“Svarc rejects new Layer terms”
So… what do we know about (Bobby) Svarc?
The A to Z of HMHB
The A to Z of HMHB
There are 14 Half Man Half Biscuit albums, plus two roundup compilations, as well as 4 EPs and a handful of one-off songs. No 'Greatest Hits'. Indulge yourself by starting here.
In which we chose the nation's favourite Half Man Half Biscuit song. For the next four years, anyway.
Search for any lyric, reference, song title ...whatever.
The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project website © 2007—2021 Chris Rand • All lyrics are the property of their owners
Site Home • Top of Page • About/Contact
Bobby svarc
“Bobby off the Saff” LCFC cult figure in the sixties, gave hope to hundreds of wannabes who dreamed of pulling on the Royal Blue. My first football hero, My dad took me to my first Leicester game in 1967,a reserve match in the combination v Arsenal and Bobby scored 2. I could go on forever but I won’t. Rejected Layer terms to join Blackburn, Lancashire.
5 February 2017
Chris The Siteowner
Amusingly jaunty “Outside Football” section on his Wikipedia page owes something, I suspect, to a member of this parish.
5 February 2017
jodrell banksy
Last name is the Hungarian spelling of the German word for ‘black’ – positively korfball!
5 February 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
@ Bobby I recall wee glimpses of the lad on Match of the Day. My memory suggests why do they not give more games? Injuries?
5 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
A Jehovahs witness.
5 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Which reminds me.
On christmas eve, Somebody knocked on my front door, On answering an old couple was standing there, The old lady said to me that brown bread was healthier than white bread then both of them left.
About fifteen minutes later I got another knock at my door, It was the same old couple this time the old man spoke “brown bread is healthier than white bread” and we know this because we are both Hovis Witnesses.
5 February 2017
BOBBY SVARC
@PeterMc: We were well blessed with good forwards, Stringy, Doog, Jimmy Goodfellow, Allan Clarke, Ally Brown etc, etc. Bobby’s chances were few and far between, the same fate befell on others as well, Paul Matthews and Alan Tewley are just two but there’s many more. I suspect the game on MOTD was the very first game on that was broadcast on BBC’s new football programme. It was versus Notts Forest in 1964, City won 3-2. Svarc played in that game, his last of 7 consecutive games that season, his best run for the club, “Bobby off the Saff” was his nickname btw, giving reference to Saffron Lane Estate where Bobby lived, people would say, and still do “He’s off the Saff” Leicester lingo to describe a Saffron Lane dweller.
5 February 2017
THE WARDEN HODGES
Beeb put on clips of the 69 Cup Final and yep Sniffer Clarke (1-0!) and didn’t even know he was in the team. What I did know is that Lineker aged 8 cried all the way home.
5 February 2017
BOBBY SVARC
Clarke was signed from Fulham for a British record fee. Wembley was his shop window, I still hate the ****
5 February 2017
EXXO
Immediately after Leicester, Svarc’s career was meteorically downwards, soon dropping down to part-time level with Boston, but then along comes Jim Smith and Svarc becomes his top scorer, then follows Smith to Layer Road, then to Ewood Park.
The rejecting of the new Layer terms was all down to the Bald Eagle (who of course never fired a man before finishing his Texan Bar).
You don’t get these John McGovern types following the bosses from club to club much these days, but Fat Sam seems to be trying to revive the tradition a bit, the clueless fat prick. I was half expecting him to dig up Kevin Nolan during the transfer window.
5 February 2017
BOBBY SVARC
He did well at Lincoln, Exxo. He was never going to make the grade at the City. We were going to interview him last season but it fell through, I think he’s pencilled in for one in a couple of months.
5 February 2017
Brumbiscuit
‘Black’ in Hungarian is ‘fekete’.
6 February 2017
EXXO
Text on its way, Tony.
6 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
‘Oops!
6 February 2017
Brumbiscuit
Ah, I see what you’re getting at with the German/Hungarian thing now, sorry. The only thing is that the Hungarian pronunciation of ‘Svarc’ would sound like the American pronunciation of ‘Schwartz’, not the German. You would need an accented ‘a’ (not on this keyboard, sadly) to get the long vowel sound. But you probably already knew that…
Exxo, could you point me in the direction of where you managed to get the phonemic alphabet font from, please?
6 February 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Did not get a gob on when overlooked for a knighthood.
8 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
@BB I use phonemicchart.com – just click on each symbol required, copy and paste to here.
There was one of the gang who had phonetics,
And because of that he thought he was better than you…
18 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Oh and for any foreign letters (from other Roman alphabets anyway) I just use ‘insert – symbol’ in word, so that ought to cover yer Magyar, etc.
18 February 2017
Brumbiscuit
tɑ: lɑ:
18 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
@Svarco,Who is the Leicester City player?
It’s been bugging me who it is.
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/eb/33/35/eb33350bd147922443ef35092d491000.jpg
12 September 2017
dr desperate
Brian Alderson?
12 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Thank you Doctor.
Enjoy youself in Bath.
Hope to see you in Holmfirth.
