Whenever the England football team plays, beyond the traditional national anthem of ‘God Save The Queen’ ahead of kick-off, another song often reverberates around Wembley Stadium. However, there were fears earlier this year that the alternative song, also chanted by the fans, might be kicked into touch.
Ever since England hosted the 1996 UEFA European Championships, ‘Football’s Coming Home’ has become the iconic soundtrack accompanying every step of the
national team. Originally penned by comedic duo David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, and performed alongside popular 1990’s Britpop band the Lightning Seeds.
Incredibly, along with becoming an instant hit before and throughout the 1996 tournament, England’s official team song for the European Championships even topped the music charts in Germany, where the official song of their own team didn’t even make the top ten. What makes this even more interesting, much of the lyrics referred to the English victory against the Germans in the 1966 World Cup final.
Ever since the original release, ‘Football’s Coming Home’ has become the de facto alternative anthem amongst fans of the English international team, although ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were initial fears the Football Association wanted an alternative song played before matches. According to The Sun, this came amidst concerns that it offends other nations, along with appearing arrogant.
Insofar as the history of modern football as a sport is concerned, England is widely regarded as the “home” of the beautiful game, given the first organised leagues were established there, while the first ever international fixtures were played between England and Scotland. Nevertheless, the English Football Association (FA) was
apparently considering a change of direction, with “Sweet Caroline” amongst those preferred.
The classic track by Neil Diamond is amongst a medley of songs played whenever England win at Wembley, along with ‘Football’s Coming Home’ and ‘Freed from
Desire’ by Gala, which also feature at matches played by the England women’s team. Likewise, there seemed to be a preference from the FA to go with an existing, well- known song.
However, there was a swift response from none other than EURO 1996 icon Paul Gascoigne, who blasted the idea of doing away with the ‘Football’s Coming Home’ song ahead of the 2022 World Cup. “The FA have totally lost the plot… It would be like saying we can’t wave St George’s flags anymore,” the former player complained.
But why does any of this really matter? Well, before heading to the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar, each football federation must choose songs they want played before matches, aimed at boosting the atmosphere inside stadiums. The idea is that by using familiar songs cherished by fans, they will sing along and raise the volume at games before their teams take to the pitch, when the traditional national anthems are
played.
Following the criticism surrounding the FA proposals to push ‘Football’s Coming Home’ aside, they actually responded swiftly to deny any such rumours. Quoted by inews when asked to comment, they confirmed once and for all that England’s iconic alternative anthem will not be banned, regardless of previous reports claiming that might be the case.
“The song belongs to the fans and is about the hope of following the England team. It was requested by the FA to be played as one of our team songs at the 2018 World Cup and the Euros last summer, and this is our plan at tournaments going forward,” read an FA statement. This a clear indication they consider ‘Football’s Coming Home’ as being important to fans.
As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar edges ever closer, England are actually considered as being amongst one of the tournament favourites. Amidst eternally high expectations, along with following the action, millions of supporters will be keen to wager on games, which also makes it a good idea to compare odds at the top online betting sites. Experts at SBO have everything covered in this regard, including recommendations for the latest promotions.
When ‘Football’s Coming Home’ was first released 1996, ‘thirty years of hurt’ was one of the most emotive lines from song. That period of time and patience has now extended to 56 years, more than half a century since England triumphantly raised the World Cup trophy in 1966. Heading to the 2022 tournament there will be the usual hype and pressure, albeit with a growing sense of confidence that at long last, the English side can be successful again.
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