ABERDEEN FOOTBALL CLUB – The Dons – won the Scottish League Cup last Sunday (16th March 2014). They beat Inverness Celtic 4 – 2 on penalties after extra time. Now we don’t follow Scottish football often on the Hedon Blog, but this match was brought to our attention for two reasons:
1. Since Sunday the Dons fans have spearheaded a campaign to get the Human League 1980’s hit record ‘Don’t you want me’ to number one in the charts – they’ve famously changed the catchy-chorus lyrics in honour of their midfield player to “Peter Pawlett Baby!”.
With the help of a Facebook and Twitter campaign, they’ve amazingly pushed up sales of the record on iTunes to currently reach the top ten in the charts! And it could even reach the number one spot!
2. Peter Pawlett (23) actually missed the game through an injury received in training. But the thing about Peter that interests us is this – he lived in Hedon until the age of 8 before moving to Aberdeenshire and went to Inmans Primary School. He still has family living in Hedon and apparently grew up supporting Hull City! Peter played his debut game as a substitute for Aberdeen in 2009.
This Hedon lad was carried shoulder-high by other Aberdeen players following the Celtic Park final on Sunday whilst 40,000 fans sung a deafening version of “Peter Pawlett Baby!” in his and the Club’s honour (See Aberdeen FC’s YouTube clip). Nightclubs in Aberdeen have been playing the song relentlessly by popular request, with club-goers singing our local lad’s name!
All together now, Hedon…. “Peter Pawlett Baby!”…. Oh oh oh oh! – and buy that record!
Got to No 19 in the official UK Singles Chart. And the Aberdeen Evening Express says that the song was the most bought single in Scotland last week!
Peter’s Uncle is Richard Ingram who still lives in Hedon. Our correspondent Malc Ripley is likely to know Richard as he a local cricketer having played for South Holderness and Hull Cricket Clubs. Peter’s cousins Luke (13) and Adam (9) also play sports. Luke plays cricket but also football for Hedon Rangers, and Adam is also a footballer having won a ‘man-of-the-match’ title recently.
But there’s more sporting success associated with the family. Kathy Martin, Richard’s Mother-in-law writes: “Richard’s mum, Margaret was a champion table tennis player in her youth and his dad (no longer with us) played rugby for Hull KR in his day. Seems that sporting talent runs in Richard’s side of the family. I am Sallie (Richards’s wife’s) mum and you will note…there is no mention of sporting prowess coming from my direction but her father Martyn L Smith (no longer with us) a farmer and auctioneer from Thorngumbald was massively into his sport too.”
For those desperate to join in the singing, but like me only know the chorus, here are the words leading up to the first chorus of this 1981 classic:
You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up
And turned you around
Turned you into someone new
Now five years later on you’ve got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don’t forget it’s me who put you where you are now
And I can put you back down too.
Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me
Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me
It’s much too late to find
When you think you’ve changed your mind
You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry
Don’t you want me, baby?Substitute: Peter Pawlett, baby!Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby?Substitute: Peter Pawlett, baby!Don’t you want me? Oh!
The Human League. Songwriters: Philip Oakey, Philip Adrian Wright, Jo Callis.
And nice to see the Hull Mail pick up on the story too: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Peter-Pawlett-Baby-Human-League-s-Don-t-Want/story-20838549-detail/story.html
Many thanks to Kathy Martin for the ‘heads-up’ news on this Hedon link with Peter Pawlett.