Read 3 minutes14 Jun 2026 01:45 PM IST
‘Crazy’ Kevin Beresford, 74, a Birmingham businessman and self-proclaimed ‘dull man’, John McGinn, a well-loved figure at Aston Villa, had stockpiled merchandise.
Commemorating the Tartan Army’s arrival in Boston before the Haiti FIFA World Cup game, they inaugurated their merchandise coaster. Then, metal print plates. Inspired by a humorous advertisement featuring Susan Boyle and McGinn, and by McGinn’s clownish personality and his famous back gang, he created a whole range of merchandise highlighted after McGinn saved their campaign in a 1–0 win against Haiti.
Birmingham Live explains why the business came to be.
Crazy Kevin said it was because Scotland “doesn’t get there very often”.
“You see the same stuff every year and I wanted to do something different because to be honest, Scotland’s not always in the World Cup.
For Wacky Kevin, his first love is Aston Villa. “I like to see all countries do well although I know it hasn’t changed completely. First and foremost I’m an Aston Villa fan and John McGinn is a talisman for us as well as his country. I think he’s every Villa fan’s favorite player and probably Scotland’s as well,” he explained.
Birmingham Live would later quote him as saying, “He’s known to the fans as the Brewers and the way he uses his backside to hold off and spin players is really unorthodox. He uses his flashy performance with amazing success. He stands in a crouching position almost horizontally and just has this Greek dynamic, which is the Greek dynamic.”
The merchandise maker described McGinn as a clown who has been open about how he uses his backside. “So I think he’ll find it pretty funny,” he said.
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McGinn has previously admitted his career was boosted in 2022 in an interview after Scotland beat Ukraine. “If I didn’t have a backside, I’d probably be at Yeovil. I don’t think anyone has a backside better than me. The boys laugh about it. Get away from me and all that. But if you can use it before you score or help your team in a duel, then it’s all to the good.”
McGinn’s words were not taken kindly to by the impassive Yeovil, dragged into his humor by a town in Somerset. The National League trolled him back.
He tweeted: “Want a trip to Heush Park in late November or December John? Don’t think you’ll be too busy…”
Hush Park is their home ground. November–December marked Scotland’s failure to qualify for Qatar 2022, losing 3–1 in a playoff to Ukraine.
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Now that Scotland is back in the cup and McGinn has won, the story has come full circle.