Origins of the Ayatollah

On Sky Sports commentary of our Sunderland game the fella explained the Ayatollah by saying that we began doing this in the 90s, slapping heads with frustration because the team was so bad.
Never heard this weird explanation before.
I always remember it as a joyous celebration, even at the worst of times.
However, I'm still unclear how we began doing it.
Of course, followers of Ayatollah Khomeini were shown doing it on telly a lot (often till heads bled!).
The name is explained by that, but I've heard we copied it from some national team supporters....Azerbaijan?
Also, that Welsh language rock band U Thant used to do it (but that may be because they were Bluebirds).
First time I saw it was Hereford away and it incorporated a dance from one side of their stand to the other.
Any thoughts?

On Sky Sports commentary of our Sunderland game the fella explained the Ayatollah by saying that we began doing this in the 90s, slapping heads with frustration because the team was so bad.
Never heard this weird explanation before.
I always remember it as a joyous celebration, even at the worst of times.
However, I'm still unclear how we began doing it.
Of course, followers of Ayatollah Khomeini were shown doing it on telly a lot (often till heads bled!).
The name is explained by that, but I've heard we copied it from some national team supporters....Azerbaijan?
Also, that Welsh language rock band U Thant used to do it (but that may be because they were Bluebirds).
First time I saw it was Hereford away and it incorporated a dance from one side of their stand to the other.
Any thoughts?

Didn't we have a tour to isreal in 1988? I thought it came back from there ? I might be wrong maybe Annis could help me out ?

Israel?
The origins are definitely in Iran, but how come we began doing it in the first place?

Israel?
The origins are definitely in Iran, but how come we began doing it in the first place?

because we were shite

The Ayatollah celebration came into use at Cardiff City games in 1990. It was originally performed by the singer and fans of a Welsh-language punk group called U Thant. It was first performed by Cardiff City fans at Sincil Bank, home of Lincoln City, on September 15, 1990, the day after U Thant had played a gig at Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre.[4] U Thant's singer had been inspired by footage of attendants at the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini, which was broadcast live on British TV, doing the movement to express their grief at his death.[5][6][7]

It has been claimed that it was initially used as a sign of despair at the way the team were playing. It quickly became very popular with fans of the club, and has since been used in terms of celebration and support for the team. Away games at Hereford United and Peterborough United in 1992 helped cement its place in the fans' repertoire.[8]

The start of the Ayatollah has often mistakenly been credited to former chairman Sam Hammam.[9] This is likely due to the national coverage of Hammam performing the celebration pitchside and in front of the visiting Leeds fans, drawing criticism from then-Leeds manager David O'Leary, the Football Association, and a BBC undercover report, following the now infamous 2–1 victory over Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup in 2002, which saw crowd trouble after final whistle.[10][11][12][13]








Wikipedia is a wonderful site - its like this encyclopedia of everything

Former Cardiff players and footballers who are fans of Cardiff have often performed the Ayatollah at the home grounds of the Bluebirds' bitter rivals Swansea City. Midfielder Gavin Williams, a lifelong Cardiff fan, performed it at Vetch Field after scoring against them for his former club Yeovil Town,[19] and former Cardiff player Christian Roberts performed the Ayatollah when he scored against them at the Liberty Stadium after being verbally abused throughout the match for being a former Cardiff player



ahhh i remember that christian Roberts one



good times, it doesnt seem as popular these days.

Not this again.

Sky used to think it was a Sam Hammam thing. Now they are educated enough to know it's before that but they ate still slightly off the mark in dating it.

As I remember it, and guaranteed I will be wrong as well, it harks back to a previous chairman who ran the club without any real thought for the fans. He used to fly everywhere by plane yet the club and the team were in the shit at the time.

He was deemed a bit of a dictator and just like the other dictator of the time, the Ayatollah Khomeini, we used to do the same as his followers used to do and bang our heads.

No in my old age I cannot for the life of me remember the chairman's name but he had a chain of travel agents and my auntie used to work in one opposite St John's Church next to the Owain Glyndwr pub.

