The Fathers Of Brazilian Football

John McAlinden is one of the most imaginative, creative, energetic, kind and hardest working people I have had the pleasure of meeting thanks to my love of music. AKA John McMustard and leader of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5, John and his band bring colour, flair and fun times to festivals, towns and venues all across Scotland and beyond. They have done this for well over a decade and are going stronger than ever.

You could say that Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 are the Brazil of Scottish festival bands! Both play in the same colour with CMD5 t-shirts brightening festivals like the Brazilian national teams glorious yellow strips light up stadiums. Both play to have fun and to make people happy, bringing smiles to faces and gathering support from neutrals. 

I was planning to write quite a few blogs on World Cup singles after writing about JJ Bull's magnificent LCD Soundsystem-esque Very Unofficial Scotland World Cup Song. But there have been so many I just couldn't keep up!  

However, I was determined to write a blog on a song that tells a different story to every other, one that links Scotland with Brazil, ahead of the big game in Miami. The Fathers Of Brazilian Football by Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 featuring Samba Ya Bamba is out now. The lead single from a 5 song EP.

The song is about the four Scottish men that brought football to Brazil, including the first ball, from Busby to Rio in 1894 courtesy of Thomas Donohoe! It's a remarkable story, now captured in song. A full documentary should follow with the good Colonel heading to Brazil! 

The Fathers of Brazilian Football were;

• Thomas Donohoe from Busby in 1894 got his wife Elizabeth to bring the 1st footballl to Bangu, Rio where a game took place between the textile factory workers.
• Charles Miller - His Dad from Fairlie, in 1894 took the rule book and 2 footballs to Sao Paulo and established the amateur game.
• Archie McLean from Paisley,alongside Bill Hopkins from Portsmouth, brought the short passing game, called tabelinha. Tabelinha in the chorus means little chart and is the short passing game that Archie McLean (the first Brazilian football star) from Paisley taught the Brazilians in Sao Paolo and it is played to this day.
• Jock Hamilton from Ayr brought structure to the amateurs through his coaching.

Why the hell couldn't Archie stay in Scotland and teach us this style of football?!

The ambition of John and his band on a DIY budget is exceptional, I find it incredibly inspiring. The video for the single was filmed at West of Scotland Cricket Ground - the home of the first international match in 1872 between Scotland and England. Scotland's only world cup winner Rose Riley features! Additional scenes were filmed at Glasgow Central Station, Hampden Park with Vanilla J from the Tartan Army and Springburn Park Synthetic Pitch.

Samba drums usher the song in, the infectious beat is then aided by the introduction of horns. Are you in?! John then tells the story through song - it is original, fun and very much Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 - unique, colourful and positive. Whistles, percussion, a breakdown, a build up, a Brazilian feel but with a distinctively Scottish accent. The hook obrigado, obrigado, play the game is infectious. Maybe one day we will get the Tartan Army and Brazil supporters chanting the chorus!

Check the brilliantly vibrant video below and then read on for an amazing interview with John. His passion for his band, friends, fans and football shines through. I greatly appreciate his time in answering my questions during an exceptionally busy time. 

Interview with John McAlinden (AKA The Colonel)

When and how did you come up with the idea for the song? 

My sister Nicola reminded me about Malcolm McLean that used to play in SambaYaBamba , his Granda was Archie McLean whose nickname in Brazil was little deer , because of how nimble and quick he was. He went over with the textile industry in Paisley and was one of the first stars of Brazilian football, playing for the Scottish Wanderers and Sao Paulo State , the highest honour at the time in Brazil. 

Archie and his friend from Southampton Bill Hopkins introduced the Brazilians to the short passing game they call Tabelinha which means little chart. The Scots took the passing game to England then all over the world. After hearing about Archie , i bought a book from the 90's by Peter Cameron that gave me so much more info and I then started discovering there were other Scottish links to Brazil. Thomas Donohoe an engineer asked his wife Elizabeth to bring the first football from Busby in 1894, they settled with their 2 boys. One of the boys went onto be a star of Brazilian football and is said to have did the first bicycle kick in Brazil before Leonidas Dasilva popularised it throughout the world. Thomas organised a game in Bangu in the suburbs of Rio between workers in the calico factory he worked in.

