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

Teenage Fanclub live in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a city that I am exceptionally fond of. Back in May/June 2008, my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I spent a month living in an apartment in the Palermo Viejo district of the city at the end of 1-year travelling around the world.

After a year of almost constant travel and not really staying anywhere more than 4-6 days, it was great to have a base. We embraced living in the city - joining our local gym, hanging out in the bars and cafes and wandering around museums and (Evita's) graveyards.

Ice cold Quilmes beer, incredible red wine, the best steak ever (we went to La Cabrera - a traditional parrillas - 3 times it was so good!) , Tango in the streets, Boca v River, River v San Lorenzo, a 2-day trip to Iguazu Falls, United beating Chelsea in the Champions League final ... I have so many good memories.

Back in the Day - with brown hair, in the stadium early for Boca v River

Not the greatest game, a 1-0 win for Boca, but an INCREDIBLE atmosphere

So, I was excited for Teenage Fanclub when the band announced that their South American tour would include a visit to Buenos Aires for the very first time. I thoroughly enjoyed the bands Instagram updates from Brazil and Argentina. It looked like they had a blast, played their hearts out and felt the passion from their South American fans. There is a mini-documentary in the making! If they go back I'll offer to go and make it!

Speaking of which, Juan Marioni from Buenos Aires is a member of the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub who I have become friends with online. Juan is a very talented musician - check Juan's Bandcamp page for his Norman, Raymond and Gerry EP's of cover versions and also his Songs of Teenage Fanclub covers album.

I love Juan's versions. There is something about songs originating in Bellshill making their way across the world and being covered that warms my heart. 

Juan has been waiting to see his favourite band for quite some time! So, I asked if he would write a blog on the experience. Now that Juan has had time to recover, he has written a beautifully passionate, funny (I laughed out loud at the Mongolia section) and soulful blog that portrays his deep love for the band.

I'm all in if the band make it back to Argentina! If my wife and kids let me! Maybe we will all go!

Guest blog - 1,130,112,000 seconds. Teenage Fanclub live in Buenos Aires.

1 130 112 000 seconds. That's how long it took Teenage Fanclub to play in Argentina. Yes, I double-checked the calculation. The time that passed from their live debut on November 17, 1989, until they finally stepped onto the stage of C ART MEDIA on September 9, 2025. A wait full of disappointments and "almosts" that never were, but which, in the end, turned into pure glory. This is the story of how, after so long, everything came together so we could celebrate our love fest with the band.

A while ago, I found out that back in 2011, my beloved Teenage Fanclub had played in Brazil. Missing the possibility of (maybe) travelling and seeing them wasn't the biggest disappointment; the real heartbreak was not having known about their visit to a "nearby" country. Social media wasn't what it is today. The taste turned even more bitter when I was told they had already been there in 2004, "close" to my neighborhood. I say "close" in quotes because Brazil is not that close, and São Paulo is 2,238.8 km from Buenos Aires, a distance similar to the one that separates Bellshill from Rome.

But hope is never lost. Around that time (2014), Lollapalooza began to be held in Argentina, and I thought that was my chance. Thanks to that "industry monster," I was able to see Johnny Marr that same year, who, by the grace of some divinity, did a sideshow—going to a festival with 1500 bands in less than 12 hours is an ordeal for me and my back. Every time a new edition was announced, the first thing I did was read the fine print on the flyer looking for the shows "less interesting to the public," but Teenage Fanclub never appeared on the lineup. The possibility of seeing them at a proper venue was fading. At that point, I would have settled for a 20-minute set at 4 p.m. on stage number 7 of said festival... or another.

Then, Gerry's departure made me doubt whether the band would continue, and the 2020 pandemic arrived. The years went by. Until one day in 2024, I read in an Instagram post: "Teenage Fanclub in... Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia." "No, now that's it," I thought. "They're never coming to Argentina!" Outrage! They play in Mongolia—and I have nothing against Mongolians, I love them!—but if there's a distant, inhospitable place with no visible rock culture, that's the definition of Mongolia. I swear I gave up then. I thought my only chance would be to travel to the UK or Europe at some point to catch one of their tours, like my friend and colleague from Los Andes, Sebastián Rubin, who saw them in 2018.

