Greasy Chip Butty song to end?

[shorehamview]

Don't worry, it's just another load of shit from the Star. Basically, Heineken have stopped brewing Magnet. Here's the story in full. It's not as good as having the paper in your hand, because you can't wipe your bum on a digital copy very well, but here it is anyway.

IT would be worse than losing to Wednesday but Sheffield United's famous Greasy Chip Butty Song is under threat.
For, very quietly and without a great deal of publicity, John Smith's has stopped making its iconic Magnet cask-conditioned beer.

It's the pint made famous by the terrace anthem, to the tune of John Denver's Annie's Song, which goes like this:

"You fill up my senses

Like a gallon of Magnet

Like a packet of Woodbine

Like a good pinch of snuff

Like a night out in Sheffield

Like a greasy chip butty

Oh Sheffield United

Come thrill me again,

Nah nah nah nah nah nah oooh,

Nah nah nah nah nah nah oooh oooh."

You can still buy Woodbines and a tin of snuff but Magnet's snuffed it.

"There was no big announcement. They've just stopped making it. Although it has been contract brewed for some time, it still had a loyal following in Sheffield," says Andrew Cullen, chairman of Sheffield CAMRA.

According to beer writer Roger Protz, the Dutch-owned Heineken UK, owners of John Smith, says sales are confined to just 100 pubs.

Andrew recalls the West Street Live selling Magnet, now replaced by Marston's Hobgoblin.

Somehow "A gallon of Hobgoblin" doesn't sound right and, anyway, doesn't scan.

The origins of the song are shrouded in mystery. Denver had a hit with the song in 1975 but it was first heard on the terraces during United's 3-1 win at Stoke, the opening match of the then Division 2 season in 1985-86.

There is a counter-claim from Rotherham supporters that the Blades pinched it from them.

Burton Albion and Grimsby Town also have local versions, as does St Helens Rugby League Club. In Burton they have a gallon of Peddi and a packet of Walkers (crisps), in Grimsby it's a barrel of Tetleys but they keep the Woodbines, while St Helen's beer of choice is Greenalls and the cigarettes become a kebab.

The Greasy Chip Butty Song has gone international with versions in Norwegian, Canada and China, home of the Chengdu Blades, United's sister team.

In 2007 The Star came up with a special version for the Chinese which went: "You fill up my senses/ Like a gallon of soy sauce/ Like a packet of chopsticks/ Like a good crispy duck/ Like a night out in Chengdy/ Like a greasy egg noodle/ Like Chengdu 'n' United/ Come thrill me again."

What are your Magnet memories? Add your comment below, write to The Editor at The Star, York Street, Sheffield S1 1PU or email [email protected]

SOME facts you may or may not know about Magnet and the Greasy Chip Butty Song...

Some people claim that the reference to Magnet is a mistake for maggots, used as bait by fishermen who are invariably footie fans.

Magnet was never brewed in Sheffield but in the Eighties John Smith's owned one in 10 local pubs.

John Denver is said to have written Annie's Song in 10 minutes.

Denver didn't actually write the tune, which is based on the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5.

So, it's actually got nothing to do with the Greasy Chip Butty Song ending. It's just the lazy twats at the Star padding like the blazes to make a two line story into a major event. Idle bastards.

"Sheffield United's famous Greasy Chip Butty Song is under threat."

Brilliant. True in every way, apart from the one vital point, and that is that it isn't. Unless Heineken own the copyright on the song and are going to stop us singing it, and they don't and aren't. So it's not under threat at all, it's just one lazy provincial hack padding out his story.
"There you go Mr. Editor, 1,000 words, where's my cheque?"
"This is bollocks Martin!"
"Yes it is, but that's never stopped us before."
"Here you go then. Same sort of shite next week. On, say, why not many tadpoles in our ponds means Sheffield United will have to stop wearing shorts and socks and play in dressing gowns and slippers."
"Can do!"

 

[SwissBlade]

I was brought up with the maggots version anyway, so I only tolerate the Magnet part as its the official version.

It doesn't prove anything, but the attachement is the back of the T Shirt I bought from the stall next to the Petrol station on the corner of John St and Bramall lane the next game after the pig roast back in November 1991

 

[Jon Bon]

Sloppy journalism. Hobgoblin is brewed by Wychwood not Marston's.

 

[Jon Bon]

It doesn't prove anything, but the attachement is the back of the T Shirt I bought from the stall next to the Petrol station on the corner of John St and Bramall lane the next game after the pig roast back in November 1991

LOL, I still have that t-shirt too.

 

[SwissBlade]

LOL, I still have that t-shirt too.

Whatever happened to that guy who sold the T shirts and Badges on that corner? Some other fella took his pitch years back and the comedy value has never been the same.

I also had a very funny Gazza T shirt with the slogan "a mars a day makes you too fat to play" on the back. Unfortunately it got tangled up in the chain on my bike one summer after I'd been swimming in the river at Froggatt

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Sloppy journalism. Hobgoblin is brewed by Wychwood not Marston's.

A nice drop is Hobgoblin, and you're right it is Wychwood, but not a patch on a cask of Magnet!

 

[SwissBlade]

Sloppy journalism. Hobgoblin is brewed by Wychwood not Marston's.

