Football chant - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

"Football Song" redirects here. For the song by Chumbawamba, see the Tubthumper album.

A football chant or terrace chant, is a song or chant sung at association football matches. They can be historic, dating back to the formation of the club, adaptations of popular songs, or spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch. They are one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk song tradition in the United Kingdom. Traditions vary from country to country and from team to team, but they are generally used either to encourage the home team or slight the opposition. Not only do fans sings songs to directly slight the opposition they are playing that day, many teams sing songs about their club rivals

Sports rivalry

A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...

, even if they are not playing them.

In Malta

The official Valletta Football Club anthem, 'Forza Valletta City' is said to have been the first such anthem in Europe. Composed and written by two of Valletta's staunchest supporters Carm Xerri & William Arena.

On 6 July 1974, under the Anthony D'Amato record label 'Forza Valletta City' was released in our record shops as a 7-inch, 45 rpm vinyl record sung by the City Minstrels, comprising: Orchestra Xercarm and his friends; Trumpets - Paul Bonnici, Joseph Azzopardi and Carmel Busuttil; Saxophones - Vinny Vella, Turu Pace, Oscar Lucas, Freddie Mizzi and Saviour Magro; Rhythm - Spiro Zammit (piano), Dominic Vella (bass) and Sunny Vella (drums); Trombones - Clement Sciberras and Tony Zammit.

Music by Carm Xerri, Lyrics by William Arena

In Australia

The tune of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus is used primarily in Australia for "You're a wanker! You're a wanker!", aimed at controversial players by opposing fans. Sydney FC

Sydney FC

Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

fans routinely sing an altered version of The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' popular song Hey Jude

Hey Jude

"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...

, adding the word Sydney in during the chorus. Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....

fans often sing a version of the main riff of Seven Nation Army

Seven Nation Army

"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...

after scoring a goal.

The fans of A-League based side Wellington Phoenix, chant a slower and shortened version of Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

's Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire (song)

"Ring of Fire" or "The Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash...

, in reference to the stadium in which they play, Westpac Stadium, which is nicknamed 'The Ring of Fire'. As the club is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

side competing against Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n teams, fans of the Phoenix often chant 'Same old Aussies, always cheating!' when an opposing player commits a foul. Also popular with the Phoenix fans is the chant "You're going home in a Qantas Aeroplane" since this is the preferred airline of all the Australian based teams in the A-League. Perth Glory fans sing to the chant of Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, when the Glory score a goal. Melbourne Heart fans sing an altered version of Snoop Doggs "Drop it like it's hot".

Also in Australia when a referee makes a call the fans of the penalised team will generally start the slowly chant "Bullshit! Bullshit!" at the referee decision.

In Italy

A common Italian chant is the hymm to "Seven Nation Army

Seven Nation Army

" by The White Stripes

The White Stripes

The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...

first used by FC Bruges fans from Belgium and later used by Italian AS Roma fans. Oh Oh-oh-oh-oh Oh... Oh. (and repeated several times.) In Italian football, it is also common to sing the home team (or supporting team's) name followed by a closing words or sounds. For example, Juventus fans would chant: JUVE JUVE HAAAA while Inter fans sing the chorus to "Pazza Inter" by singing AMALA, PAZZA INTER, AMALA. This chant is also used by Melbourne Victory fans in Australia, the chant is used after a goal is scored.

In the United Kingdom

British football

Football in the United Kingdom

Football in the United Kingdom is organised on a separate basis in each of the four countries of the United Kingdom, with each having a national football association responsible for the overall management of football within their respective country. There is no United Kingdom national football team...

has a wide range of chants; some are specific to certain clubs, whilst others are used by almost all fans. The tunes, and sometimes the words, are often based on well-known songs.

Chants based on hymns and folk songs

Several football chants are based on hymn

Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...

s, with "Cwm Rhondda

Cwm Rhondda

Cwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes and first performed in 1907. It is often erroneously called Bread of Heaven and is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams's text Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah , originally...

" (also known as "Guide me, O thou great redeemer") being one of the most popular tunes to copy. Amongst others, it has spawned the songs "Can we play you every week?", sung at opposition teams, usually a team currently performing poorly or "You're not singing anymore!".