The person most Brazilians call the father of Brazilian football is Charles Miller. His family were from Fairlie, but he was educated privately in England. He crucially brought the rule book and another 2 footballs and started the amateur league, was a referee, a player and a prominent figure for many years after organising the first official game amongst Railway workers and engineers and then forming the first amateur league.

Jock Hamilton from Ayr, was a coach at Fulham and he went to Brazil and brought structure to the amateurs with the system Ingleza that should actually be called the Scottish system.

How quickly did it come together? Or given the story and everyone involved, did it take a while?

For Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 it was one of the quickest songs we've got together from inception in Feb/March to recording April/May and then releasing in May/June. My Brother in Law and Dijon 5 percussionist Roddy Dickson , also happens to be the mestre in SambaYaBamba , he has been to Brazil many times and played with a couple of the top Samba schools there including Academicos da Rocinha (pronounced Haw-seen-ya). Parading in Carnival and is the Scottish member of Bloco X, who are the best of the best Samba players outside Brazil. As soon as the idea came , I knew it had to be samba and we've been threatening to write a samba song together for years, so worked out well. 

Mikey Grant from the Dijon 5 came up with an amazing tune on the keyboard, Roddy sambafied it and I put the lyrics together, blending the football and textile imagery in it. It was hard squeezing 4 men into 2 verses , but we managed to do that and tell some of the main points of the story in as short and succinct way as possible. The Dijon 5 then added their individual stamps with horns, bass , guitar and vocals and for the EP version thats out now , we've included an instrumental, DJ 5 has done a house carnival remix and we bumped into an amazing Brazilian musician May Terra who has translated and sings on the Brazilian version 'Os Pais do Futebol Brasileiro'. Her vocals blow mine out the water. This is my favourite version.

What is your first memory of watching Brazil at a World Cup? Do you have a favourite Brazilian player? 

I have a vague memory of watching Socrates with my Dad when i was around 3 or 4 at the Spain 1982 world cup and that memory being there because my Dad was pointing him out and talking about him , but so young its all very vague and more of an awareness. Mexico 1986 was the first real World Cup I remember. 

Even though he was before my time Pele is probably my favourite Brazilian player, just from watching all the footage and watching Escape To Victory on repeat , the Colonel Mustard video 'Gay Icon' was our homage to that. In the 80s round about this time , playing football on the red ash pitch at St Barbaras in Muirhead , you used to baggsy what player you wanted to be and everyone would baggsy Maradona or Pele , a testament to his legacy. 

At school you knew , even if you hadn't heard him or seen them that Jimi Hendrix was the greatest guitarist of all time and Pele the greatest footballer, but I love the Pele quote that blows that out the water. "To be the best footballer of all time , you have to be the best in every position". 

My favourite Brazilian footballer of my time was Ronaldinho, who i believe is coming out of retirement after 11 years to join a Serie C side(oh he does like to be beside the C side) the style, flair, control and of course the goals, on his debut for Barcelona and of course against England. Just utter class. Unbridled talent. It's who Messi learned his trade from and its between him, Messi or Maradonna for most naturally gifted footballer of all time. They can see things instinctively that others don't. 

In terms of goalscoring machines though Ronaldo Nazario (R9) takes some beating. Watching him age 17 at the 1994 world cup and I was travelling in Australia in 2002 when he was in a front 3 with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Scoring twice in the final. My son Charlie was asking to get the haircut, which may be the worst of all time , but is testament to his legend in the playgrounds of the modern era. That whole team with Roberto Carlos and Cafu. They were on another level.

You must be pleased by the reaction to the single. What has been your highlight to date? 

