In modern FA Cup Finals, it is highly unlikely that you will hear two sets of opposing fans joining forces to sing anything other than the national anthem (and even this is far from guaranteed). Go back a century or so, and the practice was not only commonplace, but actively encouraged.
Our latest object from The Players Foundation Collection is this songsheet, produced by the Daily Express ahead of the 1964 FA Cup Final between Preston North End and West Ham United. This is part of the
Prior to the community singing movement of the 1920s, there is evidence of singing at football matches: often adaptations of other songs, such as war cries or, more commonly, popular music hall ditties. Norwich City fans have been singing On The Ball, City since the turn of the twentieth century; it may well be among the first specifically written football chants to be regularly sung by supporters.
Midway through the twenties, more formal singing was encouraged prior to kick-off, in an effort to boost the matchday atmosphere. In the chaotic build-up to the 1923 FA Cup Final – the first to be staged at Wembley Stadium – Abide with Me was reportedly sung by a choir and then West Ham fans as supporters were cleared from the field. Four years later, it was formally performed (and sung) before Cardiff City’s 1-0 win over Arsenal. It has since become an FA Cup Final tradition, usually roared out in unison fifteen minutes before kick-off.
You can hear the Preston and West Ham fans’ rendition prior to the 1964 final at the start of this British Pathé clip:
The 1964 edition features an intriguing mix of songs to get the crowd warmed up. God Save the Queen and Abide with Me are highlighted at the top of the programme, but the other eleven songs are a selection of religious hymns, music hall classics, American folk ditties and the odd contemporary track.
When The Saints Go Marching In has become a sporting classic, with over a dozen English teams singing lyrical variations of the original hymn. This version was decidedly non-partisan, as neither Preston nor West Ham have any affiliation with the song (When The Hammers Go Marching is wrong on so many levels).
You might assume that Looking High, High, High also had religious origins, but it was in fact Bryan Johnson’s successful entry in the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest, beaten only by Jacqueline Boyer’s song Tom Pillibi. It wasn’t the only Eurovision song to make the pre-match playlist, either. Say Wonderful Things was the United Kingdom’s entry in 1963, with Northern Irish singer Ronnie Carroll securing a respectable fourth place.
Some recognisable classics like Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit-Bag, Waltzing Matilda and Tipperary are on the songsheet, as well as The End of the Road (long associated with Birmingham City) and She’s a Lassie From Lancashire, which must have felt pertinent to those travelling down from the North West. Underneath the Arches, a song from the perspective of homeless dreamers during the Great Depression, also remained a popular song of the time.
Perhaps the most puzzling to a modern supporter would be the inclusion of pre-19th century songs from across the water. John Brown’s Body was a marching song about a pre-civil war abolitionist who was executed after instigating a slave revolt. Lyrics like “John Brown’s body lies a-mould’ring in the grave” might not seem like the most appropriate prior to a game of football!
Clementine is, lyrically, even less uplifting. An American folk ballad, the story typically revolves around a girl or young woman who falls into a river and drowns. These details are understandably not present on the songsheet: perhaps it was chosen for its anthemic chorus rather than its doleful meaning.
By the sixties, football chants were becoming more commonplace, with popular songs adapted and tailored to fit different clubs and players. In 1964, communal singing appeared to be on the wane, and by the early seventies, newspapers and publications were no longer producing songsheets for finals.
Communal singing may largely be a thing of the past, but at least we still have Abide with Me. It’s been 51 years since Preston North End’s last FA Cup Final, which they ultimately lost 3-2. The Lilywhites are now just two games away from belting it out again at the new Wembley.
You can find out more about The Players Foundation and their work via their website below.