The Weekly DiScussion: Songs About Kicking

by Mike Diver [Edit this content] ▾ 30 comments 11:12 May 16th, 2008

This weekend, Saturday May 17, the footballing representatives of the cities of Cardiff and – *spit* – Portsmouth butt heads at Wembley Stadium to contest this season’s FA Cup Final. Never ones to overlook an opportunity to remind readers of the strange relationship between pop music and the beautiful game, here we pick ten soccer… sorry… football-themed (or loosely associated) songs that’ve tickled the charts in recent years. We’d call it a top ten, but that’d suggest we like these songs.

First, though, a little something from the Pompey Sound Squad, pleasantly titled ‘Fuck Southampton’ (ahem), and the official Cardiff City song for this year, ‘Bluebirds Flying High’ by onetime Eurovision hopeful James Fox.

Video: ‘Bluebirds Flying High’

And onto our ten…

Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle
‘Diamond Lights’
Tenuous? Perhaps. But probably the best ‘proper’ song here from
a couple of singing wingers…

Rider feat Terry Venables
‘England Crazy’
El Tel, former England manager and rarely shy of belting out a number or two, puts a little swing into a ‘terrace favourite’…

The Farm
‘All Together Now (For Everton)’
Popular-in-the-‘90s Liverpool lot rework their ‘classic’ for Everton’s 1995 FA Cup Final…

Chas 'n' Dave
‘Ossie’s Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley)’
Cock-er-nee twosome C&D plug “Tottingham”’s 1981 campaign for the FA Cup…

Andy Cole
‘Outstanding’
Short-of-the-top-40 1999 single from the former Manchester United
striker and funky rhymer…

Mark Morrison
‘Just A Man’
Why? This song’s parent LP Innocent was funded in part, and meant to originally be released by, former Everton striker Kevin Campbell’s 2 Wikid label. After a number of court visits – Morrison telling the press “no judge is gonna stop me”, the album eventually came out via Mona/Mack Life…

Johnny Cash
‘Ring Of Fire’
As adopted by Liverpool supporters during their 2005 Champions League run…

Status Quo and Man Utd
‘Come On You Reds’
Denim-rockers wheel out their ‘Burning Bridges song with hugely altered lyrics in 1994; it goes on to reach number one and remains in the chart for 15 weeks…

Suggs and Chelsea
‘Blue Day’
A little balance what with the Champions League Final on Wednesday: here, Madness singer Suggs gets behind his team of choice’s 1997 FA Cup bid…

England New Order
‘World In Motion’
Be fair: it’s the best proper football song ever written, making John Barnes’ rap and the presence of Lily Allen’s dad completely tolerable. It reached number one, and remains New Order’s only single to top the charts. 1990’s World Cup was England’s best since they won it in 1966, the team making the semi-finals in Italy…

No Three Lions? Oh get around the back already. And stay there. Enjoy the kicking tomorrow and Wednesday, readers. We will be.

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Comments

- Post a new comment on this article

For once, being in work

and having youtube blocked is an actual godsend.

Ricky_Ronco | 16 May '08, 11:19 | X | Reply

Blah blah Half Man Half Biscuit blah drone Kicker Conspiracy

simon_t | 16 May '08, 11:23 | X | Reply

That Andy Cole song

was probably the most bizarre thing I remember from top of the pops. A true WTF moment.

black_rooster | 16 May '08, 11:28 | X | Reply

Wot no 'If It's Wednesday, It Must Be Wembley' by The Hillsborough Crew?!?!

released in 93 to celebrate our triumphant defeats to Arsenal in both league and FA Cup.

The were produced by someone from Heaven 17 dontchyaknow...

basil | 16 May '08, 11:32 | X | Reply

Sultans of Ping?

Give Him a Ball (And a Yard of Grass)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNQMo-Wq1_U
Sorry, youtube's blocked at work, so that clip may well be shit. mind you I haven't heard the song in about 15 years...

JGJug | 16 May '08, 11:45 | X | Reply

best fa cup song

is arsenal's 'hot stuff' for the '98 final

Started out the season - nothing stopped us,
Everything was going Wright Wright Wright!
Walking in a Bergkamp Wonderland,
When Parlour was our Ray of light!

ahem

robellovich @JGJug | 16 May '08, 12:04 | X | Reply

Don't Come Home Too Sooooooon

bamos | 16 May '08, 12:23 | X | Reply

screw football

Kicking Pigeons, by Spunge...

keveddy | 16 May '08, 12:24 | X | Reply

Wot, no Anfield Rap?

My names John Barnes/ I come from the Jamaica/which is near the bahamas/and when I get the ball/the crowd goes bananas

Or so it goes in my head.

gower | 16 May '08, 12:31 | X | Reply

My favourite

Sunderland will be in the first division/Scoring goals in every game they play/Sunderland will be in the first division/It'll be red and white all of the way

Cue trumpet

grinner @gower | 16 May '08, 12:34 | X | Reply

It's no 'Niall Quinn's Disco Pants'

bamos @grinner | 16 May '08, 12:38 | X | Reply

ANFIELD RAP IS THE BEST

Hows he doin the jamican rap?
He's from just south of the Watford gap
Gives us stick about the north south divide.
YEAH they've got the jobs
BUT WE'VE GOT THE SIDE.

Best fact about the Anfield rap is that use a sample from Straight Out Of Compton.

Hayward @grinner | 16 May '08, 12:40 | X | Reply

tommytomtom | 17 May '08, 03:21 | X | Reply