Blue Angels Motorcycle Club facts for kids
 |
|
| Abbreviation |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Allan Morrison and Billy Gordon |
| Founded at | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
|
Region
|
Europe (19 chapters in Scotland, England, Belgium and Spain) |
| Website | blueangelsglasgow.com |
The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club (BAMC) is a well-known motorcycle club that started in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1963. It is the oldest "outlaw" biker club in Europe. This means it's a motorcycle club that doesn't follow the rules of the main motorcycle associations. The Blue Angels MC is one of the biggest and most powerful clubs in the United Kingdom. They have groups, called chapters, in Scotland, England, Belgium, and Spain.
The Blue Angels have sometimes been linked with activities that are not allowed by law. Because of this, the Federal Police of Belgium has called them a criminal motorcycle gang.
The Blue Angels' Story
The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club was started in 1963 by Allan Morrison and Billy "Stone" Gordon in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. This makes it the oldest outlaw biker club in Europe. Some people say the name "Blue" stands for "bastards, lunatics, undesirables and eccentrics." However, it's more likely the name simply comes from the color blue, like the Scottish flag. The club grew out of the many groups in Glasgow at that time.
In the 1970s, the Blue Angels started connecting with other motorcycle clubs in England. They became friends with the Road Rats club from London. They also had a rivalry with the English Hells Angels. Scotland is one of the few places in Europe where the Hells Angels don't have a chapter. In 2007, the Blue Angels' president, Lenny "the Lion" Reynolds, said they were proud that American biker clubs didn't have a big influence in Scotland. He mentioned that they fought the Hells Angels in the 1970s, which is why the Hells Angels don't have a chapter there.
The Blue Angels opened new chapters in the English cities of Leeds and Sheffield in 1970. They also expanded into Belgium in 1992. This happened when a Belgian club, which had the same name and started in 1978, joined the Blue Angels.
Allan Morrison, who helped start the club and used to be its president, passed away on January 29, 2020, at age 77. His funeral was held in Glasgow on February 15, 2020. About 400 bikers from all over Europe came to pay their respects.
Club Symbols and Patches
The Blue Angels have special symbols and patches, which they call their "colours". These originally included a winged skull wearing a helmet, along with the words "Blue Angels" written in a special old-style writing. They also wore "1%" patches. These patches were sewn onto blue denim jackets.
The term "one-percenter" comes from an old story. It's said that a motorcycle group once claimed that 99% of motorcyclists are good and follow the rules, but 1% are not. The Blue Angels' symbols were legally protected in 1997, meaning no one else could use them.
To celebrate the club's 50th birthday in 2013, Blue Angels members started wearing a more traditional style of patches. These included a top patch, called a "rocker," with the club's name. They also wore a bottom "rocker" that showed 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 club sayings include "Blue Angels forever, forever Blue Angels" ("BAFFBA"), "Blue Angels OK," "Blue Gang forever" ("BGF"), and "Blue Angels, best in the west."
Joining the Club
If someone wants to join the Blue Angels, they need to be suggested by two current members of the club. After spending some time as a "prospect" (someone who is trying to join), other members can vote them into the club.
The Blue Angels have six chapters in Scotland, four in northern England, seven in Belgium, and two in Spain. In Scotland alone, there are about 200 members. The Tribe is a support club for the Blue Angels. It was started in Edinburgh in November 2011. The Tribe has 25 chapters, with twelve of them located in Scotland.
Images for kids
-
The official logo of the Blue Angels Motorcycle Club.