Give my regards to the Queen of quick wit.
12 September 2017
BOBBY SVARC
Yes, Brian Alderson. One of the 12 players that Jimmy Bloomfield ever signed for Leicester in five years. Not one of my favourite players it must be said, coming to the from Coventry (where he was very good) took him a while to win over the fans which he did after a while. He had a bad injury which finished his City career. Died still a young man, 47.
13 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
The picture. is from the cover of the Shoot annual for the start of the 77 season, Leicester winning. 2-1
Bob Lee and Chris Garland the scorers.
United was to play in the F.A Cup final the week after, Losing it to a clearly offside goal.
13 September 2017
EXXO
A clever angled run to take advantage of the fact that Martin Buchan was plodding a pace or two behind his plodding partner. The ball took ages to loop hopefully over the top. I agreed with Jackie Charlton on the ITV commentary and with Coleman’s first impression that he was onside, though also with his prediction that “they’ll complain for years about that”. And what would Clive Thomas know about anything?
13 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
40 years later and I’m still complaining about Stepney’s cap slipping over his eyes preventing him to make the save.
13 September 2017
BOBBY SVARC
It was April 1976, end of season meaningless rubbish. The real deal came earlier in the 5th round at Filbert Street when you took an early 2-0 lead, after that it was all Leicester, we had 3 goals disallowed and Franky or Bob Lee, can’t remember, got one back. My mate, Screwy got kicked out and plotted his revenge in spectacular style on his way back home on the 658 bus. All the United coaches had to pass through our village on the A47 en-route to the A5/M6, pre M69 days, Screwy hid behind a wall with pile of house bricks, he managed to do 4 windows in 2 coaches before 50 United fans ran after him, it was a non event, he could run like the wind and had local knowledge and Escaped, no problem. Coppers were everywhere, dogs the lot. The kids they still talk bout it, in the alleyways around town……..
13 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
“Your mate Snowy is a football hooligan”
14 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Screwy….(soz)
14 September 2017
BOBBY SVARC
Was.
14 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
@Exxo, Talking about Buchan how about this little ditty….
https://youtu.be/loo3busgRHE
14 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
@Bobby, Here’s some clip of the Doc red army.
https://youtu.be/1dbJESW9poA
In respect to your mate Screwy taking them on a few months earlier.
75 pence admission fee, Mad sideys and memories of my youth.
P.S. Leeds fan in the boozer looks like young @Gipton Teenager….
15 September 2017
GIpton teenager
@H-Tat. Was that 1975? I’m afraid I had hair halfway down me back and would be found in one of the bars under the South or North stand at Headingley.
15 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
It was from 1976 Tony.
(2:46) in the boozer is a fella who I think is saying hello mum into the camera reminded me of you for some reason….
15 September 2017
BOBBY SVARC
What you on about?
15 September 2017
EXXO
Ta for the videos there H-tat. The Buchan one made me rue the day I ever penned any football-related doggerel meself (though I did an OK one about Georgie Best once), and the Leeds one is ace cos I see many of those places every day – at 4:06 (shortly after the apparition of Christ himself at 4:00) the view of Beeston Hill is where I walk the dog most days, now wooded etc, with reasonable modern office space available for rent in the foreground too. Most of teh motorway and scrubland skirmishes are taking place within a couple of hundred yards of Mrs Exford’s Holbeck gaff.
18 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Glad you liked them Nigel, Let’s hope I’m well for friday.
18 September 2017
SIDESHOW BOB
Just been for a tom kite and my current reading is the Rothmans football year book 1974-1975 Chester v Colchester November 14th 1973 0-4 (svarc 4) and curiously the attendance was 1,973 !!! which then led me to check who won the Hungarian league, surprisingly it was Ujpest Dozsa for the 6th year running
24 September 2017
SIDESHOW BOB
speaking of tom kite, he looks like hes been seperated at birth with nikki lauda
24 September 2017
EXXO
Mick – for some reason I can’t find any pic’s of the Bilston model when 6Music themes demand they are sent. Interesting fella just been on, Simon someone (2.30 Dec 6th), on with HMHB fan Chris Hawkins, discussing his book on all kinds of models from Dismaland to Queen Mary’s dolls’ houses, so I sent them pic’s of your wonderful Cowsheds (with N&N of course) and your football riot off of your website.
6 December 2018
Bobby Svarc
I’ve lost/binned a lot of pic of Bilston. John will have lots I bet. I’ve found this one which happens to be my favourite, N. Blackwell is convinced that I live with imps and have shrunk Carl. https://ibb.co/rF5Ysq6
7 December 2018
EXXO
Thanks Mick – that is a particularly good angle on your exquisite craftsmanship. I shall send it to Chris Hawkins now, even though it was yesterday’s topic. I am probably going to include the word ‘Fabergesque’ in the email title.
7 December 2018
Bobby Svarc
Cheers Exxo, Thanks. Not really had any recognition of my work by the media apart from a twat from the Leicester Mercury who asked about my Filbert Street “Are you filling it little plastic figures’ and a female reporter from BBC Radio Leicester who is now in prison for performing sex acts with underage boys.