Aye its been amazing. Getting a wee early play from Michelle McManus on one of her last few shows on BBC Radio Scotland started the momentum building nicely , then playing it with SambaYaBamba at Julie McNeill and Campbell Ramage 'We Are Scottish Football' book launch at West Scotland Cricket ground, then filming with the West Park United 2014 team at Springburn Park was cool, my sons team that I was coaching. 

Playing a pop up show with SambaYaBamba and getting to do keepie uppies in Central Station and Ending up on Reporting Scotland. Meeting lots of the Brazilian community in Scotland there and when we were doing a food tasting challenge for Beths and Brownings the Bakers. Its been a great adventure and for all the down sides of streaming(mainly financially), watching our Brazilian Fanbase growing on all the streaming and social media platforms and the nice comments about the song from the Brazilian community have meant the most. Seeing tartan army pals like Murray from the Clutha and the Scottish Football Forum podcast spreading the word to the Tartan Army has been great and theyve done us so proud. 

The icing on the cake though was today's (Monday 22nd) filming at Glebe Primary in Irvine for STV for the news on Wednesday , the day of the big game. We had members of the Dijon 5, SambaYaBamba and SYB Youth band and hundreds of kids and teachers all singing and dancing. You can't beat that feeling of connection with an audience and the excitement and spontaneity that music and football can create.

Have you seen the Kevin Bridges show on the iPlayer where he goes out to Brazil? 

I thought the Kevin Bridges documentary was amazing, he is the Scottish everyman in so many ways and obviously the most relatable, funniest guy in Scotland. It had me in tears , had me laughing , i learned a few things. The scenes with Cafu and John McGinn were so good and in the favelas and going to the games were great. The quote that maybe went under some peoples radars was "Football without cans is nothing" the most clever writing and play on Jock Steins "football without fans is nothing" quote. 

I love the fact they included some stuff about Thomas Donohoe. In a near perfect documentary my only criticism would have been , that they could have got an interview from Bangu A.C, as they have a museum there and some experts and maybe some stuff about Sao Paulo and Archie McLean and Jock Hamilton. If they do a follow up that would be great obviously with our song on the soundtrack.

Do you think we'll go through? 

I think we will go through. Even if Brazil beat us with a low goal difference we can still qualify, but if the boys play at their best, we're more than capable of getting a result.

What are CMD5 plans for the rest of 2026? 

Writing and recording more music as we're on a roll and all these gigs and festivals-

Sat 27th June 7.30pm Kilmarnock Fair Festival

17th-19th July Sat afternoon Back Doune The Rabbit Hole

Fri 31st July Belladrum Tartan Heart

Sun 2nd Aug - Fringe by the Sea North Berwick

Sun 9th Aug Party at The Palace

Fri 28th Aug - Caledonian Uni 150 year anniversary gig

3rd -5th September - Lindisfarne Festival

Sun 27th September Dumbarton Rocks

Sat 24th Oct Biggar Little Festival

Sun 29th Nov 12.00 Winterstorm, Troon Concert Hall

Lastly - who do you think will win the 2026 World Cup? 

The Netherlands

The story of Saint PHNX

Long term readers of my blog will know that I used to help manage a band from Wishaw called Vigo Thieves. I had so many good times with the band; as a manager, friend and fan.

Stevie Jukes, the singer, songwriter, frontman and driving force behind the band pushed and pulled the band as far as he could take them. Then he regrouped to write more songs.

The new songs had a new sound and feel to them and so Stevie formed Saint PHNX with his brother Alan.

Stevie and Alan aimed high from the very start, contacting all the major management companies in the world, cheekily following up on their email to The Killers management team and getting a reply.

That reply was the start of a rollercoaster ride of highs, loops and lows. Saint PHNX got close to a record deal, they got closer, they had offers, then all of a sudden they were miles away ... then they were up, playing to 25,000 people in America, record label showcases, before hitting as low as they could go, ready to give up...

I've not even told half of their story.

