UPDATED: (Photos) WHO STARTED THE AYATOLLAH CHANT?

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Cheers Annis great pics and stories, was at that Peterboro game but my memory is getting terrible.

Cheers Annis great pics and stories, was at that Peterboro game but my memory is getting terrible.

Your welcome Paul , its our ages we are getting older

Peterborough away last 80s where it was taught by 2 lads who stood in front of us away supporters giving a demonstration. It was an instant hit and at FT a few young lads ran onto the pitch doing the Ayatollah running around the goal in front of us just like the red indian's do a war dance around a fire.

Correct Ian, Posh away

My CCFC picture book has all the photos in it

I was back on leave (R&R) from the Middle East (ME). I did not understand at first why others were wearing rag scarves on the heads which is the national headwear out in the ME. It became clear after the demonstration and I thought it was quite adapt for us. Icing on the cake for me was those fans that managed to get on the pitch at FT and do the war dance around the goal. You have just got to love our fans.

Peterborough away last 80s where it was taught by 2 lads who stood in front of us away supporters giving a demonstration. It was an instant hit and at FT a few young lads ran onto the pitch doing the Ayatollah running around the goal in front of us just like the red indian's do a war dance around a fire.

Correct Ian, Posh away

My CCFC picture book has all the photos in it

I was back on leave (R&R) from the Middle East (ME). I did not understand at first why others were wearing rag scarves on the heads which is the national headwear out in the ME. It became clear after the demonstration and I thought it was quite adapt for us. Icing on the cake for me was those fans that managed to get on the pitch at FT and do the war dance around the goal. You have just got to love our fans.

Just brilliant by our fans Ian

I remember it all

Thanks for the story Annis, I’d heard the same story among other stories but didn’t know which one was fact.

I wish we’d sing it more often as it seems to be dying a bit of a death.

Nearly all clubs sing the same chants but this is 100% unique to us ...... The Mighty Bluebirds!

I thought it was during the Eddie May days when we started taking off.

Wasn’t there an Iranian funeral on the TV at the game at Ninian and the head bashing to denote grief was occurring and started going from there?

ayatollah khomeinis funeral was all over our news... thousands and thousands of Iranians hitting their heads...which is why its called the ayatollah... i dont think it was on TV at NP...or at what game it started ..Bakeds story of how it started with us is the one ive read most often but i thought the venue was Lincoln too.. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ay ... &FORM=VIRE

There's all different explanations as to how it started. The one I've always believed is that during the time of that funeral, Tony Clemo our chairman walked past a few city fans and someone said, ah there he goes, the ayatollah, and started the head hitting to him. They're all good stories and the good thing about it is that it wasn't copied from anyone and is solely ours.

https://www.walesonline.co..uksport/foo ... s-11717867

This is from an article by Ieuan Franklin

The ritual has actually been traced back to a live performance at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre by the Welsh-language political punk band U Thant (named after the UN General Secretary), whose lead singer Rhys Boore began mimicking a gesture that he had witnessed in television coverage of the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini, where people hit their heads with their hands to signify sorrow and grief. This was an expression of emotional pain through physical pain, and inspired the singer to replicate the gesture in performance. On the following day, 15th September 1990, some Cardiff fans travelled up to an away game at Sincil Bank, home of Lincoln City, and during the game fan Phil Stead (aka Eric the Red), who had been at the gig the night before, led friends in performing the head-tapping gesture as a drunken expression of despair at the way the game was unfolding. It quickly spread to the terraces and became very popular with fans of the club, who have subsequently performed the gesture when goals are scored, and chanted ‘Do The Ayatollah!’ to persuade players on the pitch to do the same.

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

Thanks for the story Annis, I’d heard the same story among other stories but didn’t know which one was fact.

I wish we’d sing it more often as it seems to be dying a bit of a death.

Nearly all clubs sing the same chants but this is 100% unique to us ...... The Mighty Bluebirds!

Your welcome Paul

It’s true and I was there at Peterborough and Lincoln away in the 80’s.

