# Why are Bohemians F.C called the gypsies ?



## colin_hanley (2 Jun 2005)

Anyone know why Boh's have this nickname ? Just something that has been bugging me for a while.


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## ajapale (2 Jun 2005)

I did a google search for define:bohemian and came up with the following:



> Definitions of *bohemian* on the Web:
> 
> [size=-1]Gypsy: a member of a nomadic people originating in northern India and now living on all continents
> a native or inhabitant of Bohemia in the Czech Republic
> ...


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## ClubMan (2 Jun 2005)

colin_hanley said:
			
		

> Anyone know why Boh's have this nickname ? Just something that has been bugging me for a while.



As _Bell's Academy _(after the eponymous _Civil Service _college in _North Great George's Street _under the tutelage of _Hamilton P. Bell_) and from 1890 as _Bohemian FC_, they wandered from ground to ground in the early years (_Polo Grounds, Phoenix Park, Jones' Road _where _Croker _now stands, _Whitehall _etc.) and when they were picking a name during their official formation in 1890 they were torn between _Bohemians* _and (believe it or not) _Rovers_! The vote was tied and the president of the club, _Dudley Hussey_, made his casting vote in favour of the former. The _Gypsies _nickname refers to both the club's initial wanderings (before they eventually settled in _Dalymount Park _neé the _Pisser Dignam's _field in _Phibsboro _in 1901) and the fact that _Bohemia _is the _European _origin of the _Romany/Gypsy_ people as well as the general idea of the original club members being of a bohemian/artistic disposition. 

There's some more historical information, in particular about _Dalymount Park_, [broken link removed] and [broken link removed].

* The official club name is _Bohemian FC _and not _Bohemians _or _Bohemians FC_.


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## colin_hanley (3 Jun 2005)

Cheers for that, I can impress a few of my Bohs and Shamdock Rovers mates before they go to tonights game.


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## ClubMan (3 Jun 2005)

colin_hanley said:
			
		

> Bohs and Shamdock Rovers mates



No fraternisation with the enemy!


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## oysterman (3 Jun 2005)

Piece of trivia from an historian friend of mine which I can't verify (but the guy is not a spoofer):

Q. Where did the black stripe on the Bohs jersey come from?

A. It was put on as a gesture of mourning to mark the death of the Great Queen Victoria.

Hoops forever!

om.


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## ClubMan (4 Jun 2005)

Doesn't bother me if it was but care to back that assertion up with some evidence? I've never heard that story and have am pretty well acquainted with the history of the club on a first and second hand basis.

Anyway, great result tonight - 2-1 to _Bohs_. And those peace loving _Rovers _supporters, who can do no wrong except in the eyes of _Ollie Byrne, _were at it again before, during (nearly physically attacking their manager), and after the game. Oh well - these things happen when a club is in its death throes.

Cheerio _Rovers _- going down (and out) real soon now! So sad. 

Update: I looked into this and it doesn't add up. _Bohs _adopted their current strip (red and black striped shirts) in 1894. _Queen Victoria _died in 1901. Case closed. Before they wore read and black they initially wore white shirts with two red stripes down the back and a star on the right breast, with white shorts - simply because this was the only strip that they could lay their hands on at the time!


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## oysterman (4 Jun 2005)

CMan,

Will have to get back to you on this one - definitely before Bohs win their next league title....so that buys me some time.


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## ClubMan (4 Jun 2005)

No need to get back - it's simply not true. 

As for slagging off _Bohs _right now - I think _Rovers _have a lot more to occupy their time than that if they could just channel their energies into something more constructive than attacking _Gardaí _and opposing fans and doing their best to get evicted for the last ground in _Dublin _that will put up with them at this stage.


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## ClubMan (6 Jun 2005)

40coats said:
			
		

> Its been bugging me too ,but now I kmow why they are called the gypsies because they play football like a bunch of cream crackers !!!!!!!



Hilarious. Except that _Rovers _lost 2-1. Duh! 



> Rovers Forever.........



Not for much longer. From what I hear eviction notice could be served (yet again) as early as next week. After that it'll be either ejection (from the league for having no "home" ground), relegation or extinction, whichever comes first. One way or another - good riddance.

Question for _oysterman _and _40coats_: do either/both of you actually attend _Rovers _games or is your support all talk? If you do go to games what do you think of the behaviour of a large minority of _Rovers _supporters before, during and after games - such as on Friday?


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## oysterman (6 Jun 2005)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> Question for _oysterman _and _40coats_: do either/both of you actually attend _Rovers _games or is your support all talk? If you do go to games what do you think of the behaviour of a large minority of _Rovers _supporters before, during and after games - such as on Friday?