There have been various adaptations of "When The Saints Go Marching In

When The Saints Go Marching In (sport)

"When the Saints Go Marching In" is used by a number of teams in various sports. It may be used as the team's theme song or reserved for when they score. It may be used with the standard lyrics, specialized lyrics, or no lyrics at all....

". Sung originally and mostly by Southampton FC fans due to their nickname being the 'Saints'. They are one of the few teams that don't change the lyrics.

The tune to the Shaker song "Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts

"Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett.It has endured many inaccurate descriptions. Though often classified as an anonymous Shaker hymn or as a work song, it is better classified as a dance song.-Lyrics:...

" has spawned many terrace chants including "Carefree

Carefree (chant)

"Carefree" is a football chant, sung by followers of the Chelsea football club, mainly at away games, and meant to demonstrate indifference and possibly belligerence when in an alien, hostile environment. The original tune is "Lord of the Dance".-Lyrics:...

", a chant associated with Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

and "Drink, Drink" sung by fans of Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

. It was also used the tune for a Tottenham song racially abusing Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell

Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...

after his move to Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

in 2001 and for a popular chant sung by Manchester United fans in honour of Park Ji-Sung

Park Ji-Sung

Park Ji-Sung is a South Korean footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Manchester United. He was also the captain of the South Korean national team until his retirement from international football...

, which was described by journalist Barry Glendenning

Barry Glendenning

Barry Glendenning is an Irish sports journalist who currently holds the position of deputy sports editor on the Guardian Unlimited website run by the UK newspaper The Guardian. He is perhaps best known for his work on Guardian Unlimited's football podcast Football Weekly hosted by James Richardson...

as "the greatest football chant of all time as it manages to be simultaneously endearing and offensive on a number of levels".

The spiritual "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional American spiritual. It was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New, in 1927. In 1933, it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina...

" is also popular, such as "He's got a pineapple on his head" aimed at Jason Lee

Jason Lee (footballer)

Jason Lee is an English footballer who plays as a forward for Boston United. He is currently also the club's joint manager.He has previously played in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest...

due to his distinctive hairstyle.

Various teams have used the chant "Glory Glory" (followed by "Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

", "Leeds United", "Man United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

", etc), to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War...

". Hibernian were the first team to popularise the song with the release of a record by Hector Nicol

Hector Nicol

Hector Nicol was a Scottish comedian, singer and actor, who was born in Paisley, Scotland.-Acting career:Nicol starred in few shows during his career. His most notable role was that of a dying gangster in the BBC Television series, Just a Boys' Game and also in A Sense of Freedom...

in the 1950s ("Glory Glory to the Hibees").

"We shall not be moved" was originally sang by Everton FC, but now it is sang by most English clubs.

"My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

"My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" is a traditional Scottish folk songwhich remains popular in Western culture.-History:The origin of the song is unknown, though it is often suggested that the subject of the song may be...

" has been re-worked by several clubs to slight the club's closets rivals, for example: "If I had the wings of an Eagle, if I had the arse of a crow, I'd fly over (close rival of the club's fans) and shit on the bastards below..." whilst the children's song "Ten Green Bottles

Ten Green Bottles

Ten Green Bottles is a song for children that is popular in the United Kingdom. In essence the song is a single verse repeated, each time with one bottle fewer:...

" became "Ten German Bombers

Ten German Bombers

Ten German Bombers was originally a song sung by English school children during World War II. It uses the same tune as 'She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain' though its verse and chorus follow the format of the song 'Ten Green Bottles' however since 2000 has been a song commonly sung by football...

", to the tune of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

"She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" is an American folk song often categorized as children's music. It is a derivation of a Negro spiritual known as "When the Chariot Comes"....

)," both songs used by English fans to their main rivals, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Chants based on advertising jingles, nursery rhymes & theme tunes

Football crowds also adapt tunes such as advertising jingles, nursery rhymes and theme tunes. "The Farmer in the Dell

The Farmer in the Dell

"The Farmer in the Dell" is a singing game, nursery rhyme and children's song. It probably originated in Germany, and was brought to North America by immigrants. From there it spread to many other nations and is popular in a number of languages. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of...

