EX-RUC SPECIAL BRANCH HANDLER Tells His Story | Informers, IRA & M*rder | William Matchett

William Matchett is an ex-RUC officer who spent years working in the secretive and murky world of informants and agents during his time in Special Branch while “the troubles” raged on.
William shares with us his motivations for joining the RUC during such dangerous times, the techniques they utilized to recruit informants, death threats he’s received over the years and his encounters with the notorious South Armagh unit of the IRA.
We discussed paramilitaries who have committed m*rders and terror attacks while simultaneously working as an RUC Special Branch agent, the subject of collusion between RUC and Loyalist paramilitaries as well as policing a post-Good Friday Agreement state.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing up, seeing Catholic family petrol-b*mbed out of their house
08:20 JOINING THE RUC- policing in South Armagh
22:50 Negative view of the RUC & Threats on William’s life
36:00 SPECIAL BRANCH
52:30 Martin McGartland, Ken Barret, Mark Haddock, William Stobie
1:16:00 MEETING WITH INFORMANTS
1:27:05 THE NUTTING SQUAD
1:30:45 UVF/UDA
1:35:55 RUC interrogation
1:44:25 Post-GFA Northern Ireland
1:52:40 What should the RUC done differently throughout the conflict
PLEASE EMAIL ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS (if you're reading this and were involved in paramilitary activity please give me a shout if you would like to tell your story, even anonymously to [e-mail])
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[@Lottiesbedtime]

This Chanel is up there with the best if not the best…. Every single episode bang on the money without any bias opinion. Amazing work

[@user-bn7ws2gi2j]

11

[@mentalmook206]

💯

[@SarahHerron-f6z]

Underplays the brutal interrogation that young lads from my area went through, against their human rights.. brutal!!!!

[@MR-mc6rj]

What did they think was going to happen ?? The Brits would give them a kiss & a cuddle. When the Provos interrogated people were they kind ?? Brutality bred brutality. I'm not excusing it, it's just reality.

[@990drifter]

I'm around the same age as William and his explanation of growing up is spot on. I lived in a very much mixed community and like William when my best friend and I started school, for the very same reasons had to go our separate ways. As catholics the family, who we still keep in touch with today, some 50yrs earlier, had felt under so much pressure, left and moved to Canada. I was witness as a child to break down of the IRA ceasefire on 9th July 1972 and the beginning of the "Battle of Lenadoon". I also followed a similar path as William, but through the military and spent similar times in Newtownhamilton amongst others, probably rubbing shoulders with him, unknowingly. When I joined in 1981, I never thought for a minute that experience would have lasting into the new decade, but so thankful now that my children and grandchildren will never experience this. I too, like William was fortunate enough never to have fired a shot in anger, and as he said, very long periods of relative boredom. Great interview, great series.

[@liamg1706]

Hard to make head nor tail of that story

[@PedroLeodis]

@@liamg1706 Dude.

[@WalterWhite-zs1zn]

@@liamg1706go to school

[@liamg1706]

@@WalterWhite-zs1zn ok

[@rasputin5746]

How do Irish republicans feel about Sinn Feins open borders, pro mass immigration stance? Its a little nonsensical , to fight a ferocious struggle for a sovereign nation only to hand it over to globalism. I wonder how the old timers in the republican movement feel about Sinn Fein nowadays.

[@tommyoconnor1224]

Agree with you 100%, we're all in the same boat now, no matter what side of the divide we are on!!!

[@Patrick-gf5xg]

I'll never vote for them again. Going to the coronation? Brit boot lockers.

[@davidnorden1972]

Exactly. I've commented on this elsewhere. What was the point of the hundreds of years of intermittent armed struggle, only to allow yourself to be ethnically replaced with the cooperation of Sinn Fein and the Irish Government.

[@dennishbergkamp]

@@davidnorden1972 I live in a town in the Northwest. It's like the Streets of Philadelphia music video every time I go outside. I do my daily walk out of the town centre, past the bridge, and through a nice forested area. Every day if I pass 50 people about 5 or 6 aren't black or Muslim. Feels like I'm in a foreign country in my own country.

[@deanlockwood6071]

Deserves more subs, always great guests.

[@RosannaKerr-rt1gk]

Was looking forward to this one all week! Even popped off early from watching the France v Portugal match! Thank you, your podcasts are the “go to” for Irish history. Love it! Thank you from Anna in Belfast! Ps please get Toby harden on your podcast, bandit country is the best book

[@l1854]

Brilliant read.

[@marcthompson3390]

Another wonderful watch!! Love your channel, can't recommend it highly enough!! The book "SECRET VICTORY" by William Matchett is also a wonderful read. Thanks for another brilliant podcast..

[@stuffthings3728]

It's was the murders in Derry that started it all. My father was a civil rights activists. His live was threatened numerous times.

[@owenhiggins8781]

Great content as always bud 👍

[@caseyaylward8853]

Another great interview. Keep em coming

[@gelconnolly7216]

Love the school story, I had the same thing in Glasgow as a young child.