Your right it should be sung much more again




Wales online / Media Wales tried to say it started in the 90’s

Also they did not have a clue about where the Ayatollah originated and had put out a story that it started in the 90’s

It was under Eddie May, I agree but it started 7yrs before Eddie May


I was talking to the main Sports editor of Media Wales, not even heard of Peter Kitchen /John Buchanan

The National papers tried to say it started from Sam’s days

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

That’s them, their nickname was the Booze crew

Tut was like Mr Benn.. he’d just appear anywhere from out of nowhere. Is he still about??

Without casting aspersions, Tut did like a drop..

Tut was like Mr Benn.. he’d just appear anywhere from out of nowhere. Is he still about??

Without casting aspersions, Tut did like a drop..

Would see him sometimes in the Borough on match day when the pubs were open.

Tut was like Mr Benn.. he’d just appear anywhere from out of nowhere. Is he still about??

Without casting aspersions, Tut did like a drop..

Would see him sometimes in the Borough on match day when the pubs were open.

He could like the ayatollah just with that beard

Tut was like Mr Benn.. he’d just appear anywhere from out of nowhere. Is he still about??

Without casting aspersions, Tut did like a drop..

Would see him sometimes in the Borough on match day when the pubs were open.

He could like the ayatollah just with that beard

If anyone from another club read these posts, they will thing we all have a screw missing, oh hang on whats all those screws on the floor !!!

If anyone from another club read these posts, they will thing we all have a screw missing, oh hang on whats all those screws on the floor !!!

Wait till BLM find out! Oh boy...

cultural appropriation lol you need some bias training to get rid of your white supremacy.

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

That’s them, their nickname was the Booze crew

I would have thought that for a bunch of pissheads Iran would not be the first choice of holiday destination but maybe it was different before the revolution. I have a vision of them wandering around Kabul looking for a Wetherspoons pub.

I thought it was Lincoin in the 80s but the pics show peterborough so was the peterborough before the lincoin gzme?

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

That’s them, their nickname was the Booze crew

I would have thought that for a bunch of pissheads Iran would not be the first choice of holiday destination but maybe it was different before the revolution. I have a vision of them wandering around Kabul looking for a Wetherspoons pub.

That would be amazing Crayfish, especially as Kabul is in Afghanistan a fair few miles away !! Maybe Tehran though

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

That’s them, their nickname was the Booze crew

I would have thought that for a bunch of pissheads Iran would not be the first choice of holiday destination but maybe it was different before the revolution. I have a vision of them wandering around Kabul looking for a Wetherspoons pub.

Before the revolution Iran was a vastly different place. Believe it or not it was a viable holiday destination.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/shah-of ... efore-1979

What on earth were a load of city fans from Cwmbran doing in Iran at the time of the revolution? Did they start invading the American embassy and the Iranians followed suit. These Cwmbran fans have a lot to answer for.

I shouldn't say this but King Tut and his fellow group, were proper pissheads and use to go to mysterious places on trips

I believe 2 or 3 of them went to Iran,

Yes the Cwmbran lads like a drink great bunch, they still go to mysterious places, bumped into Big Dai from Cwmbran in Istanbul airport on the way back from the Wales game in Azerbaijan in 2019, asked him where the lads were, Lithuania he replied

That’s them, their nickname was the Booze crew

I would have thought that for a bunch of pissheads Iran would not be the first choice of holiday destination but maybe it was different before the revolution. I have a vision of them wandering around Kabul looking for a Wetherspoons pub.

Before the revolution Iran was a vastly different place. Believe it or not it was a viable holiday destination.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/shah-of ... efore-1979

yes but that was pre 1979.....things changed completely and very very quickly after .... including them taking over the US embassy and holding everyone in there hostage for which seemed like years... pretty sure alcohol was banned...

Phil Stead from Bridgend I believe.
The last I heard of him was that he was living in Bangor.

I’ve heard that Stead and his mates got the Ayatollah down the City!
He’s from Cardiff, he was a year or two older than me in Cantonian. Unless it’s another Phil Stead lol?