" known in some regions as 'The Farmer Wants A Wife', provides the famous chant of "Ee Aye Addio

Ee Aye Addio

A traditional British celebratory football crowd song.The usual format is::"We've won the cup, we've won the cup, ee aye addio, we've won the cup".Variations are often made up on the spur of the moment....

", a tune which also provides the first bars of the 1946 be-bop jazz classic "Now's The Time", by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker

Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....

. The marching tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home

When Johnny Comes Marching Home

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is a popular song of the American Civil War that expressed people's longing for the return of their friends and relatives who were fighting in the war.-Origins:...

" is also used a basis for songs, such as "His Armband Said He Was a Red", sung by Liverpool fans in honour of Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres

Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....

while he was still at the club.

In 1984 a section of Hibernian hooligan fans, the Capital City Service

Capital City Service

The Capital City Service is a Scottish football hooligan firm associated with Hibernian and active from 1984 when the casual hooligan subculture took off in Scotland. Their roots were in the previous incarnations of hooligans attached to the club and also the wider Edinburgh and surrounding areas...

, in response to an increasing amount of undercover police attention given to them adapted a jingle from a TSB advert that had appeared in the same year . The main tagline of the banks campaign at the time was the lyrics TSB, The bank that likes to say, YES! which was resung as CID, the wanks that like to say, YOU'RE NICKED!.
A few years later the same group of fans latched onto a Wimpy ad that used the Drifters song "Come on over to my place".

The theme tune to Heartbeat, a police drama series set in the 1960s, has been adapted by Wigan and Liverpool fans to describe current wingers Victor Moses

Victor Moses

Victor Moses is a footballer who plays for Wigan Athletic. Moses can play in a variety of positions, but in the first-team games he has taken part in so far, Moses has mostly played as a left winger...

and Maxi Rodriguez.

There have been instances when the lyrics of terrace chants have replaced in the public consciousness the original lyrics of the song. Notably, the phrase "Nice One Cyril", a tribute to Spurs hero Cyril Knowles

Cyril Knowles

Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...

, was adopted for a commercial for white bread. The chant itself seems to have been based on the tune of the playground rhyme "I've Got Sixpence (jolly jolly sixpence)".

Chants based on pop songs

Several football chants are based on pop songs

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

. "Go West

Go West (song)

"Go West" is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. The song eventually found greater success when it was covered in 1993 by the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Village People version:...

" by the Village People

Village People

Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....

is one of the most popular. Its tune has been used notably for "One-nil to the Arsenal

Arsenal

An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...

", "Stand Up", "No Noise From the Pasta Boys" and "Go West Bromwich Albion". "Hi Ho Silver Lining

Hi Ho Silver Lining

"Hi Ho Silver Lining" is a rock song, written by American songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by The Attack, followed a few days later by Jeff Beck. Because the Beck version charted first, the song is most often associated with him...

" has been adapted by several clubs, firstly by Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

and then later on Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

.

To honour specific individuals, the tune to "Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland

"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...

" and the chorus of "Oops Upside Your Head

Oops Upside Your Head

"I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance ", , is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band and released off their fourth album, The Gap Band II....

" are popular. For example, the former was sung by Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

fans about Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

, the latter altered for Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...

, Paul McGrath

Paul McGrath (footballer)

Paul McGrath is a retired Irish footballer, who played as a defender. McGrath is widely recognised as one of the greatest players to have ever come out of Ireland....

and Georgios Samaras

Georgios Samaras

Georgios Samaras is a Greek footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Greek national football team. He is predominantly a left winger but can also play as a striker....

.

The tune from "Tom Hark" by The Piranhas

The Piranhas

The Piranhas were a ska-influenced punk band from Brighton.- Career :They were formed in 1977, and were originally part of the Brighton punk scene, first coming to prominence when DJ John Peel started playing their single "I Don't Want My Body" on his BBC Radio 1 programme, but achieved their...

, which is played at many stadiums following a goal by the home team, is used for "Premier League, You're Havin' A Laugh". The tune for the Band Aid

Band Aid (band)

Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...

song "Do They Know It's Christmas?

