Author: Montyblue
Why do we sing at matches?
I was listening to the red swine singing away in their match against United, out they came with their modern day monotonous dirge, ‘Fields of Athenrye’, and it got me thinking why do we football fans actually sing at matches. Years ago, in his book the Naked Ape, anthropologist Desmond Morris expounded the theory that football and its support was the epitome of human tribalism. When you think of it closely he has a valid point, we all gather behind our team rally to the flag and will willing shoot the leader if he’s no good, Mr Moyes watch your back mate.
When I first went to matches brass band music was the order of the day, especially in the winter. The grounds were full of ex-servicemen from WW2, in the cold they’d stamp on the spot to the music in order to keep their circulation going, coupled with a hot pie and a cup of oxo they were content.
The sixties dawned and the Merseysound started to spread across the globe, football was becoming even more of a media event with television cameras filming league games Match of the Day was born on the BBC, black and white mind you. Across the park had latched on to the Carousel smash hit, You’ll never walk alone, sung by massive red Gerry Marsden, we were happily belting out ‘Johnny Todd’ aka ‘the Z Cars theme’ The blue half of the city being multi talented also sang the Seekers hit, a Negro spiritualist gospel song, ‘We shall no be moved’ The only other noticeable ditty adopted by a football club was West Hams, ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’ and in Scotland the sang a range of Andy Stewart hits, in the main instantly forgettable.
A compromise was reached between the old and the new, especially at Goodison, where the hits of the Dave Clark five and Swinging Blues Jeans, most with big back beats, provided the stamping element for the crowds, standing underneath the Gwladys and Park end stands meant getting covered in dust and debris once the played ‘Glad all over’.[imga="right"]http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/imagehosting/145e60524ad033.jpg[/imga]
It seemed that the grounds choirs, especially the Kop who’s choice of song was far more emotive than most, pleased the TV bosses, different ditties caught on across the country, some with memorable words, ‘we’ll hang the kopites one by one on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey’ a prime example, others had few words, Stokes ‘Oggy oggy oggy oi oi oi’, illustrates this perfectly.
Some curious things have happened in between time, ourselves and West Ham have retained our cherished anthems, the Pool have ditched there for a song pinched from Celtic, Celtic have ditched their for a song pinched from the Pool, curious behaviour that may well date back to the tribal instincts referred to by Morris, we beat you so we’ll take your song.
What songs do you remember from not just the Goodison archives but across the UK football world? Do you know the reason behind those songs and why they are sung
Lets hear from you now and if possible build up a list of songs other clubs are famous for.
Why do we sing at matches?
I was listening to the red swine singing away in their match against United, out they came with their modern day monotonous dirge, ‘Fields of Athenrye’, and it got me thinking why do we football fans actually sing at matches. Years ago, in his book the Naked Ape, anthropologist Desmond Morris expounded the theory that football and its support was the epitome of human tribalism. When you think of it closely he has a valid point, we all gather behind our team rally to the flag and will willing shoot the leader if he’s no good, Mr Moyes watch your back mate.
When I first went to matches brass band music was the order of the day, especially in the winter. The grounds were full of ex-servicemen from WW2, in the cold they’d stamp on the spot to the music in order to keep their circulation going, coupled with a hot pie and a cup of oxo they were content.
The sixties dawned and the Merseysound started to spread across the globe, football was becoming even more of a media event with television cameras filming league games Match of the Day was born on the BBC, black and white mind you. Across the park had latched on to the Carousel smash hit, You’ll never walk alone, sung by massive red Gerry Marsden, we were happily belting out ‘Johnny Todd’ aka ‘the Z Cars theme’ The blue half of the city being multi talented also sang the Seekers hit, a Negro spiritualist gospel song, ‘We shall no be moved’ The only other noticeable ditty adopted by a football club was West Hams, ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’ and in Scotland the sang a range of Andy Stewart hits, in the main instantly forgettable.
A compromise was reached between the old and the new, especially at Goodison, where the hits of the Dave Clark five and Swinging Blues Jeans, most with big back beats, provided the stamping element for the crowds, standing underneath the Gwladys and Park end stands meant getting covered in dust and debris once the played ‘Glad all over’.[imga="right"]http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/imagehosting/145e60524ad033.jpg[/imga]
It seemed that the grounds choirs, especially the Kop who’s choice of song was far more emotive than most, pleased the TV bosses, different ditties caught on across the country, some with memorable words, ‘we’ll hang the kopites one by one on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey’ a prime example, others had few words, Stokes ‘Oggy oggy oggy oi oi oi’, illustrates this perfectly.
Some curious things have happened in between time, ourselves and West Ham have retained our cherished anthems, the Pool have ditched there for a song pinched from Celtic, Celtic have ditched their for a song pinched from the Pool, curious behaviour that may well date back to the tribal instincts referred to by Morris, we beat you so we’ll take your song.
What songs do you remember from not just the Goodison archives but across the UK football world? Do you know the reason behind those songs and why they are sung
Lets hear from you now and if possible build up a list of songs other clubs are famous for.