7 December 2018
EXXO
Was out fishing most of yesterday (then when to see Karl’s band) but have just seen that Chris Hawkins got back to me just before his show yesterday, and wrote about the Bilston model pic “OMG this is AMAZING…mate, I’m rushing sorting out Buzzcocks stuff but I’m going to look more closely at this and will get back to you properly!”
So I’ll send him your email address if that’s OK Mick.
8 December 2018
dr desperate
You can give him mine too, Exxo, if he wants to see it himself.
8 December 2018
EXXo
OK.
By the way shall I tell him it’s in a bank vault, or is it just surrounded by those laser beam alarms they have in the movies?
8 December 2018
Bobby Svarc
Yes Exxo, that’s OK. BTW I do like the Birko Christmas tree, it reminds me of Hinckley Rugger Club’s floodlight pylons
8 December 2018
EXXO
OK both, well I’ll send him your email contacts (but maybe not phone numbers, ‘cos he is back on his normal shift 5-7 am now).
I thought at first you were praising Tranmere’s Xmas tree formation there Mick (blabla Bank of Norwood, blablabla kerrching), but thanks for your kind comments about my thought-provoking installation in Birkenhead Precinct (with support from Wirral Chamber of Commerce). I feel perhaps a comment in the Mary Ann Hobbs thread is in order, after all she has done artistically for all us artists in the art world recently.
9 December 2018
Pete
Not sure where to put this but here goes;
I’m having an all-day drinking session next Saturday on the Wirral peninsula and would like to try and cram in as many HMHB sites (as mentioned in their entire back catalogue) as possible but it’s strangely quite difficult to find them all in on spot.
So, folks, has this already been queried and can some kind soul direct me to it? Or can we have a new “thread” to discuss?
Anyway, so far I’ve got:
Woodchurch Lane
Shelldrakes
Frankby
The Black Horse?
The Brown Cow?
Caldy
The 113 (bus)
Rock Ferry
Hit me up, bizzers.
9 December 2018
EXXO
It isn’t something that’s been covered on here in any systematic way I’m afraid. It will be quite tricky to combine the all-day drinking with covering many of the places mentioned in the songs, because a car would be your best bet. The pubs in ‘On the ‘Roids’ are long gone, I’m afraid. Well, The Black Horse is still there as Sheridans, but a visit to their very boring website will show you all you need to know.
The most picturesque song is certainly ‘Baguette Dilemna’. A bus or (quicker) train to West Kirby will give you a 30-minute walk to the Red Rocks, looking all the time over the quicksand of the Dee estuary to Hilbre island, the Point of Ayr (from I Trog), and the cloudbase is generally low on the Clwydian Hills. That gives you six references already. The bus on the way back (if you’re going back to L’pool?) could be interrupted with a 10-minute detour to Royden Park in Frankby, or a half-hour walk to Caldy (which is way too posh for pubs), but there’s not much else on that line till you get back to B’head and the bus goes past Cammell Lairds (blink and you’ll miss it).
I know all the places, but because I/we don’t really know you from gigs I can’t really make too many more suggestions, for lots of reasons, but I’ll try to provide constructive comment on any itinerary you come up with.
And you’ll find the 113 bus somewhere in deepest Shropshire (which is where ‘Little in the Way of Sunshine’ seems to be set, i.e. Duff Leg Bryn territory).
I
9 December 2018
Pete
That’s fairly comprehensive. Cheers, Exxo. 🙂
10 December 2018
cream cheese and chives
@Bobby Svarc I mentioned your band models on Twitter and various people are expressing dutiful amazement. Is there a site with all your work on that I can direct them to so that they can make you an ether celebrity?
12 June 2020
BOBBY SVARC
http://www.modelstadia.co.uk
12 June 2020
Cream CHEESE AND chives
@ Bobby Svarc. Thanks. The lad on Twitter is called el bimbo.
13 June 2020
BOBBY SVARC
Don’t go on Twitter, haven’t got a clue how to use it
13 June 2020
cream cheese and chives
@Bobby Svarc I am far from accomplished. Tails on donkeys and barndoors and banjos spring to mind but there were some rightly impressed punters at your gig model. el bimbo paints miniature models of Scallies in 80s football clothing. Amusing and entertaining.
14 June 2020
BOBBY SVARC
I’ve been on el bimbo/// twitter site but all I can see are loads of model retro 1980’s casuals
15 June 2020
EXXO
I’m gonna ask him if he’ll make me a travelling army of synthetic Wrexham. Everyone’s new favourite mob.
15 June 2020
Cream CHEESE AND chives
I saw your mate had been on. There were a few nice comments about your model by people who followed el bimbo. Perhaps ether celebrity status will have to wait.
16 June 2020
hendrix-tattoo
Happy Birthday Micky….
https://youtu.be/6t1vaF50Ks0
26 June 2020
WARDEN HODGES
Happy Birthday Mick. Here’s to swimming with bow legged women…
26 June 2020
BOBBY SVARC
Tis a bummer, We’ll meet again.
26 June 2020