There were mainly standing at the sides of the procession though, almost like security. I wouldn’t have argued with them, they looked pretty fierce, but they weren’t giving anyone any trouble. I think there was an EDL march happening in Birmingham on that day too.”

Downing Street confirmed everyone in England will have to wear a mask in shops from Friday, July 24 as well as public transport which came into affect in June.

After legislation is passed in Parliament people could get fined as much as £100 if they are found not wearing a mask in a shop or on public transport.

To find out more about the Government’s request for the public’s use of masks from 24thn July, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/face-coverings-to-be-mandatory-in-shops-and-supermarkets-from-24-july