Blog
Starting the campaign for Euro excitement
Written by Rosie
Earlier this evening I had the pleasure of watching England draw 1-1 with France to continue our tradition of never having won the opening match of the Euros. Excitement for the Euros is relatively low this year – or perhaps that’s expectations – so I thought it was time to try and get at least the Abubilla gang a little hyped. I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to football, and since my beloved Chelsea won the Champions League this year (sorry to bang on about it Jimmy), I see no reason why England shouldn’t triumph at Euro 2012. So here’s an overview of the best football music to get you in the mood.
We may be four managers down the line from Sven Goran Eriksson but who could forget this classic from Bell & Spurling, entitled Sven Sven Sven. The song honours England’s incredible 5-1 defeat of Germany in 2001, as well as Seaman and Beckham’s haircuts and Jordan’s “jelly bags”.
An underappreciated gem from the most recent World Cup is Al Murray’s contribution. In the guise of his alter ego, the Pub Landlord, he asks “Who cares about the final score, it was us who thought it up”, after which a chorus chants “It was our idea” for the majority of the rest of the song. It could be said that clinging to having invented the sport as our claim to footballing glory is somewhat pathetic but hey, at least it’s a football song you can sing even if we’re losing.
There would be no point trying to get excited about anything England does without the use of this final song. It will surprise no one that Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions takes pride of place as the best song ever written about English football. It perfectly encapsulates the fragile hopes that live inside even the most cynical of England fans: when no one’s even bothered to put a flag by the TV, when you know the Germans will beat us on penalties and we’ll all cry, when all evidence points to a crushing defeat , you still believe. Try not to mist up too much while you listen.