They say miracles exist, and in 2025, a light of hope emerged. At the beginning of the year, the São Paulo date for September was announced, and I started planning a trip to Brazil. The planets seemed to align—they didn't play Planets at the show, the 1st absence from the setlist—: 

I feel the planets surround me 

They gather 'round me 

A little later, I found out through "secret sources" that "it seems Teenage is coming to Buenos Aires"... At last! From having to travel 2100 km to São Paulo to taking the bus for three stops to get to the venue, it was truly a sign that God—if he existed—thought of Argentinians this time—God Knows It's True... the second major absence from the setlist.

Seeing Teenage Fanclub live was one of those pivotal moments in my life that I will never forget, an event I waited more than 34 years for. As a fan, as a musician, as a person. Since 1992, when I fell under the spell of Bandwagonesque, I've been waiting for them. Because that's what it is, ladies and gentlemen: a spell these guys have cast on me—and on so many others around the world. And what better than they themselves in Baby Lee - another one missing from last night's repertoire...—to explain what they did to me: I'm enchanted, I've fallen under your spell How can I resist When you cast them so well? And yesterday, it happened. Teenage Fanclub in Buenos Aires! The owners of the recipe, the creators of the special sauce.

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The build-up and the show

Before the main event, Sebastián Arpesella played and gave a soft and delicate show. A former member of Grand Prix, my colleague Rubin's band in the '90s, who was invited onto the stage and reunited for a self-tribute, performing two songs. The anxiety was growing, and on my way to the bathroom, I saw Euros Childs listening to the opening band. I managed to say hello; he was the only member of the band I could get close to. I didn't make him uncomfortable with my fanaticism, I just thanked him for being here.

Around 9 p.m., the assistant with his flashlight, like a Bat-Signal, announced to the sound engineer that the start of the show was imminent. And so it was: the guys came on, and emotion flooded me. I was three metres from the security barrier, seeing my idols in person for the first time. The concert kicked off with Tired of Being Alone and I sang all the lyrics, sometimes phonetically, and I was already losing my voice! I thought to myself, "I'm seeing them! They're right there!" Then, the first classic, About You and the first ovation came. What I didn't like was the change in key; I think there are songs that are very difficult to lower in tone, and this is one of them.

The first part of the set, with Ray at the front, continued with Endless Arcade which was the best version of the first three songs, with its Barrett-esque psychedelic influences. Previously, Norman made the first greeting, thanking the audience and acknowledging that it had taken them 36 years to be here.

Now it was Norman's turn to take the lead vocals. When he plays an D major, I speculate out loud: Norman 3! But I was wrong, it was the turn of The Cabbage one of my favorites from Thirteen, an album I love and enjoyed a lot at the time—it was the first one I bought contemporary to its release. A highlight was Ray's minimalist solo with the classic rock lick that XTC calls Ernie.

Then came the second big ovation with Alcoholiday and I told my friends Fer and Pablo, "This is the riff of my youth" when the song gets heavy metal, before all I know is all I know.... The "Norman set" closed with the beautiful I Don't Want Control of You which, to my taste, sounded a bit more subdued than the recorded version, less brilliant. Let's grant that the album version is practically unbeatable! 

During the video Barby Recanati (see below) did with Ray via Zoom before the show, he mentioned that he was a fan of Syd Barrett and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. And at this concert, I started to detect details in their songs! I already mentioned it in Endless Arcade and in Everything Is Falling Apart the next song, that feeling of a mantra that abounds in their compositions appeared. The solo, which uses the Mixolydian scale, transported me to other landscapes. At the end of the version, Euros added a detail that isn't on the album, and the song started to sound like Kraftwerk (!).

There was a change of instruments: Norman on bass, guitar with capo for Dave, and Fender Telecaster with open tuning for Ray. The audience chanted "Ole, ole, ole, Teenage Fanclub!", and 120 Mins arrived. Raymond at his best, another of my all-time favorites, with lyrics that resonated with me in those years: I don't wanna be alone, I don't wanna be well known. Great work by Dave on the lead guitar; I think that was "his moment." 

