Take a chant on me — a very British footballing art

London (AFP) – Whether Liverpool are winning or losing a minute from time in Saturday’s Champions League final with Tottenham Hotspur a rendition of their emotive song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” will reverberate round the stadium in Madrid.

It will be competing with their opponents’ anthem “When the Spurs go Marching In”, but according to Tim Marshall, author of “Dirty Northern Bastards, Soft Southern Bastards — The Story of Britain’s Football Chants”, it is the song that originates from the 1945 musical Carousel, not as many believe the 1963 Gerry and the Pacemakers hit, which will have the hairs standing up on the back of many fans’ necks.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is most closely associated with Liverpool — though Celtic fans sing it as well — and has made a comeback among their fans.   

“You’ll Never Walk Alone is definitely back at Liverpool, especially post-Hillsborough,” Marshall told AFP, referring to the 1989 FA Cup semi-final when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death.

“The lyrics refer to higher noble aspirations and, if you have lost people, it essentially says ‘hope springs eternal in the human heart’.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone is the one of the two anthems that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck as it’s just that massive identification with the club, that long history.

“The fact scarves and flags go up with it at the same time makes it also a visual thing.”

Spurs’ chant is also sung by Southampton supporters, re-worded to “When the Saints Go Marching In” — “Leave them to argue over that one,” says Marshall — and is another to cross the Atlantic.

“‘The Saints Go Marching In’ dates back to the 1800s with the lyrics about the Apocalypse,” said Marshall.

“It is about saints marching through the gates of heaven and fire and brimstone as the world is destroyed, and claps of thunder.

“The version as we know it dates back to New Orleans jazz. 1920s jazz became very popular here in the 1950s and took hold in football — it is another English football chant that comes from the New Orleans jazz explosion.”

– ‘Feeling of community’ –

Come what may, though, no matter what the score spectators inside the Metropolitano stadium and TV viewers will be treated to a singing contest.

“Liverpool fans always begin to sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ a minute before the end of the game,” said Marshall.

from World Soccer Talk http://bit.ly/2Mp7CxI