Do They Know It's Christmas?

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....

" forms the basis for the "Feed the Scousers" chant often sung against the supporters of Merseyside

Merseyside

Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

clubs (predominantly Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

) during the Christmas period. Numerous chants are based upon "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" by Pigbag

Pigbag

-Origin and formation:Pigbag were formed in Cheltenham in late 1980 by Chris Hamlin, a fashion student at Cheltenham Art College. Hamlin recruited multi-instrumentalist Roger Freeman, an old friend from his hometown of Birmingham, along with Chris Lee on trumpet and James Johnstone, a guitarist,...

, notably by Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough F.C.

Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

and Queens Park Rangers but also by many other clubs, often by incorporating the name of a player into the tune of the song.

"Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire (song)

" by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

is used in several chants, having started by Shamrock Rovers ,whilst "This Is How It Feels

This Is How It Feels

"This Is How It Feels" was a 1990 single by the Inspiral Carpets. It was their first single in the Top 40, where it reached number 14 in the UK....

" by Inspiral Carpets

Inspiral Carpets

Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...

has been used by fans of Oldham Athletic and Manchester United, the latter being a dig at their rivals from across the city Manchester City.

Another song, originating when Bobby Zamora

Bobby Zamora

Robert Lester "Bobby" Zamora is an English footballer who plays for Fulham and the England national football team. Zamora began his career at Football League club Bristol Rovers, but was soon signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found first team success...

was at Brighton adapted the song "That's Amore

That's Amore

"That's Amore" is a 1952 song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Jack Brooks. It became a major hit, signature song for Dean Martin in 1953. Amore means "love" in Italian....

" by Dean Martin

Dean Martin

Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...

. Zamora's current club, Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

sing his name in a variation of "Seven Nation Army

Seven Nation Army

" by The White Stripes

The White Stripes

.

"Three Lions

Three Lions

"Three Lions" is a song released in 1996, the official anthem of the England football team for that year's European Championships, held in England...

", the official England anthem for Euro '96, is the inspiration for "We're Going Up", sung by supporters who believe their team are going to be promoted

Promotion and relegation

In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

and has been adapted in the 08/09 season to be directed at Rafael Benítez

Rafael Benítez

Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....

as "He's Cracking Up" after his famous outburst against Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

. Leeds United fans used an adaption of KC and the Sunshine Band's hit "Give It Up". From 2005 to 2007, Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

fans would sing the song in honour of Jobi McAnuff

Jobi McAnuff

Joel Joshua Frederick Dave "Jobi" McAnuff is a professional footballer who plays for and captains Reading F.C.. He is a midfielder and has played for Jamaica.-Early career:...

.

In 1998, when Graham Rix

Graham Rix

Graham Cyril Rix is an English former football player and coach. He was fired by Heart of Midlothian in March 2006, which was his most recent role in professional football...

was convicted of having sexual intercourse with an underage girl, football fans came with the chant "If you tolerate Rix, then your children will be next" to the tune of the Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...

song "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, with lyrics written by Nicky Wire , and music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore...

".

"I Came, I Saw, I Conga'd" performed by Nat Gonella And His New Georgians

Nat Gonella

Nathaniel Charles Gonella was an English jazz trumpeter, bandleader, vocalist and mellophonist born in London, perhaps most notable for his work with the big band he founded, The Georgians....

has been used for "Let's Go Fucking Mental" or "Let's All Have A Disco", amongst others. Other chants based on pop songs include "Re-Rewind

Re-Rewind

"Re-Rewind " is a song by The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David on vocals. Released in the UK in 1999 and reaching No.2, it was David's first chart success and is also considered by many to be the point when the Garage genre had crossed into the mainstream.-Background:The melody in the verses was...

" by The Artful Dodger

The Artful Dodger

Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that respect. As a result he has become the leader of the gang of child criminals, trained by the elderly Fagin...

for Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...

, "Chim Chim Cher-ee

Chim Chim Cher-ee

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" is a song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical motion picture. It was originally sung by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. "Chim Chim Cher-ee" is also featured prominently in the award winning Cameron Mackintosh/Disney stage musical of the same name which premiered in London at...