The Ayatollah celebration came into use at Cardiff City games in 1990. It was originally performed by the singer and fans of a Welsh-language punk group called U Thant. It was first performed by Cardiff City fans at Sincil Bank, home of Lincoln City, on September 15, 1990, the day after U Thant had played a gig at Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre.[4] U Thant's singer had been inspired by footage of attendants at the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini, which was broadcast live on British TV, doing the movement to express their grief at his death.[5][6][7]

It has been claimed that it was initially used as a sign of despair at the way the team were playing. It quickly became very popular with fans of the club, and has since been used in terms of celebration and support for the team. Away games at Hereford United and Peterborough United in 1992 helped cement its place in the fans' repertoire.[8]

The start of the Ayatollah has often mistakenly been credited to former chairman Sam Hammam.[9] This is likely due to the national coverage of Hammam performing the celebration pitchside and in front of the visiting Leeds fans, drawing criticism from then-Leeds manager David O'Leary, the Football Association, and a BBC undercover report, following the now infamous 2–1 victory over Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup in 2002, which saw crowd trouble after final whistle.[10][11][12][13]

Spot on






Wikipedia is a wonderful site - its like this encyclopedia of everything

Not this again.

Sky used to think it was a Sam Hammam thing. Now they are educated enough to know it's before that but they ate still slightly off the mark in dating it.

As I remember it, and guaranteed I will be wrong as well, it harks back to a previous chairman who ran the club without any real thought for the fans. He used to fly everywhere by plane yet the club and the team were in the shit at the time.

He was deemed a bit of a dictator and just like the other dictator of the time, the Ayatollah Khomeini, we used to do the same as his followers used to do and bang our heads.

No in my old age I cannot for the life of me remember the chairman's name but he had a chain of travel agents and my auntie used to work in one opposite St John's Church next to the Owain Glyndwr pub.

I don't ever remember it being done in angst with a chairman, who like you I cant remember. It was on the telly it looked mad and I thought, Cardiff fans liking things mad, adopted it. One of my funniest memories in 45 years of following City was a final game of a season at Peterborough, where half a dozen fully dressed up Middle Easterners invaded the pitch doing the Ayatollah. When was that ?

I'm sure it started when Len Ashhurst was manager, he had big bushy eyebrows like the Ayatollah of Iran. We used to sing Lenny Ashhursts bushy eyebrows which emerged in to doing the Ayatollah..

Not this again.

Sky used to think it was a Sam Hammam thing. Now they are educated enough to know it's before that but they ate still slightly off the mark in dating it.

As I remember it, and guaranteed I will be wrong as well, it harks back to a previous chairman who ran the club without any real thought for the fans. He used to fly everywhere by plane yet the club and the team were in the shit at the time.

He was deemed a bit of a dictator and just like the other dictator of the time, the Ayatollah Khomeini, we used to do the same as his followers used to do and bang our heads.

No in my old age I cannot for the life of me remember the chairman's name but he had a chain of travel agents and my auntie used to work in one opposite St John's Church next to the Owain Glyndwr pub.

Tony Clemo?

Not this again.

Sky used to think it was a Sam Hammam thing. Now they are educated enough to know it's before that but they ate still slightly off the mark in dating it.

As I remember it, and guaranteed I will be wrong as well, it harks back to a previous chairman who ran the club without any real thought for the fans. He used to fly everywhere by plane yet the club and the team were in the shit at the time.

He was deemed a bit of a dictator and just like the other dictator of the time, the Ayatollah Khomeini, we used to do the same as his followers used to do and bang our heads.

No in my old age I cannot for the life of me remember the chairman's name but he had a chain of travel agents and my auntie used to work in one opposite St John's Church next to the Owain Glyndwr pub.

Tony Clemo?

Thank you Harlech was really bugging me.

Wikipedia isn't necessarily the truth though. Not sure how many City fans would've seen their gig in Chapter!
No mention of a national team's fans doing it before us.

Wikipedia isn't necessarily the truth though. Not sure how many City fans would've seen their gig in Chapter!
No mention of a national team's fans doing it before us.

well thats the truth as ive always known it.

Doesn't really matter why we started it, but it was Lincoln and it was at the time when thousands of fellas were on the telly making their heads bleed at the Ayatollah's funeral, which for whatever surreal reason really connected with us.

Certainly was going on in 94 I think it was or may have been earlier, we played Luton in FA Cup and Hartson was playing for Luton, My boy was 3 or 4 and Hartson was swearing at City fans and my little lad heard it all, hated the Ginger Jack b*stard since, but my lad had his RED Cardiff top on, yes Red and and arab head dress and a fake beard...... would probably be arrested these days for that by the PC brigade.

