As we get closer to the Euros, you’ll undoubtedly begin to hear more football songs on the radio.
The same ones always get rolled out: World in Motion, Three Lions, maybe Eat My Goal. They’re alright, and if we make it beyond the group stages, you’ll likely hear me playing them for a bit of patriotism. The problem with them is that they’re timed; you can’t listen to World in Motion in February on the back of a cold trip to Sincil Bank to watch a 0-0 draw.
If you Google ‘football songs’ the same lists come up, and I found that quite depressing. There are some really good songs out there, songs that, when you listen, don’t feel cheesy. Admit it, listening to something like the Anfield Rap is cheesy. Not as much so as Sweet Caroline (I hate that song now), but still bad.
I have a selection of football songs I never skip when they come on, and given that football is the order of the day, I wanted to share my top five with you (six, I added another a day later!).
Sultans of Ping FC – Give Him a Ball
I got right into this album back in 2014 when I moved to Cambridge, late to the show as usual. It’s a great album, and this football track is not surprising coming from a band with ‘FC’ in their name.
The song, a pre-Britpop British classic, is an ode to Brian Clough and is named from a quote he gave about his Scottish left winger John Robertson.
“John Robertson was a very unattractive young man. If one day I was feeling a bit off colour, I would sit next to him. I was bloody Errol Flynn compared to him. But give him a yard of grass and he was an artist. The Picasso of our game.”
God’s Footballer – Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg isn’t for everyone. I quite enjoy some of his songs, and the fact he took the time to write an ode to Peter Knowles, who left football to become a Jehovah’s Witness, speaks volumes about some of his subject matter.
God’s Footballer is a song from his 1991 album Don’t Try This at Home. The song is about a promising footballer for Wolves in the 1960s who abruptly left his career at 24 to become a Jehovah’s Witness. Bragg reflects on the clash between Knowles’s passion for football and his commitment to his faith, exploring themes of sacrifice, identity, and the tension between worldly pursuits and spiritual devotion.
It won’t get you up on your chair chanting, but it does show a different side to football songs with it’s slow, poignant themes. I like it, but I confess, it’s not on my playlist in case it comes on whilst running and I fall asleep.
Pirates of the League – The Wakes
The first of two songs on my list is from The Wakes, a folk rock band that has been delighting audiences since 2007 without becoming as well known as they should. They are known for their politically charged songs, often addressing issues related to working-class struggles, Irish identity, and social justice. Their music blends traditional Celtic influences with modern rock, and they have a loyal following, particularly within the Celtic and Irish communities.
They love their football, and they love St Pauli. I could have chosen a couple of St Pauli songs – The Angelic Upstarts have a track called The Street of St Pauli, which I might have included over this. If I wanted to have five different bands, I would, but I just prefer this song.
St Pauli and punk are heavily aligned, and I love the whole Antifa hooligan culture. Most of all, it’s just a good song that you can enjoy even if you’re not a football fan.
Colours – The Wakes
So, it’s The Wakes again, with Colours. This track is about their Glasgow upbringing and the Old Firm rivalry that dominates the city’s sporting scene. It discusses the violence that occurs at these games, with lines such as ‘History revisited by drunk teenage boys. Too young to remember it, but old enough to die. The paper says, ‘ Wrong place, wrong time.’
Despite the series themes, it’s a great song, really easy to sing along to and enjoy. The Wakes are well worth checking out, they’ve got some cracking songs.
Ballad of Paul Tierney – Lonely Tourist
Paul Tierney was once tipped to be the next big thing at Man Utd. A loan spell at Crewe saw him get regular football, and he later got a game for United in the League Cup. As the song goes, a glittering career lay ahead. To find out the rest, listen to the song.
I saw Lonely Tourist at a Gaz Brookfield gig a year or two ago, and they’ve got some superb songs. Another, Duty of Care, really resonated with me. However, as a football song, this is excellent, and they place his career alongside (what I assume) is their own as a band on the fringes of pop culture. It’s a scene I really like, and the song mixes that with football. Another scene I like.
Swerving The Checkatrade – Half Man Half Biscuit
I can’t help but think of Marcus Needham when I hear this track. He and I use to joust about the Checkatrade Trophy, and eventually I came around to his way of thinking, posting this on social media whenever we played an Under 21 side. I din’t know Marcus as well as I’d have liked, but I do miss those little exchanges.
Half Man Half Biscuit are another band I think are great. Known for their satirical and often surreal lyrics, the band has developed a cult following over the years. They often discuss football with Nigel, the lead singer, a Tranmere Rovers fan. They are famous for their witty commentary on British life, culture, and sport and for pulling leftfield references into their songs. For instance, some titles include For What Is Chatteris and Fuckin’ ‘ell It’s Fred Titmus.
Honestly, they’re worth checking out, especially if you like football songs. They also have Bob Wilson – Anchorman and The Referee’s Alphabet, both football songs better than anything you’ll hear on the radio this summer.