" for Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...

and "All You Need Is Love

All You Need Is Love

"All You Need Is Love" is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first performed by The Beatles on Our World, the first live global television link. Watched by 400 million in 26 countries, the programme was broadcast via satellite on 25 June 1967...

" by The Beatles

The Beatles

for Ian Rush

Ian Rush

Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...

and Damien Duff

Damien Duff

Damien Anthony Duff is an Irish footballer who plays for Premier League team Fulham and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he has participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012...

. Various chants have also been based on "Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Can't Take My Eyes off You

"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...

" by Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...

Chants based on other songs

Aside from hymns and pop songs, there are several other songs from which football chants have taken the tune and/or words. The tune of "Camptown Races

Camptown Races

Gwine to Run All Night, or De Camptown Races is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster . It was probably composed in Cincinnati in 1849, according to Richard Jackson, and published by F. D. Benteen of Baltimore, Maryland, in February 1850...

" is used for "Two World Wars, One World Cup

Two World Wars, One World Cup

Two World Wars and One World Cup is a football song sung by supporters of the English National Team to the tune of Camptown Races. It is directed at German fans, making reference to the world wars - the First and Second - that were fought in the 20th century, and how England defeated West Germany...

".

"Knees Up Mother Brown

Knees Up Mother Brown

"Knees Up Mother Brown" is a song, published in 1938, by when it had already been known for some years. It dates to at least 1918 and appears to have been sung widely in London on 11 November of that year, Armistice Night, at the end of the First World War...

" is the basis of "Who Ate All The Pies?

Who Ate All the Pies?

"Who Ate All the Pies?" is a football chant sung by fans in Britain. It is usually sung to the tune of "Knees Up Mother Brown" and is aimed at overweight footballers, officials or opposing supporters.-Background and origin:...

". "Guantanamera

Guantanamera

"Guantanamera" is perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song.-Music:The music for the song is sometimes attributed to José Fernández Diaz, known as Joseíto Fernández, who claimed to have written it at various dates , and who used it regularly in one of his radio...

" is also used to honour players or to slur the opposition. Other examples include the tune of "The Wild Rover

The Wild Rover

The Wild Rover is a popular folk song whose origins are contested.According to Professor T. M. Devine in his book The Scottish Nation 1700 - 2000 the song was written as a temperance song. The song is found printed in a book, The American Songster, printed in the USA by W.A...

" being used for the song "The Greatest Team the World Has Ever Seen" and "My Old Man

My Old Man (Football)

My Old Man song is a football song sung by fans of English and Northern Irish Association football clubs. Usage has declined in recent years as the aspects of hooliganism it depicts has also decreased....

" as an adaptation of "My Old Man (Said Follow the Van)".

Cup specific chants

Some songs are generally reserved for cup matches (i.e. FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, Football League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

, Football League Trophy

Football League Trophy

The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

, FAI Cup

FAI Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...

and FA Vase

FA Vase

The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...

) where the venue of the final is Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium

The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

. Examples include an adaption of "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" (Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), we're going to Wembley), or in the case of Newcastle fans "Tell me ma me ma, I won't be home for tea". Liverpool and Everton fans also sing "If You're All Going to Wembley Clap Your Hands" (to the tune of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

"She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" is an American folk song often categorized as children's music. It is a derivation of a Negro spiritual known as "When the Chariot Comes"....

") and "We're on our way to Wembley". Arsenal and Oxford fans, Walsall and Shamrock Rovers fans sing 'She Wore a Yellow/Green Ribbon' during Cup matches, from the United States Military marching song, while Tottenham Hotspur fans sing the "Spurs are on our way to Wembley" chorus of 'Ossie's Dream' by Chas and Dave

Chas and Dave

Chas & Dave are an English pop rock duo, most notable as creators and performers of a musical style labelled "rockney", which mixes "pub singalong, music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll"...

.

The chant "We are the Champions, Champions of Europe" (WACCOE) is often chanted by fans of Leeds United with regards to the events of their loss to Bayern Munich in the 1975 European Cup Final

1975 European Cup Final

The 1975 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Parc des Princes, Paris, on 28 May 1975 between Leeds United and Bayern Munich.-Background:...

