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Annan is an unusual town. It lies on the border of Scotland and England and has changed sides more frequently than a pancake. In Roman times, although it lay beyond Hadrian’s Wall that didn’t stop the Romans establishing large camps and fortifications in Annandale as a base before venturing further north. In Jacobean times, the town of Annan was fought over by noblemen in Scotland and England as the borderline become a fluid concept enforced by the lord or baron with the strongest army. While in modern times, Annan Athletic have flitted between Scottish and English football since they were formed in 1942.
For most of its life, Annan Athletic has been a non-league side. It started in the Dumfries and District Youth Welfare League, a league set up by local businessmen to provide a structure for games during World War 2. In 1952 the club successfully applied to take part in the Carlisle and District League by the Cumberland Football Association. This lasted until 1976 when the club decided it had better long-term prospects if it played in Scotland rather than England.
It re-joined Scottish football playing first in the South of Scotland league, and then, after winning all competitions, and showing the same level of ruthlessness that saw it leave England, it moved to play in the East of Scotland league as the standard of teams was higher. This ambition continued through the 80s and 90s and by 2000 the club was applying to play in the Scottish football league when expansion meant two new clubs could join. They were unsuccessful, but in 2007, after Gretna were liquidated, another space opened up and Annan became the newest members of the Scottish football league.
They have yet to clinch promotion from the Third Division but given the ambition they have shown in the last 50 years it probably won’t be long before they not only win the Scottish Premier League, but also successfully apply to move back to England and beat Manchester United to the Premiership too.
Despite this, their official song ‘Gallows Bank’ is the tale of a man waiting to be hanged for wearing an Annan top.
No video this week – but if you know of a link to the song please let me know via the comments below!
“I am an Annan Athletic Fan,
They say this day that I must hang,
For I wear the black and gold,
And the secret I have told,
I am an Annan Athletic Fan.
So when you hang me, hang me high,
That I might see before I die,
Those Annandale Hills and that famous Solway Turf
And I see again the Hogle Brae
EXECUTIONER! EXECUTIONER! EXECUTIONER!”
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About the Author
After too many years as season ticket holder at Parkhead, Andy Todd renounced the SPL three years ago to support Queens Park. One team is a rank bunch of amateurs who play in a state of the art stadium and the other is…(I think we can all see where this is going).
Andy has been performing comedy for 18 months but is currently ‘between gigs’ while he writes a book on Scottish property law to be published in Summer 2012. Its potential audience will be less than 300 but his mum will be very proud.
Follow Andy on Twitter: @toddandy
Check out Andy’s website: www.toddandy.com
