Blue Angels Motorcycle Club facts for kids
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| Abbreviation |
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|---|---|
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Allan Morrison and Billy Gordon |
| Founded at | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
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Region
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Europe (19 chapters in Scotland, England, Belgium and Spain) |
| Website | blueangelsglasgow.com |
The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club (BAMC) is a motorcycle club that started in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1963. It is known as one of the oldest and largest motorcycle clubs in Europe. The club has groups, called chapters, in Scotland, England, Belgium, and Spain.
The Blue Angels have sometimes been connected with serious activities. Because of this, the Federal Police of Belgium has called them a criminal motorcycle gang.
Contents
History of the Blue Angels MC
The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club was started in 1963 in the Maryhill area of Glasgow by Allan Morrison and Billy "Stone" Gordon. It is the oldest motorcycle club of its kind in Europe. Some people say "Blue" stands for "bastards, lunatics, undesirables and eccentrics," but this is likely a made-up story after the name was chosen. The name probably just comes from the color of the Scottish flag. The club grew out of the street group culture in Glasgow during that time. From the 1960s, the Blue Angels had disagreements with other groups, like the mods and other Glasgow street groups.
Expanding Across Europe
In the 1970s, the Blue Angels started connecting with motorcycle clubs in England. They formed a friendship with the Road Rats from London. They also had rivalries with the English Hells Angels. Scotland is one of the few places in Europe without a Hells Angels chapter. In 2007, the Blue Angels president, Lenny "the Lion" Reynolds, said they were proud that American motorcycle clubs did not have a strong presence in Scotland. He mentioned that they had rivalries with the Hells Angels in the 1970s, which is why the Hells Angels do not have a chapter there.
The Blue Angels opened chapters in the English cities of Leeds and Sheffield in 1970. A chapter in London started but closed soon after. The club grew into Belgium in 1992. They took in a Belgian club that had the same name and had been founded in Herzele in 1978.
In November 2016, Kris "Bokky" De Saedeleer, who had led the Blue Angels' Belgian chapters for 22 years, was removed from the club. This happened because he was accused of misusing club money and starting a new, unauthorized chapter.
Remembering a Founder
Allan Morrison, one of the club's founders and a former president, passed away on January 29, 2020, at 77 years old. His funeral in Glasgow on February 15, 2020, was attended by about 400 bikers from different parts of Europe.
Blue Angels Insignia and Symbols
The Blue Angels' "colors" are their special patches. These patches originally showed the club's symbol: a winged skull wearing a type of helmet called a Stahlhelm. The words "Blue Angels" were written in a special old-style writing called Gothic script. They also wore "1%" patches. The term "one-percenter" comes from a story that most motorcyclists are law-abiding, but a small percentage are not.
In 1997, the Blue Angels' symbol was legally protected. To celebrate the club's 50th anniversary in 2013, members started wearing a more traditional set of patches. These included a top patch with the club's name and a bottom patch showing the country the member was from. The club is also known as the "Blue Gang." They use the abbreviation "21," where the numbers stand for the letters 'B' and 'A' in the alphabet. Some of their sayings include "Blue Angels forever, forever Blue Angels" ("BAFFBA"), "Blue Angels OK," "Blue Gang forever" ("BGF"), and "Blue Angels, best in the west."
Membership and How the Club Works
To become a Blue Angels member, a person must be suggested by two current members. After spending some time as a "prospect" (someone trying to join), other members vote on whether they can join the club. The Blue Angels do not allow members who use illegal substances.
The club has six chapters in Scotland, four in northern England, seven in Belgium, and two in Spain. There are about 200 members in Scotland alone. The Tribe is a support club for the Blue Angels. It was formed in Edinburgh in November 2011 and has 25 chapters, with twelve of them in Scotland.