But a new podcast/vlog from Glasgow called GlasGo caught up with the band to get their story. I watched part 1 last night and I was enthralled. What a journey! I laughed at the two brothers bouncing off each other, marvelled at their cheek, hard work and ambition and gasped at how low they got. I wasn't aware of how bad things got.

If you're a music fan, if you're in a band, then you should watch this. Ambition, dreams, parties, huge shows, cheap flights, no money for food, sharing beds, things going horribly wrong and then a lifeline...

This is just part 1! Roll on part 2! CLICK HERE if you don't see the video embedded below.

10 from The Charlatans

The Charlatans are one of my all-time favourite bands. I've been following them since the age of 15 back in 1991 when songs like White Shirt, Then and The Only One I Know would regularly get included on school common room mixtapes.

The band were prolific; releasing debut LP Some Friendly in 1990 and Between 10th and 11th in 1992. During this period there were also non-album singles like debut Indian Rope while in 1991 they released both Over Rising and Me. In Time.

Since then the band have matched quality with quantity, releasing 13 albums and 22 top 40 singles, many with fantastic b-sides like Title Fight, Your Skies Are Mine and Happen To Die.

Lets not forget some of the brilliant remixes from the likes of The Chemical Brothers/Dust Brothers, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the superbly named Luvdup and Van Basten take on Feel Flows.

The BJM remix of So Oh is like a lysergic lullaby, absolutely gorgeous. Check it out below.

I have easily seen the band more than 30-times. The Barrowland is like a home from home for them. Their shows through the 1990's in the legendary ballroom were like Cup Finals, Tim Burgess was the midfield playmaker, patrolling the stage in complete command, looking super cool and conducting his band and the crowd. I still remember people crowd surfing to tunes the warm up DJ played before one particular show, such was the atmosphere and sense of occasion.

At a scorching hot T in the Park in 1995 they whipped up a dust storm from the dry ground as they blasted the Main Stage. I caught them a number of times at the festival through to 2004/5 and the Up At The Lake album when Tim then joined The Chemical Brothers at the Slam Tent the next day, still wearing the same clothes after partying hard.

I was down at Knebworth to see Oasis in 1996 and The Charlatans played an absolute stormer of a support slot, emotions and adrenaline were running high as the band played only weeks after losing Rob Collins in a tragic car crash. I was so proud of the band that day.

Tim arriving at Knebworth

The raw emotionally charged performance was exceptional

Their appearance on The White Room from this time is my favourite Charlatans TV performance. Look at Jon Brookes on the drums during Crashin' In and Tim looking on in complete admiration at Jon and the rest of his band as they really go for it. Outstanding!

I fell big time for the band, queueing to get records signed at Tower Records in 1994, tracking down vinyl, buying all their released and going to see them whenever they played in Glasgow. 4 albums from 1990-1995! So many great singles and b-sides.

Burgess was (and is) my favourite front man. His infectious cheeky smile, glint in his eye, up for a good time vibe, his t-shirts, his jackets, super cool hair and on stage groove made me and others gaze up at stages across the world wanting to be him for a night. His belief and energy lift his band and audience.

Backed by Mark Collin on guitar (who I think is personally very under-rated as a guitarist), Martin Blunt on funky bass, the sensational Jon Brookes on drums and the wizards Rob Collins and then Tony Rogers on hammond and keys, The Charlatans could lock into grooves and take their fans on a trip.

They have rarely paused for breath. And if the band have, Burgess has busied himself with solo albums, books, running a record label and his #TimsTwitterListeningParty that is bringing music fans together during these unprecedented times when we can't go to gigs.

Looking back over their discography, the run of albums and singles from 1994-97 in particular was sensational, they all kind of blurred and merged together. 3 albums and 10 singles! Up To Our Hips, The Charlatans and Tellin' Stories; rammed with singles and other gems.

I was 18-21 during this period and it was never long between a Charlatans release or a gig. I always had something to look forward to with the band, they were with me, I was with them.

