10 popular songs that were adopted by football teams
It’s time…the euros have arrived. All over the continent, flags are raised, old football shirts are washed and ironed, pints are poured, and fingernails are bitten to a stub. And surrounding these people, the filled-up bars and skipped heartbeats, is music.
Songs follow major football tournaments around like a shadow. A lot of the music people listen to are entirely original songs, such as the likes of ‘Three Lions’, ‘Vindaloo’ and ‘World In Motion’, which are taken up by choruses of football fans around the country. However, original music isn’t the only thing on offer during the European Championship, as many songs are adaptations of pre-existing well-known tracks.
This is nothing new. The world of football is riddled with teams that have taken on classic songs and made them their own. Sometimes, this means changing nothing and instead just singing the song as loud and as passionately as possible. Other times, it means that the team takes the song and inserts the names of players, their club, or their rivals so that it has more of a personal touch.
The song is a major part of big sports, as the singing in unison creates an atmosphere that fans can call home and players call their stomping ground. This article will look in more detail at some of the biggest tracks adopted by football teams over the years.
Songs adopted by football teams:
‘Blue Moon’ – Manchester City
Manchester City has become the most successful and controversial English club in recent years. With a team that has a negative affinity to losing and a board that doesn’t understand financial rules, they’re at the top of the table and the butt of the joke pretty frequently. However, among all this controversy is the song ‘Blue Moon’, a track that has followed the team to every winner’s parade, cup final and convincing win worldwide.
The City faithful has sung the track for the best part of three decades now. Ironically, given that it is now used to celebrate the many trophies City is winning, it was originally played following a game against Aston Villa in 1986, when they won their first away game in 42. When asked about the song choice, it was explained that it was chosen because City only won once in a blue moon.
‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Celtic FC, Feyenoord, FC Tokyo, FC Twente
‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is arguably one of the most famous songs in football. While Anfield often gets criticised for having a lack of atmosphere the minute the game begins, in the moments before, as tens of thousands rejoice in the Gerry & The Pacemakers classic, they create one of the most sought-after sights in the sport.
Of course, Liverpool isn’t the only club that sings the track. The reasons it was adopted vary depending on which team you’re talking about. Generally, the number embodies a football team’s unity within themselves and with their fans. It speaks of solidarity and togetherness, so it is the perfect track for a sport that requires teamwork.
However, when talking specifically about Liverpool, Anfield was one of the first stadiums to have a PA system, so they would play the top ten tracks of the week before the game. This coincided with when Merseybeat bands, such as The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers, were climbing the charts. ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was number one for four weeks in 1963, and by the end of its successful run, it had become the team’s signature tune.
The song stays with the team today, as it has taken on a much deeper meaning since the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989. Following the crushing at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium that killed 96 football fans, the whole community mourned the tragedy, and the track was sung by a lone choir boy at Liverpool’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. It offered comfort and hope to a city otherwise shrouded in sadness.
‘Men of Harlech’ – Cardiff City
What Wales lack in any kind of sporting ability, they make up for in epic pre-match songs. Tracks like ‘Yma O Hyd’ are beautiful enough to make the proudest of Englishmen’s hair stand on end, and shortly behind that song is the military march of ‘Men of Harlech’, which is sung every game by Cardiff City.
The marching track is an excellent song for a crowd to sing. In the same way, it revved up armies, it can also be used to rev up crowds and football teams. It creates a sense of unity within the stadium that fans can easily thrive off of.
‘Annie’s Song’ – Sheffield United
Sheffield United adopted their own version of ‘Annie’s Song’, which has since become a favourite amongst football fans who love the tune’s good-natured humour. The track that famously starts with, “You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest,” has been rewritten as an ode to Sheffield, drinking, and eating.
The revised lyrics go, “You fill up my senses, like a gallon of Magnet, like a fresh pack of Woodbines, like a good pinch of snuff, like a night out in Sheffield, like a greasy chip butty, oh Sheffield United, come fill me again.”
