The world of football fandom is a weird place for outsiders looking in. People up and down the country dedicate their lives to following their favourite teams home and away every single weekend. When their clubs aren’t playing, they might even follow their national team. It never stops, and it’s no surprise that this obsession is going to breed some slightly strange habits. One of these is the singing of songs. From the simple to the downright strange, we’re going to look at some chants heard all over the country on a weekly basis.

Football in UK Culture

To first understand why music and football are intertwined, you have to remember the influence football has over so much of British culture. It can be found everywhere, from the language we use like ‘scoring an own goal’ to influencing a lot of the entertainment we consume. It has inspired movies like ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ or Escape to Victory and now has its place in gambling. For example, gamblers can play slots and games like Football Penny Roller, which allow them to use their money to play football-themed games away from the real thing. Football is omnipresent and so it makes sense that music has been influenced by football and vice versa.

The Influence of Pop

Where better to take your songs from than the pop charts? This tradition dates all the way back to the 1960s, with The Kop in Anfield singing along to the top songs of the day, most notably those of The Beatles. It continued through the 1970s and 1980s, when ABBA was de rigueur. Their songs were, and still are, heard on the stands each week. While the tradition continues today, with songs finding their way from the charts into the stands to either praise or insult, depending on how the days are going.

Not all the chants take on the complexity of re-working famous pop songs; some don’t even bother at all. Liverpool have famously taken ownership of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, West Ham have done the same with “Forever Blowing Bubbles’ and Manchester City with Blue Moon. All play the songs as the players prepare themselves for kickoff.

Sublime to the Simple

While pre-rehearsed songs or chants can build the atmosphere in a stadium, the best songs are ones that have been created on the spot in reaction to what is happening on the pitch. These can be a simple question, ‘Who are you?’ or a prediction for the following day, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’, or an expression of fact, ‘You’re not singing anymore’. These give the fans the most enjoyment to sing as they spawn out of despair on the side of the opposition.

The last word in this article has to be left to nouveau riche Chelsea. Despite their recent success, two billionaire owners, two Champions League trophies, and countless superstars passing through the doors, they still manage to serenade said superstars with one word repeated over and over every week, “Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea” ad nauseam. It’s definitely not a classic but as the trophies keep coming, those associated with the club probably don’t care.