Grew up near Glenmalure and attended regularly as a kid. Then emigrated to UK for a number of years and when I came back in the nineties it was difficult to find where Rovers' home ground was from week to week....plus, must confess that after watching mainly Division 2 (now Championship) in England, the LofI was pretty much unwatchable on my return. If I wanted to watch overweight, unfit and untalented blokes running around I just had to look down at myself.

Having said that, there is a noticeable improvement in the fare of late, for which Shels must take much of the credit.

As for behaviour? You pay your money and if you want to slag off opposition/own team/manager/board that's largely your own business. If the behaviour was as thuggish as you suggest, however, that's another matter and may well trace to the loss of the traditional supporter core as they moved from ground to ground.

I agree with you - they're probably on their way out. I will shed a nostalgic tear but will reserve my energy for hoping that the Kilcoynes end up in the gutter.

oysterman.


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## ClubMan (6 Jun 2005)

oysterman said:
			
		

> Grew up near Glenmalure and attended regularly as a kid. Then emigrated to UK for a number of years and when I came back in the nineties it was difficult to find where Rovers' home ground was from week to week....plus, must confess that after watching mainly Division 2 (now Championship) in England, the LofI was pretty much unwatchable on my return. If I wanted to watch overweight, unfit and untalented blokes running around I just had to look down at myself.



So it's all talk after all - thanks for clearing that up. Funny the number of so called _Rovers _supporters who don't actually go to games. 



> As for behaviour? You pay your money and if you want to slag off opposition/own team/manager/board that's largely your own business. If the behaviour was as thuggish as you suggest, however, that's another matter and may well trace to the loss of the traditional supporter core as they moved from ground to ground.



_Rovers _supporters were held back after the game. Some of them eventually started fighting with the _Gardaí _and stewards. Then up to 100 broke up advertising hoardings, ran onto the pitch and attempted to get at the _Bohs _fans who remained in the main stand singing (admittedly triumphalist) songs and celebrating the victory. Thankfully the _Gardaí _on the main stand side prevented the _Rovers _mob from reaching the _Bohs _fans and the possibility of further violence being perpetrated. Of course most of the _Rovers _supporters are disclaiming responsibility variously saying that nothing happened (and yet contradicting themselves by claiming credit for "running" _Bohs _yet again) or that if something did happen then it was the fault of the _Gardaí_/stewards, segregation arrangements which left Rovers out in the rain (don't forget that this was their home game so security and segregation was _Rovers' _responsibility) or the _Bohs _fans who remained for singing taunting/celebratory songs (football supporters singing rude songs - gosh!) - i.e. as usual, anybody else's fault but their own. Like so many times before. See [broken link removed] for more. There was also trouble before the game between _Rovers _and _Bohs _casuals (i.e. scumbags on both sides). However the trouble inside the ground was 100% caused by _Rovers_. In all my years supporting _Bohs _this is certainly not the first time that _Rovers _have caused trouble. Even when they were in _Milltown _it was the same so thuggish behaviour can't be so easily dismissed as something new and resulting from their homless status.


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## oysterman (7 Jun 2005)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> So it's all talk after all - thanks for clearing that up. Funny the number of so called _Rovers _supporters who don't actually go to games.


Or some of us would just call it maturity - recognising the LofI for what it is and choosing to spend our time and money otherwise.




			
				ClubMan said:
			
		

> In all my years supporting _Bohs _this is certainly not the first time that _Rovers _have caused trouble. Even when they were in _Milltown _it was the same so thuggish behaviour can't be so easily dismissed as something new and resulting from their homless status.


Apparently your lifetime of Bohs supporting may not trace back to the 70's when the only time there was ever trouble at a Rovers home fixture was when your predecessors came to support the Mourning Good Queen Victoria 11.

Just how long will we be able to keep this up? 

oysterman.


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## ClubMan (7 Jun 2005)

oysterman said:
			
		

> Or some of us would just call it maturity - recognising the LofI for what it is and choosing to spend our time and money otherwise



Obviously it's a case of each to their own but how exactly do you consider that this necessarily indicates maturity? 



> Apparently your lifetime of Bohs supporting may not trace back to the 70's when the only time there was ever trouble at a Rovers home fixture was when your predecessors came to support the Mourning Good Queen Victoria 11.



Actually I was going to games in the (19)70s as a kid with my father but I don't recall anything like the above. Are you saying that, like Friday night, a few _Bohs _supporters singing songs "forced" _Rovers _supporters to resort to violence again - a mode of expression common to them it seems? In fact I have no idea who _"Mourning Queen Victoria 11" _is at all. Maybe you can explain? If you are referring to the myth about the origin of the black stripe in the jersey then please note that I've already debunked that earlier in this thread.


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## ClubMan (8 Jun 2005)

Unfortunately [broken link removed] our board of management copped out. This decision is not going down well with the rank and file _Bohs _supporters and members (myself included) as far as I know.


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