Interestingly, the origin of the song begins down the road at one of the club’s South Yorkshire rivals, Rotherham FC. The story goes that a Rotherham fan called Terry Moran was singing it in a pub. Gavin Hancock, a Blades fan, overheard him and penned his own version about Sheffield United. The song quickly grew in popularity and has been the team’s signature track ever since.
‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ – Hull City
Hull City is widely ridiculed for having one of the worst football chants in sports history. As they turned to rival fans, making fake claws with their hands, singing, “You’re getting mauled by the tigers,” the cringe move (that most Hull fans will say was done ironically) has been mocked ever since.
However, another song that follows the team around is that made famous by Elvis Presley, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, which they sing before every home game to goosebumps around the stadium. While there is no specific reason for the club adopting the track, it plays to the undying devotion that loyal fans have, regardless of the circumstances. It has been even more relevant in recent years as persistent problems with owners have kept the club teetering in the Championship.
‘Saturday Night’ – York City
A common theme throughout football teams is the need to take popular songs and add their own players into the mix. One of the best clubs for doing this is York City, which, in its run as a club, has used songs like ‘September’ to sing about its favourite players. They have also incorporated their forward, Dipo Akinyemi, into a variation of ‘Saturday Night’ by Whigfield.
The song is a simple adaptation, but it comes with the humour that tends to surround lower-league clubs. While they may not draw in the best crowds, those who do turn up are devoted, and they rejoice in their love for their club with tracks like “Saturday night, and I like the way you move, Akinyemi.”
‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ – Sheffield Wednesday, Wolverhampton, Aston Villa
Initially released by Jeff Beck, the hit song ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ has been adopted by several different football teams. Any team can use this song, so long as its name is four syllables long. There is no need to sing the entire number; just wait for the chorus and replace the words “silver lining” with your team. For instance, Sheffield Wednesday fans often sing, “Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday.”
The origin of the team using the song is slightly contested; however, in an interview in 2019, Dave Allen, the ex-chair at Sheffield Wednesday and former owner of rivals Chesterfield, claims he is responsible for introducing the track on a grand scale. He states he recalls hearing fans singing it in one of his nightclubs, so he got the stadium to play the track pre-game.
‘Glad All Over’ – Crystal Palace
2024 marked 60 years since The Dave Clark Five’s song ‘Glad All Over’ hit number one in the UK. Crystal Palace has been singing the tune for decades. The first reported playing of the track over the Tanoy stems back to January 25th, 1964. According to the matchday programme, playing the song at halftime kept people’s feet warm.
The song has followed Palace around ever since as the band played it at Selhurst Park in 1968. Also a cover version by Palace players Alan Pardew, Andy Gray, Gary O’Reilly, and Mark Bright reached number 47 in the charts to commemorate the club’s reaching the FA Cup Final. The game ended in a 3–3 draw, but Manchester United won 1–0 in a replay.
‘Twist and Shout’ – Coventry City
The history of crowds singing ‘Twist and Shout’ is a bit foggy; however, similar to Liverpool adopting ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, it probably comes from the fact that teams would play popular songs from the week over the speakers before the game. Nothing is likely to get a crowd more riled up than the Beatles classic, and singing ‘Twist and Shout’ has just stuck for some teams.
Coventry City went viral a few years ago when a clip of their fans singing the track circulated on the internet. When you see a group of football fans all singing and dancing to an upbeat number, it’s easy to see why they love associating it with the club.
‘Seven Nation Army’ – Nearly every team ever
One of the most famous basslines in music, not only because of the song itself but because the chant has been adopted by nearly every football team on the planet. Whether it is to sing the praises of their side or condemn their rivals, the riff is used beautifully by crowds who latch on to the memorability of it.
A few sources trace the song’s origin, but it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact team that started it. Many people believe Club Brugge KV fans in Belgium allegedly sang the riff while playing against AC Milan in 2003.
