Football and Music

Via the NME:

Babyshambles man commits cardinal sin at Liverpool gig

Pete Doherty played a surprise gig in Liverpool last Friday ( August 8) - but upset much of the crowd after a choosing controversial setlist.

Playing at The Studio - an Everton venue - Doherty launched into a version of Liverpool’s anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

But despite the crowd erupting into a chorus of boos and even throwing drinks at the singer, Doherty, a fan of Queens Park Rangers, still persevered and performed the song it in its entirety.

Doherty also took the opportunity to play The Libertines’ ‘Breck Road Lover’, a song that takes its name from an area of Liverpool where the singer spent some of his childhood.

» Full article

» The Libertines - Breck Road Lover

February 10th, 1998. The Rose Bowl. Pasadena, California, USA. The CONCACAF Gold Cup Semi-Final.

And beat them.

Sadly, because at the time there was zero interest by the American media (or the public) there are no reports to be found on the match. But it was a… I wouldn’t say a historic match but it was a noteworthy one because only a few months later Brazil went on to appear and lose in the World Cup Final.
(you remember it. Before the match Ronaldo had an “illness”)

Noteworthy too because of the outstanding performances of two journeyman American footballers who appeared in the Premier League. In fact one of them is still there.

The only and winning goal was scored by Preki, who Everton fans will fondly remember from his time with them in the early ’90’s. Also spent a season with Pompey before going back to the USA.

What a shot it was. Outside of the area, on his left peg, keeper didn’t get near it.
- Hey do you know what he’s doing now ? He’s the head coach of Chivas USA.

But this match was remembered more for the goalkeeping heroics of one Kasey Keller. After going a goal down and time running out the Brazilians took up target practice at the USA goal, none of them got in.

After their defeat Romario remarked: “That is the best performance by a goalkeeper I have ever seen. It was an honour to be on the pitch with him.”

– As mentioned I can’t find any reports on this game, but you can watch Preki’s goal here and some highlights here.

The members of the now defunct American band Barcelona (also known as Barcelonadc) watched this match, saw Kasey’s outstanding performance and were inspired to write a song about it…

» Barcelona - Kasey Keller

I can understand Wrighty’s sentiments about not wanting to sit on the sofa next to Hansen and Shearer anymore. I mean come on, not exactly sparkling company are they. But with the Beeb losing nearly every televisual rights to any decent footballing matches, (apart from the Jewson Home Counties under 14’s Sunday League), Ian Wright Wright Wright wasn’t going to get to see Gary’s smirking face up close ever again because he only sat in on Auntie’s coverage of the England matches and since we are sitting this one out…

But let us not forget that the original jug eared one was a decent footie player in his day.

In his time at Leicester he was constantly the top league scorer. In 194 appearance for the club Lineker bagged 95 goals and helped to get them promoted to the old First Division and afterwards got sold to…

No not yet. Later..

Everton. Where in that one season he scored 40 in 52 games and again become the leagues top scorer. Then he went into the shop window that was the 1986 World Cup where yet again he became the top scorer of the tournament.

Everton cashed in on him and after the finals was sold to El Tel’s Barcelona where he partnered Sparky Hughes up front. Eventually Lineker followed Venables to his next job at Spurs where when the year ended in 1 and despite Gazza’s antics, they won the FA Cup.

Finally he went off into semi-retirement and was a proto-Beckham where he explored and was introduced into new territories playing for Grampus 8 in Japan. Sadly it was an injury plagued season which led to his decision to hang up his boots before eventually finding the anchors chair and lulling us all to sleep on a late Saturday’s evening.

Here endeth the history of Leicester’s favourite son™

Now to the music and hat-trick of songs. Two of them from studio created groups and one with a tenuous connection since he played in that league:

» Romaine - Gary Lineker : A Young Girls Dream » The Rainbow Choir - The J-League Freakout » Her - Ooh Gary Gary

Unlike the mysterious beginning at Stoke, or a pick of the pops selection at Crystal Palace, the history of the running out music as used by Everton is well documented.

I was going to pose another open question as to where, when and why and how the theme from Z Cars is used at Goodison, but Wikipedia answered that for me:

“On matchdays players walk out to the theme tune to Z-Cars, called ‘Johnny Todd’, a traditional Liverpool children’s song collected in 1890 by Frank Kidson which tells the story of a sailor betrayed by his lover while away at sea.”

» Theme From Z-Cars

Further to this Wikipedia adds:

“Based on the traditional folk song Johnny Todd, the Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962.

It was soon adopted by fans of the football club Everton, who are based in Liverpool near to where the programme supposedly took place. To this day, the theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches.”

I am very familiar with the Z-Cars theme, but not the song Johnny Todd so I had a dig around and found the lyrics here and here (opens in new window). The first couple of verses »

Johnny Todd he took a notion
For to cross the ocean wide.
There he left his true love a-weeping
Waiting by the Liverpool tide.

For a week she wept full sorely,
Tore her hair and wrung her hands
Till she met with another sailor
Walking on the Liverpool sands.

Then I happened upon a few artists who have covered it. Including and probably obviously by the (Liverpool) Spinners, Bob Dylan, some Irish folk singers and even a sea shanty. (Although looking at the lyrics it could claim to be more as a shanty than a folk song).

There was another group a few years later who also called themselves the Spinners. They were known in the UK as the Detroit Spinners	» The Spinners - Johnny Todd
This is from The Genuine Basement Tapes, which is a collection of demo recordings. A bit of a racket even for Bob.	» Bob Dylan - Johnny Todd
The Clancy Brothers were an Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, who are often credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States.	» Clancy Bros & Tommy Makem - Johnny Todd
	» Unknown Artist - Johnny Todd

I was going to post this no matter what the outcome of the Ipswich/Pompey match.

Originally I was going to, as I did with the Coventry post, talk about their one and only FA Cup win.

Then that one moment happen which changed it and I was going to focus on how Ipswich were playing against 12 men. But in the end it wasn’t the ref that lost the game for them, it was a slip up in the defence and a well taken goal by David Nugent which became that one moment.

Ipswich before the sending off could have forced a replay, but from what I saw I don’t think would have progressed any further. They didn’t really create that many opportunities up front and they need to invest in the January sales.

So after all that I’ll go back to the original plan - The 1978 FA Cup Final with the all conquering (at that time) Ipswich Town with their manager - the legend that is Bobby Robson and of course his team:

You never see football players with moustaches any more.

Mick Mills and the film star John Wark were a couple of notables ones playing for the same team which also included George Burley, Kevin Beattie, Paul Mariner and the scorer of the only goal that day - Roger Osborne.

Osborne was so overcome with the emotion of that moment that he feinted and was immediately subbed. Can you imagine the special needs kid doing that.

Thankfully for us the team ventured into the studio before the final and recorded the following for posterity:

Ipswich Town 1978 FA Cup Squad - Ipswich Ipswich (Get That Goal)

At least they didn’t use “blues” in the lyrics or title. I’ll give them that.