It continued with It's All in My Mind another "new" classic. Super tight, in my opinion, one of their best songs: minimalist and modern. And we got to Metal Baby People were dancing and singing, and the group shone with another furious version, with a very Rolling Stones ending.

At this point, I was surprised by how the band sounded. I didn't imagine they were so precise and that they rocked this way live. Francis is the engine and has the right beat, at the necessary volume. In this big venue, he came through with power and precision.

Norman said something about Raymond showing us the use of the wah-wah. We speculated among the nearby audience, like people in the bleachers at a soccer match, about which song would follow. I guessed that It's a Bad World was coming, another high point in Raymond's repertoire. 

What You Do to Me followed, and the crowd exploded, chanting from start to finish and even generating a small but lively mosh pit. By this point, we were already surrendered to the Fanclub, and the musicians were seduced by the Argentine audience.

I imagined that—since they had said they would play classics for being their first show—they would perform Your Love Is the Place,  in my opinion, Raymond's highest point. So I let myself be carried away by this song, although, to my taste, the tempo was a bit slow and I was expecting a more energetic version.

A friend and former student, Santi, approached me and hugged me at the start of I'm in Love. The first thing he said to me was: "I'm in ecstasy," and he perfectly described my feeling. I borrow his words. I get distracted and chat with him for a while, so the song, which is short on its own, flies by.

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The final stretch and the encores

There's a moment of "rest" after so much high, and I think the beautiful version of Middle of My Mind also serves as a breather for the musicians; it sounds better live than on the album. As a digression, there were no vinyls in the merch, which I think is a great shame, since here it's very expensive to get a record. And well, for now, I'll continue without having Nothing Lasts Forever.

Now we enter the final stretch and another peak moment: someone from the audience asks for it, and Norman grants it, Neil Jung. The "stadium" came down, and the group delighted in the crowd's singing of the solo melody, which continued even after the song ended. The band applauded their Argentine audience. Raymond now tells us: The World'll Be OK and we returned to the psychedelic side, alternating a yin-yang of atmospheres with the previous and the next song: The Concept.

And the concept is Norman's melodies, which have that je ne sais quoi, that touch that makes them eternal, irresistible, and that cut before the coda in which time seems to be suspended and is eternal... and the coda itself, one of the most beautiful in the history of rock, I dare say, only surpassed by Hey Jude. Again, the audience sang in ecstasy, Ray's enormous solo, and the end. Ovation and chants asking for what Norman had already announced before starting the song: they're leaving, but they're coming back.

Raymond's reminder

As far as I'm concerned, they should keep going, because there are many more songs I'd like to hear. The chosen ones for the encores were Back in the Day, Falling into the Sun and Mellow Doubt - a gift for the people, since I haven't seen them play it as an encore on another setlist, although I could be wrong.

And we got to the farewell. Norman genuinely thanked them for having come down to Argentina and told us that they had wanted to do it for a long time, but it hadn't happened. Today it did, and I hope they come back soon, because we need them. Everything Flows is the classic final song of every show for a while now. A priority, you know it, but you have to experience it, you have to live it! I was in Flow mode after the demolishing ending, a few inches off the ground.

Several friends and former students approached me and repeated the same words: "Thanks to you, I'm here today." The evangelism bore fruit, and although we're not a gigantic crowd, yesterday more than 1000 of us, Argentine Fannies, had our moment of glory, our celebration of love for the band. And we gave them the warmth we have on this side of the world and, from what I felt, it was more than enough for our heroes on stage.

I waited a long time, and yesterday it happened. Teenage Fanclub in Buenos Aires: beautiful, emotional, long-awaited, unique.

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Setlist

Tired of Being Alone / About You / Endless Arcade / The Cabbage / Alcoholiday / I Don't Want Control of You / Everything Is Falling Apart /120 Mins / It's All in My Mind / Metal Baby / It's a Bad World / What You Do to Me / Your Love Is the Place / I'm in Love / Middle of My Mind / Neil Jung / The World'll Be OK / The Concept 

Encores Back in the Day / Falling into the Sun / Mellow Doubt / Everything Flows