For this instance it’s in relation to a campaign to get football fans to volunteer in their local communities – AND – if you sign up you could win tickets to see a Premier League game.

Vinspired, the national young volunteers service have recently teamed up with the Premier League in an attempt to get more people volunteering in Football. This partnership means that young people (between 16-25) who sign up get the chance to win tickets to see their favourite team in action.

You can read more about it via: www.vinspired.com/football – this from that page:

“Make the Team is v’s new campaign to persuade football fans to volunteer in their local communities.

Volunteering at your local football club offers you a chance to really get involved with the game that you love, even if you don’t play it yourself. There are hundreds of opportunities to choose from; whether you’ve got one minute, one day or one week to spare.

As a volunteer, you’ll be part of our national volunteering team AND have the chance to win tickets to see Premier League Clubs!

Anyone who volunteers will automatically be entered into our prize draw to win one of numerous pairs of match day tickets, courtesy of Premier League.

Local clubs are a great place to not only play football, but also make life long friends. You can be part of that, learn new skills and make a difference at the same time. Go on, make the team!”

As somebody who many years ago volunteered at my local football club and I know that the effervescent Danny Last over at EFW would also give this his full backing (recently he was at Lewes FC helping to decorate at the club). It is a great thing to volunteer, especially with your local team. There’s nothing that beats the reward of helping out.

But just don’t take my word for it, have a listen to the aforementioned Kammy talk about volunteering and how good it is:

So don’t hang about go and sign in or register on the Vinspired site and then go and have a look through the opportunities. There’s loads of stuff, such as being a football tannoy announcer or there are many, many opportunities for coaching.

- There’s one here for blogging about the Make The Team initiative.   Hey I could do that…

Extra Time:

We can’t finish until we’ve had the traditional pie in the face – AKA – some Klassic Kammy:

*puts on cloth cap*     *takes out teeth*

It’s been proven that kids these days *waves a bony finger* exercise less and are more obese, so what to do ? Where to go ?

Luckily there’s still somewhere to go (only in London at the mo) and something for the kids to do.

Somewhere where they can enjoy themselves in a positive, pressure free environment and the best part – stay fit at the same time.

  Ministry of Football started a couple of years ago in Muswell Hill and is such a success that they’ve added more venues.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Firstly what is Ministry of Football ?

MoF offers children of 3 to 14 the opportunity to develop their skills in a positive, stress-free environment. These sessions are unique because of the quality of the coaching staff, and because of the use of pumping dance music to energise and motive the players.

“We believe that children need more play-time than they currently get. Play-time can provide them with the physical activity they need to be healthy, and teach them life skills such as team-work and leadership. Play-time with a ball can provide children with the opportunity for creativity and self-expression that most don’t get at school or in coach-centred sports sessions. Years ago, young footballers learnt their skills and understanding of the game in the adult-free environments of the playground, park or street. Ministry of Football re-creates this type of environment where children can play, experiment and develop in the direction they choose rather than the direction a coach or adult chooses for them.”

The coaching staff are quality. They are very experienced and hold UEFA B coaching badges. Also all the MoF coaches are CRB checked with the English FA, and have completed the FA’s Emergency Aid and Safeguarding Children training.

The Football:

“Ministry of Football believes in letting players set their own limits on what they want to achieve and how good they can become. We recognise that it may take many mistakes before a player achieves success, and we encourage all players to experiment with different solutions in order to find answers that they are comfortable with.

Many other coaching programmes teach players text-book packaged techniques, and restrict the players to using only these solutions to problems they face in games. On these programmes, coaches provide constant information to their players on what to do next (Push up! Pass! Shoot! etc). In doing this, they produce players who are dependant on the coach, and whose level of development cannot surpass that of the coach who is instructing them.

Ministry of Football does not believe in restricting players to a set of particular answers. We do not scream instructions at the players (they can’t hear us anyway because of the music!). And we do not tell players off for making mistakes, for taking risks, or for trying new things. We want to help to produce players who are better than we are, players who take the game beyond its current limits, we want to be amazed by what our players can do.”

The Music:

Luke Hindes, one of the coaches is studying for a degree in Sports Science with Professional Football Coaching at the University of Greenwich. Luke wrote a dissertation on the affects of music on perceived effort in football training.

Luke’s dissertation involved replicating several game activities, with and without music. Players effort was monitored using heart-rate monitors and their perception of effort and enjoyment was calculated by asking the players questions after the session. To review the study and some of the points made by Luke in his dissertation check out the music page.

“Music contains the power to seize attention, raise morale, create emotion, alter mood, act as a reminder of previous memories, raise work rate, increase confidence, and promote rhythm to movement.”

It is fantastic to discover and read about something like this, such a great programme and I hope will continue to catch on and eventually be found everywhere.

…using the above as an excuse I’ve gone into my library and pulled out a few house tunes that I haven’t played in a long time…

Additionally – Have a video made by MoF:

  Link: www.ministry-of-football.com

Occasionally I get an idea about assembling a team, but with a theme. I then throw out these challenges on Twitter to see if anyone can help me fill in the teamsheet for a first XI. Last week I was looking for a #RotundXI and got a good few names which I could assemble two teams. Will do that another time though.