. An altered version "Champions of England, Champions of Europe" was sung by Manchester United fans in 2008/9 following their 2007/08 Premier League and Champions league wins.

Others

Some chants are not tune specific. These include "Dirty Northern/Soft Southern bastards", "England's Number One" (aimed at goalkeepers

Goalkeeper (football)

In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...

), "Oggy Oggy Oggy

Oggy Oggy Oggy

The Oggy Oggy Oggy chant , and its numerous variations, are often heard at sporting events, political rallies and around Scout and Guide campfires, primarily in Britain, Ireland and some Commonwealth nations....

", or just simply chanting "Olé" when a team is winning handsomely and is passing the ball between its own players. Often simply chanting the name of the side or nation is used, often in combination with rhythmic clapping. Notable example are the U-S-A! cheer

U-S-A! cheer

U-S-A! is a chant that was first popularized after being yelled by fans during the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York, USA, where the US men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in what became known as the "Miracle on Ice", later moving on to beat Finland for the gold...

and the "England...England" chant.

Club-specific songs

Some songs were created especially for a club or a specific event. examples include "Marching on Together

Marching On Together

Leeds! Leeds! Leeds! is the name of the anthem of Leeds United A.F.C. Unlike many football songs that are just new words set to existing music, Leeds! Leeds! Leeds! is an original composition by Les Reed and Barry Mason...

(Leeds!Leeds!Leeds!)" for Leeds United, "Singing the Blues" (Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers F.C.

Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

) and "Let's All Sing Together" for Coventry City, penned by former Coventry manager Jimmy Hill

Jimmy Hill

James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...

.

Some football teams also have songs which are traditionally sung by their fans, such as Hibernian's

Hibernian F.C.

Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

"Glory Glory to the Hi-Bees", Leeds United's "Marching On Together

Marching On Together

", Liverpool's

Liverpool F.C.

"You'll Never Walk Alone

You'll Never Walk Alone (song)

"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...

", Newcastle United's "Blaydon Races

Blaydon Races

Blaydon Races is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall. It is regarded by many as the unofficial anthem of Tyneside and is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club and Newcastle Falcons rugby club...

", West Ham United's

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" is a popular song which debuted in 1918 and was first published in 1919.-Creation:The music was written by John Kellette. The lyrics are credited to "Jaan Kenbrovin", actually a collective pseudonym for the writers James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent...

", Birmingham City's "Keep Right On", Brighton & Hove Albion's

Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

"Good Old Sussex by the Sea

Sussex by the Sea

Sussex by the Sea is a song written in 1907 by William Ward-Higgs. It became popular during the First World War, having already been adopted by the Royal Sussex Regiment as an unofficial "nick" march. It may well have come from a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1902 entitled Sussex, the final...

", Norwich City's "On The Ball, City

On The Ball, City

"On The Ball, City", the Norwich City F.C. song, is described as the world's oldest football song still in use today; the song is in fact older than the club itself having probably been penned for Norwich Teachers or Caley's FC in the 1890s, and used by clubs such as Swifians and Norwich CEYMS...

" and Hartlepool United's "Two Little Boys

Two Little Boys

"Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969, it...

Chant Laureate

On 11 May 2004, Jonny Hurst

Jonny Hurst

Jonny Hurst , from Wanstead, north London, is England's first Chant Laureate.Barclaycard set up the competition to choose a Chant Laureate, who would be paid £10,000 to tour Premiership stadiums and compose football chants for the 2004–5 football season...

was chosen as England's first "Chant Laureate". Barclaycard

Barclaycard

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a global payment business. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972....

set up the competition to choose a Chant Laureate, to be paid £10,000 to tour Premier League

FA Premier League

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

stadia and compose chants for the 2004-05 football season

2004-05 in English football

The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...

. The judging panel was chaired by the Poet Laureate

Poet Laureate

A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...

Andrew Motion

Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...

, who said ""What we felt we were tapping into was a huge reservoir of folk poetry.""

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.