Their Blood Is Red & White
& Sponsored By
No.7 Ian Roberts
Red Passion says a big ‘Hello’ to Wacko Jacko
Background: Mr T.Ian Roberts - aka Jacko - has a very famous voice. In fact, he’s probably got the most famous voice in Wrexham. Can you imagine a Wrexham game WITHOUT ‘Jacko’ leading the singing? No, neither can we.
Setting: Jacko is a busy man. Red Passion keeps asking him for an interview and Jacko keeps on saying, “Yes, no problem”…but it’s a nightmare trying to arrange a time, a place and a date. Eventually the moment arrives:
* * * * *
Q. So, the obvious question first: If your real
name is Ian Roberts, how come you’re known as Jacko?
A. “It’s a long story but basically when I was a kid I used to play out
with my mates. In the autumn I was always the one who’d climb up trees to get the
conkers off. I really used to shake the trees like a monkey. It was when I was about 9 or
10 and at about the same time on TV there was this famous monkey called Jacko. Somebody
called me Jacko and the name just stuck. To be honest, a lot of people I know quite well
don’t know my real name. Only people I’m really close to - like my mum - call me
Ian.”
Q. Tell us about your background…
A. “I grew up in Trevor and lived there till I was 25. I moved to Acrefair
then, on my own, and so I’ve lived in Wrexham all my life. But the Cefn Mawr area
really has its own identity - it’s seven or eight miles from Wrexham town centre - so
I suppose you could view it as a totally separate entity.”
Q. How old are you now then?
A. “I’m 37 - but I’ve got a mental age of 8. That’s being
generous though.”
Q. What do you do for a living?
A. “I’m a carpenter and joiner - I’ve done that since I left
school. I did two years in steel erecting, but then I became an apprentice and then a
qualified joiner. I work now for a Manchester firm based in Chester Business Park. I move
around though - Manchester, Liverpool etc - and I basically do big concrete construction
work. I can do all types of joinery - first and second fix stuff, shuttering and form work
for concrete. I’ve worked for two years with the firm I work for currently. I was
once self-employed, but now I like the security of working for someone else - I like
working five days and then going to the football.”
Q. Do you speak Welsh?
A. “I’ve tried to learn but I’m not fluent. I’ve been to
Welsh classes so I know a bit.”
Q. What are your earliest footballing memories?
A. “Going to Wales v Austria at the Racecourse in about ‘74 or
‘75. When I was young I was never really allowed out so I had to sneak out. When I
was 12 I remember going to a Chester-Wrexham match. We used to go in an old van, but I on
this occasion there wasn’t any room for me so I thumbed it here and back.”
Q. How many games do you get to in a typical
season?
A. “All homes and most away. Games like Colchester away on a Tuesday night
are always difficult, but I do my best. For 20 years I’ve stood on the Kop.”
Q. Tell us about your singing…
A. “I really enjoy singing at games - I think it really creates an
atmosphere. I suppose I started singing at games in about ’78 or ’79. A lot more
people used to sing in those days. The number of singers has definitely dwindled since
then - but I still enjoy it! I’ll sing at home games and away games. I was young when
I started singing at games. It just gradually happened. I just became more and more noisy
- and in the end people start looking towards you to get the singing going. That gives you
confidence, but to be honest I think everyone has a kind of duty to sing.”
Q. What’s your pre-match preparation?
A. “Well, a few beers are essential - they’re the key ingredient. I
suppose that on a typical Saturday, when Wrexham are at home, I’ll hit town about 11
or 11.30. My usual schedule is the Horse and Jockey, Wetherspoons, the Lager Club and then
the Turf.”
Q. How much ale do you need to get inside you
before 3 o’clock to ensure your vocal chords are in good order?
A. “I’ll have to be careful what I say here - my mum and girlfriend
might read this interview! Let’s say five pints - that would be an ideal pre-match
amount. I don’t think anyone’s going to worry too much about that - yes, five
pints is ideal.”
Q. How crucial are your pre-match beers to your
singing performance?
A. “Very crucial. Without drink there’s not much of a buzz. Sometimes
you do need to be sloshed”
Q. What are your tactics when you’re
inside the ground?
A. “At some big games I like to go to the front - of the Kop if it’s a
home game or the Wrexham end if we’re away. Sometimes at big games the glory-hunters
need a bit of leadership, so I try to help out. I’d say that away games are generally
better than home games. The atmosphere’s better and the singing’s better -
mainly because the fans are together all day. They travel together in cars or coaches and
they drink together - there’s just a bit more solidarity. At home games they tend not
to be together as a unit - they’re all split up and there’s not the same
coherency.”
Q. What are your favourite away games?
A. “Luton - the pub’s two minutes away from the ground and it’s
generally full of Wrexham fans. The away end is also under cover - I do like Luton.
Brentford’s OK too - there’s this pub you can stop over in for £10. I also
remember Scunthorpe away in the play-offs. We hammered them and the atmosphere was great.
There were definitely more songs then. I’ve never liked Halifax though - the Shay
just has no atmosphere at all.
Q. What about the big standing or sitting
debate?
A. “I prefer standing - nobody gets in the way of you. I think putting seats
in the Kop would be a very negative step.”
Q. Any interesting stories?
A. “I was chucked out at Reading for singing by some dumb steward. I had a
bad time at Blackpool a few years ago as well. I was late getting in and I ended up in the
wrong part of the ground. I wandered round the edge of the pitch but the police intervened
and I was locked up in a cage in Blackpool nick. I got an identity number and had my photo
taken - everything. Eventually I was let out at 8 o’clock - three hours after the
game had finished. So Blackpool’s a bad memory: I like the place but not the ground.
Bournemouth last year as well, but this was partly my fault. I travelled down without a
ticket, but eventually got one from a Bournemouth fan I met in the pub for the home end -
otherwise I’d have missed the match. The police could see I was in the wrong part of
the ground and eventually took me out of the home end. As this happened, the Wrexham fans
started singing my name.”
Q. How does it feel to be acknowledged as the
‘leader’ of the Wrexham fans and how does it feel when the fans start singing
your name?
A. “Obviously it’s nice, but I’m really not important. Everyone
should be singing - that’s the important thing. I can’t repeat this enough:
EVERYONE should be singing their hearts out for the lads.”
Q. What do you make of singing at the ground
today compared to years ago?
A. “I’m sure there were more songs then and I’m sure also that
we’re not as loud today as we were a decade or two ago. This is really sad because
singing is fundamental to football and as I said before EVERYBODY should sing. For me
singing is the biggest part of football - it’s why I enjoy myself at games so
much.”
Q. What are your favourite songs?
A. “I don’t really have any favourites - any and all! That said,
I’d love the Kop to sing in Welsh; I’d love the fans to learn some really
powerful Welsh songs."