And that is true to this day with the band and through Tim ... there is always something going on with them ... a book, a street takeover, listening parties, solo albums, shows ....

In the summer of 1997 I played Tellin' Stories constantly. I'd have it on my personal CD player for the train to work and then walk through Glasgow city centre fantasising that I was Tim walking about like he did in the video for North Country Boy, a song I played non-stop. I'd arrive in work and urge people to buy the album. How good is the new Charlatans album? became a catchphrase.

Us And Us Only (1999) is one of my favourite Charlatans albums, I really love the playing, the feel and the space on this particular album. Sunshine vibes and Tim's falsetto on Wonderland (2001) mixed things up again, Right On from that album is a real favourite of mine.

Up At The Lake (2004) was pretty loose, Try Again Today is a beauty of a song while my wife quoted Loving You Is Easy in our wedding vows. I have fond memories of watching the band at T in the Park around this time and my brother turning to me and my sister as the band launched into As I Watch You In Disbelief and shouting I f**king love this song! So I always think of him when I hear it.

The Simpatico album in 2006 is my least visited album from the band, although it does contain the outstanding Blackened Blue Eyes.

You Cross My Path in 2008 was (for me) a resounding return to form. A sober and straight Burgess seemed re-energised as the band initially released the album as a free download via XFM before bringing it out in physical format a few months afterwards. The stomping Oh! Vanity through to the glorious BIRD fading into This Is The End is the sound of The Charlatans on fire.

The swift follow up of Who We Touch (2010) highlighted that the band were in a rich vein of form, armed with lots of ideas and materials. Revisiting the album for this blog caused me to remember what an excellent song Trust In Desire is.

Modern Nature (2015) was released following the death of Jon Brookes after he bravely fought a brain tumour. It was a triumph of an album with strong singles and excellent album tracks like Emilie which is a real gem. Again the band were rich with material and the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are excellent, for me We Sleep On Borrowed Time and Walk With Me should have been on the album

Different Days (2017) came out with the band bursting with ideas. They had a very different day to promote it, taking over Manchester's Oldham Street for a day and continuing to do things differently by holding their own small festival in Northwich. Plastic Machinery is classic Charlatans, the title track is beautiful, as is Hey Sunrise and the closing Spinning Out. There is a calmness to them, mellow reflection.

What a journey! What a band! What an exceptional back catalogue! How on earth do I only choose 10 favourites when I have so many?

Well I've mentioned quite a few in this blog already and I'd also like to add in Happen To Die (long version), Get On It, Tellin' Stories, Weirdo, Can't Even Be Bothered, Feel Flows ... in fact there is too many ...

Here are 10 of my favourite Charlatans songs.

Come Home Baby
I was so happy when The Charlatans backed up the excellent So Oh single with this. What a tune! The way the song lifts to lead into the chorus always brings a smile to my face. This became a bit of a tune for me and my eldest daughter Zoe who was 3 when it was released and her sister was just a baby. I have so many happy memories of playing this song in our house and car and me and Zoe singing along.

I can't wait, don't hesitate

Let's be together

Crashin' In
I've already mentioned this song and please watch the White Room performance video from earlier in the blog. The energy leaps out immediately from Mark Collins guitar, there is an urgency to Tim's voice and the rest of the band drive things along. The band are on fire. I love the change in pace after 90-seconds with Tim just shouting oh yeah, and the band just get lost in a jam. They do it again later in the song and I love the looseness and the energetic vibe to the song.

See me, I can feel it coming around

Complete Control
I remember Tim posting a demo of this song on the old Charlatans forum. I fell for it instantly and a full version appeared as a b-side to Oh! Vanity. Complete Control is kind of like Tim fronting his beloved New Order. There is a very strong melody as Tim talks of being tired of used, tired of being told what to do, by idiots like you

Could perfectly tie in with The Charlatans taking complete control through the self release of their You Cross My Path album. I love this song, sounds like it came together really easily.