Happy Days but we lost 2-1 if I recall.

Doesn't really matter why we started it, but it was Lincoln and it was at the time when thousands of fellas were on the telly making their heads bleed at the Ayatollah's funeral, which for whatever surreal reason really connected with us.

thats always been my take on it..just something that connected with our fans and caught on..fun and nothing to do with protests or ex chairmen.

Doesn't really matter why we started it, but it was Lincoln and it was at the time when thousands of fellas were on the telly making their heads bleed at the Ayatollah's funeral, which for whatever surreal reason really connected with us.

Definitely this.
My earliest memory of seeing City fans dressed up as Arabs doing this in the terraces was at Aldershot in 1991/2 when they went bust and all their results were removed from the table.

The Ayatollah celebration came into use at Cardiff City games in 1990. It was originally performed by the singer and fans of a Welsh-language punk group called U Thant. It was first performed by Cardiff City fans at Sincil Bank, home of Lincoln City, on September 15, 1990, the day after U Thant had played a gig at Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre.[4] U Thant's singer had been inspired by footage of attendants at the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini, which was broadcast live on British TV, doing the movement to express their grief at his death.[5][6][7]

It has been claimed that it was initially used as a sign of despair at the way the team were playing. It quickly became very popular with fans of the club, and has since been used in terms of celebration and support for the team. Away games at Hereford United and Peterborough United in 1992 helped cement its place in the fans' repertoire.[8]









Wikipedia is a wonderful site - its like this encyclopedia of everything

I was there at those City games

Spot on Paulh

Israel?
The origins are definitely in Iran, but how come we began doing it in the first place?

Winding the jews up coz of Iran

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

Is my mind going bonkers ,did we have a pre-season tour to isreal in 1988?

Uthant explanation is spot on.
"Eric the Red" from message boards of old. Great times following City to Lincoln, Peterborough, Bury etc.

Hardcore between 500 to a thousand away. Transit vans the order of the day. Absolutely was started as described. Won't name the guy but he was always with City and Wales, really nice guy.

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

Is my mind going bonkers ,did we have a pre-season tour to isreal in 1988?

not sure about the tour but the ayatolah khomeini was alive and kicking in 1988.
all that head banging on the news was a year later.

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

Is my mind going bonkers ,did we have a pre-season tour to isreal in 1988?

Honestly I dont rem Wez

I do know this 10 City fans from Cwmbran,(Booze Crew) fans went to Iran or Iraq on holiday and saw the being done daly and they came back doing this and thats 100%

Very Late 1980's.

One was nicknamed King Tut honestly

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

Is my mind going bonkers ,did we have a pre-season tour to isreal in 1988?

Honestly I dont rem Wez

I do know this 10 City fans from Cwmbran,(Booze Crew) fans went to Iran or Iraq on holiday and saw the being done daly and they came back doing this and thats 100%

Very Late 1980's.

One was nicknamed King Tut honestly

I remember a guy wearing a dark blue t shirt on years ago with a list of games on it about 5 or 6 with city on tour I wonder if it was them and not Cardiff city

I was up in Lincoln that day on the open terrace which ran along the touchline. Only a few hundred of us but I remember most of us thinking what the hell are these blokes doing.

I just stared at them as well

Is my mind going bonkers ,did we have a pre-season tour to isreal in 1988?

Honestly I dont rem Wez

I do know this 10 City fans from Cwmbran,(Booze Crew) fans went to Iran or Iraq on holiday and saw the being done daly and they came back doing this and thats 100%

Very Late 1980's.

One was nicknamed King Tut honestly

I remember a guy wearing a dark blue t shirt on years ago with a list of games on it about 5 or 6 with city on tour I wonder if it was them and not Cardiff city

Could of been? ?

http://nigelblues.blogspot.co.uk/2010/0 ... ollah.html

Good read and closer to the truth

http://nigelblues.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/20-today-ayatollah.html

Good read and closer to the truth

This fella was a character back in the 90s and was probably the legend that brought the Ayatollah to the city games.
He used to get everyone to sit down on the terraces at away games then urge them to stand up slowly leading to the Ayatollah and jumping about

http://www.ylolfa.com/authors/724/phil-stead

Does he still follow the city?