In all my years of going to football matches I have never been in on new songs and chants. We sign a player and suddenly a new chant starts and everyone joins in, how do they know the words and tune, who tells them, do they meet up in some church hall every Wednesday evening for chanting practice? Other teams do the same, is there an annual chanting contest they all attend. If you know, please share.
I've often thought the same thing - and when you look for chants on the internet they're always ancient; some of them from when I was a boy... it would appear that Todd is better that Yashin, Baxter is better that Eusebio and Leeds are in for a thrashing.
I wonder if any of the (younger) folks with keener hearing or who are part of the committee for chants could provide the words to newer chants here? Preferrably with any tune if known.
Never been one for chanting myself and half the chants I hear at games I struggle to make out! I always assumed new chants must be tried out in an x factor sort of way with a panel of Eric Gates Kevin Ball and Roy Keane.
They usually get started at away games (at Leeds anyway). A group of, say, three or four lads who know each other might have sung it together in the pub before the match, so when they try get it started, it's not just one bloke on his own. After a couple of renditions, everyone around them should know the words, and it spreads. Obviously if someone's put it on the internet beforehand, that will help with a few around them knowing the words.
There was a bloke who used to sit behind us with his mates. He came up with loads of chants that caught on, he used to start singing and others around him joined in. The funniest one was one about Bobby Robson (while he was alive and well I might add). He stood up (during a derby) and started singing: Theres only 1 Robby Robson 1 Bobby Robson over and over..... he was about to get killed when he sang the next line..... With a walking stick and a Zimmer frame Bobbys gan and pissed himself again....The whole South stand started laughing and joined in. Now I don't want to disrespect Bobby Robson at all, but it was very funny at the time and very tongue in cheek, it was also well before Bobby had become ill. He used to come up with all sorts, some cleaner than others.
As Iqbal says, a lot of them are formed on the road, it only takes 3 or 4 singers to go at it and they spread. The web has made it easier mind, and TV coverage (as the majority of songs are recycles...), but I remember back in the days of youth, if there was a new song out, my life went on pause till I knew it. Nowadays, I just swear and talk about the war...
i remember when benty was with us before he bacame a judas and the darren bent is fast as lightnin song started. the song was printed on a4 sheets and stuck on lots of seats in the south west corner so everyone knew the words! it then caught on from there. I like the singing and chamting it creates a good atmosphere and if everyone joins in it can be like an extra man on the pitch. I often think there could be more done by the club to get the crowd hyped up in the 15-20 mins before the match for example blasting out sunderland songs or even takin a leaf out of the american football league and havin some razzamatazz to get every one going. especially some fit looking cheerleaders! lol
With Shearer it was something to do with his headgear and his choice of reading material. Remember in the good old days on coaches to away games there was always someone who would get everyone singing, usually after the first few beers had gone the journey.
It's not always quite as family friendly in American sports as people think and the last NFL game I was at was Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills (it's fully integrated as you know)... I mean it would have been much worse much quicker at a footy match here but it can be edgy. PA system "And now let's hear for the Buffalo Gills Cheerleading squad" Raiders Fan "The Buffalo Gills suck." Bills fan "Shut the **** up" Raiders fan "The Buffalo Gills can suck my dick" People start throwing popcorn Raiders fan "I wouldn't **** the Buffalo Gills your flaccid Buffalo dicks" Bills fan "I said shut the **** up" Raiders Fan "The Gills are so ugly I feel like puking" Someone throws a beer over the guy which drenches around five people half of them Bills fans in front of him - one of whom turns around Wet Bills fan "What's your ****ing problem?" Raiders fan looking bemused "I just think the Gills are ****ing ugly and the somebody threw beer over me" Wet Bills fan "Shut the **** up or we'll take this outside." Pause and the Bills fan sits down Raiders fan sounding misunderstood "I just think the Buffalo Gills are freaking ugly man." Punches thrown, people interven (no stewards in sight) and it calms down... before long people who had been fighting start to buy each other beer. I reckon in the area I could see there were at least three fights that day.