[@markhayler2754]

Excellent interviews with excellent witnesses to events in the not too distant past. Looking ahead time wise they will be an invaluable source for those studying the history and events. As a retired SB Officer myself, albeit on the mainland, I recognize much of what this witness talks about. I have nothing but the highest regard and respect for the RUC guys who were under constant threat of discovery. I got to know some of them well. Our host on this show is amazing with his style of questioning to bring out the topics discussed.

[@melissabyrne8749]

Thanks for sharing

[@bernarddeery]

Fair play to you William a bit of levity and truth that we had ignorance on both sides to history ! We had a chuckle at the realism of being a cop in that you never fired a shot in anger ! But on a serious note chatting to ex branch and RUC guys I know , they seen the absolute madness on both sides and became immune to taking any side ! But nice decent gentleman who was among the decent people ! God bless you William

[@Lottiesbedtime]

To everyone who reads this comment, I think we should all share the link to the channel, there’s absolutely no way that the subscription should be so low especially looking at some of the content of other channels. All the hard work and dedication from @thegoodlisternerpodcast should be rewarded for such an amazing job he’s doing. Outstanding

[@markrgc5377]

Brilliant interview

[@dowdallerno1]

William comes across well. However, I would be still very sceptical about the activities of Ruc special branch.

[@Patrick-gf5xg]

Brilliant interview.

[@henrylawson938]

Once a policeman never a man.

[@MrMollypockets]

Just to give you an idea of the Ruc, back in 1986 I was 14 years old and I was hit by an ordinary car as I was crossing a road in Derry. It was my fault, I didn't see the car coming. I was in total shock, lying on the road till an ambulance man brought me back to reality. Just so happened, the driver was an RUC man coming from Belfast on official business and making his way to "Fort George" which was the major British army base in Derry and only a short distance down the road I was lying on.He thought this was an "IRA hit" , he thought it was staged.I spent a week in hospital with serious injuries. If ,in his wildest dreams, it was a "hit" it would have been the first of its kind here and it would have been classed as a suicide attack by a 14 year old boy (IRA boy),,,,He got out of his car, looked at me and then ran off down the road. The RUC interviewed me in my hospital bed and officially charged me with "J Walking" and told me to appear at their station in two weeks time. I will never forget it, they agreed to drop the charge to just a warning if I promised to "never pull a stunt like that again",,,,,,Even as a 14 year old I thought it was crazy the way they behaved.

[@Dhhhhj27]

I wonder how many did he beat a confession out of knowing they were innocent?

[@speedster2464]

There is no offence of J walking in the UK, good try!

[@matthewbarry376]

​@@speedster2464that's the point

[@RobBarr-qj8bi]

Is that right aye

[@Lifeofriley41]

J walking has never been a crime in the UK but it is a crime in the US nice try Walter mitty 😂😂😂😂

[@melissabyrne8749]

Just my luck to start watch at 1.30😂

[@dalroache]

Film called 50 dead men walking great film about I formed I think it's loosely based on a true story I watched it on prime video etc...great 👍 interview stay blessed people

[@dowdallerno1]

@@dalroache it's based on Martin mcGartland, he does an interview with another podcast. You can make your own mind up about him.

[@matthewmcgraw5541]

@@dowdallerno1 got a link? or who it was with? TY

[@dowdallerno1]

@@matthewmcgraw5541 Trish Devlin is the journalist. She does a podcast.

[@belfastpunk2]

Marty mc gartland hooding rat i warned ra about

[@therealpaddy4687]

This is going to be good Don't miss this if you're interested in Irish boarder history.

[@colmmurphy6749]

I’m glad this man seems to know his history! That’s a big plus in my books. He also seems genuinely a nice guy!

[@barneymagee3285]

No such thing as a ‘Protestant school’….. there are state schools, officially for all , And there are schools that are controlled by the Roman Catholic Church ,( and funded by first, the Northern Ireland government , and later by the British government).

[@barneymagee3285]

Apologies for nit picking….!

[@user-mf1xc3zb2t]

Another version of the truth. Whats not being said?

[@Alif-dg6oz]

The british government and the ruc played both sides of the troubles. When deployed we regularly seen plain clothes from certain areas of police military and government in areas of conflict (as they labelled them) talking with people you would think they should not be talking to. Greatest pleasure I had was seeing a certain Paisley face down in the dirt beetroot in the face screaming do you know who I am, apparently we were in more trouble than we could handle. Still waiting on a reprimand or glass house the irate litrle man promised

[@eaomonn1215]

😊

[@luckylivingfree6273]

We haven’t gone away you know

[@tommy-0791]

( the good listener ) no disrespect to you young man, these RUC men are playing you like a fiddle. This sectarian police force was up to its knees. They all sing from the same hymn book. Enjoy trying getting any truth/information from them. Remember " say nothing" Good luck 👍

[@MrLorenzovanmatterho]

The RUC as a whole are heroes to a man but SB are the best of the best, bless them all.

[@dowdallerno1]

@@MrLorenzovanmatterho cool story bro👌👍🙄🤔

[@Loren_Vosser]

Lol keep telling yourself that they're a bunch of scumbags

[@TheNinyo77]

Which area of the war ,put these RUC animals into the hero bracket ??? The first child and first serving soldier where shot dead by the RUC in divis flats in 1969 !! THEY fired the first shots . The glenanne gang was nearly totally RUC members.