With new film I Believe In Miracles – and its soundtrack – out this week charting Brian Clough‘s unique methods and achievements as a manager, the documentary’s director Jonny Owens has made Q a playlist of the greatest moments where football and collide in a glorious crunching tackle…
Andy Williams – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
“I’m Welsh so I’ve got to start with the song adopted by our fans back in the later 80s. No one is ever really sure how these things start but the legend goes it was a bunch of welsh fans at a game in Cologne back in 89 that sang it in a bar. We’ve sung it ever since. It’s ‘you’re too good to be true’ by Andy Williams. All together not ‘da da da dat da da!! I love you baby! Etc”
England World Cup Squad – Back Home & New Order – World In Motion
“The next two on this list are songs that show the end of an era in football and start of a new one. The first song was the England footy teams Mexico song. England went full of hope. The UK was the cultural centre of the world as the 60s swung and England were the world football champions! Yet a defeat to Germany after they were cruising during the game ushered in the 70s when a young more aggressive fan appeared and stayed put on the terraces until Gazza cried and Sky suddenly made the middle classes and so the media interested again. So one and two are Back Home and World in motion. The gates on a whole era in British football.”
Andy Cameron – Ally’s Tarten Army
“I loved it when Scotland got knocked out of Argentina because Joe Jordan had cheated us. I also loved the fact they thought they could win. When they did tumble out my Mam said (and I remember it vividly) ‘Karma!’ I’d never heard the word before but she was right. Anyway, the song they had to go was brilliant, mainly because it shows they really did think they could win! Not that I’m bitter. At all. I love Scotland. Especially now we are better than them.”
Chas & Dave – Ossie’s Dream
“Simply for that moment. Obviously we all tried to ‘do the accent’ down the youth club.”
Glen & Chris – Diamond Lights
“I always thought that the Hoddle and Waddle song was such a brilliant example of why most footballers should never be asked about music and especially not allowed to record a fuckin song! I mean, Sweet god in heaven.”
Kevin Keegan – Head Over Heels In Love
“And Kevin Keegan reiterates even better my above point. Great athletes so be happy with what your blessed with. Don’t be greedy!”
The Jackson Sisters – I Believe In Miracles
“A shameless plug for the film. The title of the film we’ve just made and a great song.”
Nottingham Forest & Paper Lace – Whole World In Our Hands
“I’ve done a film about one of the great domestic football teams ever, the double European cup winning team. They actually charted with a song and one of them asked me would I be using it in the film? It was the only time I had a slight disagreement with any of them. Play the link and you’ll see why.|
The Stand – I’ll Be There
“I have to hold my hands up here and say I’m in no position to say anything as I recorded a song for my team Cardiff City to run out too. Saying that it’s a song sung by striking miners from 1926 so at least it’s got great history. Ha!”
Sultans Of Ping – Give Him A Ball
“A song about the great John Robertson and Brian Clough. That’s enough for me.”
Don Farndon – Belfast Boy
“I’m going to end with what actually is the funkiest football song ever we written. If you don’t want to stand up and dance to this them you haven’t got a soul.”
I enjoyed that and you have to say, fair play to football it’s give us songs that are classic, awful, mental bit always interesting. Bit like the game itself and the teams we watch.