Brewed by Wychwood yes, but Wychwood is a Brand (subsidiary) of Marstons

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Brewed by Wychwood yes, but Wychwood is a Brand (subsidiary) of Marstons

Can we get Lenners to explain all this subsidiary, same company but different bollocks. I'm lost

 

[Sensiblade]

I'm guessing 99% of Blades who sing GCB haven't even tried Magnet.
I personally love the stuff and mourn it's loss.
A sad day for Beer

 

[keenzy]

I'm guessing 99% of Blades who sing GCB haven't even tried Magnet.
I personally love the stuff and mourn it's loss.
A sad day for Beer

Had it in a pub in pittsmore, very nice stuff!

 

[Oh Ah BobBooker]

Excellent Pint when kept right, putrid when not!

 

[SwissBlade]

Had it in a pub in pittsmore, very nice stuff!

Crikey! No wonder people aren't buying it if the only pubs that sell it are in pitsmoor

 

[super_pig]

its maggots.. i was there when it was invented by the big dude with the ginger beard on the kop.

 

[Pinchy]

A nice drop is Hobgoblin, and you're right it is Wychwood, but not a patch on a cask of Magnet!

No cask of any fizzy pop can match a pint of real ale drawn from the barrel.

I was drinking Hobgoblin as recently as Saturday night / Sunday morning. I can't think why but it reminded me of Stephen [Elpiton] Quinn.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

No cask of any fizzy pop can match a pint of real ale drawn from the barrel.

I was drinking Hobgoblin as recently as Saturday night / Sunday morning. I can't think why but it reminded me of Stephen [Elpiton] Quinn.

I was drinking Hobgoblin a couple of weeks ago in the Hobgoblin pub at the Angel. On draught it is a real decent pint, but strangely enough I never once thought 'SQuinn'

 

[Newbury Blade]

Surely it's LIKE Sheffield United, not "Oh, Sheffield United".
Or have I been singing the wrong words for more than 20 years (first time I heard it: Wolves away, sharing their huge Kop with the home fans, end of 3rd division promotion season, 2-2 - one of our goals from a corner featuring Agana's sublime backheel routine)

 

[Linz]

Last time I had Magnet was in Farm Road Club.

My ladylike tendencies (shurrup, I can hear you sniggering) prevented me from indulging in a gallon of the stuff though.

 

[bricktop]

A gallon of magnet usually results in a lengthy toilet visit the next morning.

Well it does in my case

 

[Jon Bon]

Brewed by Wychwood yes, but Wychwood is a Brand (subsidiary) of Marstons

No, Wychwood isn't a brand, it's a brewery in it's own right. Yes, unfortunately it is a subsidairy of Marston's, so how long it retains it's originality and quality god only knows. To say that Hobgoblin is brewed by Marston's though is totally wrong and, in my opinion, insulting to Wychwood.

 

[Guesty]

They don't make Woodbines anymore anyway!

I loved Magnet, it was always hard to come by though.

 

[Blade58]

It's easy. Just swap gallon of magnet for a gallon of magners!


Can't beat a good yuppy drink!

 

[SwissBlade]

No, Wychwood isn't a brand, it's a brewery in it's own right. Yes, unfortunately it is a subsidairy of Marston's, so how long it retains it's originality and quality god only knows. To say that Hobgoblin is brewed by Marston's though is totally wrong and, in my opinion, insulting to Wychwood.

You better tell that to Marstons then!

http://www.marstons.co.uk/default.asp

On their website it lists "Our Brands" of which "Wychwood Brands" is one of them.

 

[super_pig]

>Surely it's LIKE Sheffield United, not "Oh, Sheffield United".
yep spot on.. it wasn't night out in sheffield either.. it was one of the districts but i'm damned if i can remember it now

 

[Studge]

Seem to remember The late Reginald Forshaw serving a good pint of magnet in the Sportsman on Denby street.

I also remember having the occasional pint of mix i.e half of magnet and half of John smiths bitter which usually got the retort you cant make a good pint out of two bad halves.

 

[Sensiblade]

It's easy. Just swap gallon of magnet for a gallon of magners!


Can't beat a good yuppy drink!

Heathen!

 

[ironbar]

Dont any of you Blademen venture into the Sportsman on Denby st before home games always had a good Gallon of Magnet on sale in there plus was always on sale in the now demolished Lansdowne HAPPY DAYS.

 

[JohnDenver]

It's easy. Just swap gallon of magnet for a gallon of magners!


Can't beat a good yuppy drink!

Hmmm... Any drink that would appear to leave the body in an identical state to that which it entered...

No ta!



PS - no I haven't tasted it so wouldn't know...

 

[ironbar]

STUDGE you wrote in your post the" LATE " Reginald Forshaw is that meaning as in RIP or ex landlord Reginald Wentworth Forshaw was certainly one of the old breed we would break our necks to get back from traveling to away games probably arriving just before closing time to get a pint or two of Magnet only for REG to say his famous words" YOUR BARRED GO WHERE YOU'VE BEEN SUPPIN ALL DAY " poor old MARY would be sat there with her sunglasses on frightened to say anything.

 

[implied]

I'm guessing 99% of Blades who sing GCB haven't even tried Magnet.

I have. It's minging.

And I'm pretty sure if I drank a gallon of it, I wouldn't be off the shitter for a week.

 

[Sensiblade]

I have. It's minging.

And I'm pretty sure if I drank a gallon of it, I wouldn't be off the shitter for a week.

Wash your mouth out, it's nectar of the highest and heaviest order.
After a gallon of it it's difficult to walk to the Bog let alone sit on it for the required amount of recovery time.
Each pint is like eating a hearty meal in a glass