The Blind Stagger
The Charlatans played the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on 22nd October 1999, the night before my brothers 21st birthday. We spent the night in McChuills bar and then at the show before getting back to our local pub just in time for midnight to celebrate.

Coming on stage the band played the long intro of Forever, with Tim coming on after a few minutes to rapturous applause and they delivered one of my all-time favourite Charlatans shows. I really love the Us and Us Only album. Tim's love of Dylan comes through and we see a different side to the band.

The Blind Stagger is such a beautiful song. Guitars are to the fore, Burgess is in full flow. There is a brilliant instrumental, things break down before lifting euphorically

Oh let the light shine

Could you for once be strong

I bleed a little too

Sproston Green
The closing song from debut album Some Friendly and the traditional set closer, Sproston Green is a monster of a song. The band often stretch it out to 10-minutes when they play live, jamming a slow groove into the song, teasing the crowd, building up, creating tension before finally exploding into life.

This one knows, she comes and goes

And when she goes, she goes

This live version from 1995 at the London Astoria perfectly captures the heady atmosphere of Charlatans shows from this time (I describe them as cup finals earlier in the blog). Audiences were up for it, this was a night out to dance and sing.

Burgess is on one here, looking and sounding super cool and his band whip up a storm.

The Only One I Know
A monster of a tune that I have seen many a gig and dancefloor explode to. The bass, drums, wah wah guitar and stabbing hammond chords immediately create a funky and welcoming vibe and then Burgess comes in talking about the only one I see, has found an aching in me

The chorus is pretty remarkable for such a young band to write;

Everyone has been burned before

Everybody knows the pain

The breakdown instrumental at 2-minutes 46 seconds is glorious. This is 4-minutes of The Charlatans at their best, locked in a groove, reaching euphoric heights and taking the listener with them.

North Country Boy
This song totally reminds me of walking to work in the 90's in glorious sunshine. This is perfect pop,

What are you sad about?

Every day you make the sun come out

 North Country Boy lifts me and puts a smile on my face every single time I hear it. There is a groove, a swagger, sunshine and warmth seem to burst out of it.

I can't remember

I don't know how to tell you

But I love you just the same

Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over
I love the looseness to this song, it's got a Stones Exile On Main Street kind of vibe to it, a groove. Burgess is in full flow and the you look good when your heart is on fire lyric is one of my favourites.

Check the band ripping through it at an early sun soaked T in the Park that I fondly remember. The ground was so dry and people were dancing so much during the bands set that a dust storm was whipped up.

Oh Vanity!
 A stomping Motown/Northern Soul beat drives this song from start to finish. The chorus is a keyboard solo that you can't help sing-a-long with and it is an absolute belter of a song.

It came out while I was traveling around the world and I played it relentlessly whenever I was in internet cafes checking out the band on MySpace!

So I have many happy memories of traveling around South America and checking into The Charlatans forum that I visited regularly for news and chat with other Charlatans devotees.

I love this Later With Jools performance. Martin Blunt is grooving on the bass and Jon Brookes is flying at his drum kit. Also check this T in the Park performance to a packed tent.

Oh promise me, oh promise me

You'll save me one last dance for me

One To Another
My favourite Charlatans song. No question. The power of this song still astonishes me all these years down the line. The first single following the death of Rob Collins, this was a big statement.

In fact The Charlatans put out a short statement. It ended with something along the lines of We Are Rock. It meant something, The Charlatans mean something, this song means something.

The intro, with a loop from Tom Rowlands from Chemical Brothers, exploded into life with a heavy riff from piano, guitar, drums and bass leading to Tim coming in;

One to another

A sister and a brother

Changing the way that you feel

And one of my all-time favourite lyrics is be my spider woman, I'll be your spider man so much that a poster with those words is at the top of our stairs.

Justice for believers and love can keep the faith

There is a brief pause for breath before the band go at it harder than ever, the riff is ferocious and Burgess is in full flight - love is hard to leave and it's hard to never have and on and on they go.

This song never fails to lift and inspire me.