Tributes paid for Blue Angels founder Lenny Reynolds

Lenny Reynolds was a founder member of Glasgow's Blue Angels <i>(Image: Freelance)</i>
Lenny Reynolds was a founder member of Glasgow's Blue Angels (Image: Freelance)
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Tributes have been paid following the death of a founder member of the oldest 'outlaw' biker club in Europe.

The family of Lenny 'The Lion' Reynolds announced his death at the age of 80 on social media.

Reynolds was a former president of the Blue Angels Motorcycle Club, whose name is thought to stand for “b*******, lunatics, undesirables and eccentrics'. Others have speculated that it came from the colour of the Scottish flag.

It was formed in Maryhill in 1963 by Allan Morrison and Billy "Stone" Gordon and had chapters, or groups, in Scotland, England, Belgium and Spain.

The Blue Angels emerged from Glasgow's gang culture, which saw various groups fighting over control of the city's rackets.

They began associating with motorcycle clubs in England during the 1970s, forming an alliance with the Road Rats of London.

Lenny Reynolds (Image: Social media)

Scotland remains one of the few countries in Europe without a Hells Angels chapter.

In a 2007 interview, Reynolds stated: "We're proud of the fact that there isn't an American influence in Scotland.

"We fought the Hells Angels in the 1970s which is why they don't have a chapter here."

In the same interview he said: "Violence is a pillar of our lifestyle. If you f*** with one of us, you f*** with 50 of us.”

His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 17 at 10am at Alex Black Funeral Care in Bikers are expected to gather at his home in Dennistoun to accompany the cortege.

Members of Scotland's biking gangs posted tributes on social media including Alec Donnelly, of Full Armour MM, who wrote: "Rest in peace... loads of great memories growing up around you and being a young boy wouldn’t change one bit of any of the education I got.

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"Hope all the old cartel are still feeling young at heart."

Ronnie MacKay posted: "So sad. If it wasn't for people like him, there wouldn't be people like us."

Some of the gang’s 200 members were pallbearers at the 2014 funeral of notorious XYY gang boss Walter Norval, 85.

The Blue Angels' colours originally consisted of the clubs' insignia — a winged skull wearing a Stahlhelm (German for steel helmet) and the words "Blue Angels" in Gothic script along with "1%" patches, embroidered onto blue denim jackets.

The term "one-percenter" is a reference to an alleged comment by the American Motorcycle Association that 99% of motorcyclists are decent and law-abiding, while 1% are not.

The Blue Angels' insignia was legally protected in 1997.

In September 1964, a mass brawl involving hundreds of gang members in Glasgow city centre resulted in a Blue Angel being sentenced to life in prison.

Prospective Blue Angels members must be nominated by two members of the club and can be voted into the club by other members after serving a period of time as a "prospect".

Allan Morrison passed away on January 29, 2020, at the age of 77.

His funeral in Glasgow, on February 15, 2020, was attended by about 400 bikers from different parts of Europe.

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