Читать книгу Shall We Sing a Song For You? - Alex Shaw - Страница 25

United! United!

[Rallying cry for teams called United. Usually provokes a reaction of ‘ARE SHIT! ARE SHIT!’ from rival fans.]

Stand up if you love [team]

[‘Go West’ provides the inspiration again here. The song’s popularity rose dramatically after all-seater stadiums were introduced. Nostalgic fans are reminded of the good old days of terracing, while everyone else gets a great opportunity to irritate the stewards, who invariably want everyone to remain seated. Win-win situation. Also, fans of the reigning Premier League champions sing ‘Stand up for the champions’ to show their support.]

How wide do you want the goal?

How wide do you want the goal?

[Has the same meaning as the ‘Score in a brothel’ chant.]

What-a waste-a money!

[Striker with a measly goal return? Sing this snappy number.]

Dirty northern bastards!

[Southern fans sing this to antagonise their northern rivals. Plymouth Argyle supporters sing it to anyone!]

Who are ya? Who are ya? Who are ya?

[Sung whenever an obscure name comes on to the pitch, or when a lower-league team taunts their more illustrious opposition after taking the lead. Think Barnsley when they went 1–0 up in their FA Cup sixth-round clash against Chelsea in 2008.]

Sit down, shut up, sit down, shut up!

[Nice and simple – a traditional terrace taunt for those who angrily question a referee’s decision. If the fans are screaming for a penalty and don’t get it, rival supporters sing ‘sit down, shut up’ to compound the misery.]

The Great Escape

[The theme tune to the film ‘The Great Escape’ provides fans with a tuneful and rhythmic way of humming your team’s name. It is usually sung by supporters of relegation-threatened clubs, who urge their team to pull off their very own great escape by avoiding the drop.]

Now you’ve limbered up with some good old classics, it’s time to tackle the ‘Funnies’…