Today the idea is more inline to what we are all about – a #FootieAndMusicXI.

I received some excellent suggestions from newfieldchris who runs the Saggar Makers Social Club, and from Fredorrarci who rules Sport Is A TV Show with an iron fist. Thanks chaps.

Below is a rundown of the first team, plus the subs – and a team manager.

The eccentric goalkeeper Arnold Layne who has put that drug thing behind him and is the first name on the list now.

The solid centre back Charlie Brown, who has a persecution complex and he thinks that the referees are always out to get him. Not good with free kicks.

Absolutely nothing is known about this player.

One of the two Jonnie’s in the team, much to the delight of opposing fans. The veteran Johnny Thunder who has a distinguished career in the top flight.

Partnering his namesake at the back is a tricky right back who’s good at getting up for the crosses, can be see floating into the box.

The midfield enforcer and captain of the team. Do you feel lucky punk ?

The quick left sided midfielder, Kevin Carter sometimes joins in attack.

The tricky Italian winger who can play on the left or the right.

A product of the youth system, namesake son of the 60′s legend.

The right sided player who is absolutely blind as a bat and much to the annoyance of his boss, is constantly losing his contacts during matches.

Ernold Same, a summer signing and the flying Dutch winger is just coming back from injury.

- and the team coach… who some say walks like a woman and wears a bra…

[Subs Bench]

Three that are gathering splinters, probably make a change around 70 mins if it’s a stalemate:

Jimmy Ray out of the wilderness, signed on a free but fans keep on asking… / The sturdy defender Alex Chilton, just off the treatment table. / The ever retiring reserve ‘keeper Andy Warhol.

[See post to listen to audio]
» Jimmy Ray – Are You Jimmy Ray ?

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Replacements – Alex Chilton

[See post to listen to audio]
» David Bowie – Andy Warhol

[In The Stands]

There were a few others that didn’t make the squad and will have to play their football elsewhere…
You can find these and all the above selections via 6 Mirrors.

» If you are looking for a few names to form your own team. Try here.

If this was an actual team then it would be somebody like Bolton Wanderers. Don’t have a name for this XI. Suggestions below. Also if you’ve got a candidate that the F&M XI scouts should look at. Again leave a comment below.

…Something more important than that. These are the ones from Wikio – and more specifically the top 30 football blogs in which Football and Music appears.

Wikio…?

Wikio is an information portal with a news search engine that searches press sites and blogs.
With Wikio you can very easily create pages to follow the breaking news that interests you. Our info is continuously updated!
Wikio is a participative service: you can publish an article directly on the site or comment on an existing item.
You can also vote for an article or a group that captures your interest in order to increase its visibility on the site.
Each page offers an RSS feed that allows you to subscribe to receive the information that appears there in the reader of your choice.

I also got a message from Matthieu at Wikio the other week and he informed me that F&M was in the top 100 European football blogs too.

But more importantly – the numbers for the top 30 UK football blogs for July 2010:

Hmm…where I am…? Ah there – down three. Down three…?!

I demand that the maFIFA make an inquiry into this blatant (blogging version of a) handball !!

We are bandwagon jumping and have invited Obscure Music and Football (which like F&M it does as it says on the tin…) to do guest post on here.   Read on Macduff:

Football songs are currently going through something of a renaissance. After being shunted for the past decade or so, possibly due to footballers taking themselves too seriously and being less willing to poke fun at themselves, football songs have become the comeback kid. No doubt due to the advent of Facebook and YouTube, footballers are now more than willing to unleash their musical credentials. But in a world where footballers are as characterless as Jamie Redknapp’s punditry, what is the modern football song like?

Unfortunately, Ryan Babel is the perfect example of how footballers have turned into attention-seeking cretins that don’t care about anyone but themselves because they’re so bloody great. It’s quite surprising for a man that sounds like he’s coughing up phlegm whilst rapping. When it comes to his lyrics, Babel is so arrogant to such proportions that it almost becomes unethical. It just shows how much football songs have changed as it’s no longer about hoping your team wins, finding love or eating sausage rolls. It’s now about how expensive your watch is, how big your car is and how rubbish everyone else is apart from yourself. Before football songs was about enjoying the situation and laughing in the face of adversity, but now it’s just full of spite and bitterness. Despite this Babel’s music seems to be very popular in the Netherlands. What do you expect in a country that sees 2Unlimited as demi-gods?

Another interesting change is how seriously music is being taken as a possible career by footballers. Before, you’d think that ‘Diamond Lights’ was conceived after a drunken bet or ‘Head Over Heels in Love’ was just a blatant-cash in. Even something like Andy Cole’s ‘Outstanding’ was not treated as a life-or-death affair. Now it seems like if footballers do not get the attention they crave or if they receive a single piece of constructive criticism, their heads will combust due to its devastating impact. It takes such an obsession on their lives, that in their deluded world, they think that it is now their major career path.

Take a look at Clint Dempsey who, under the alias Deuce (a name that is no doubt influenced by the cheesy manufactured group from the mid-1990’s), wants to be the new Pharrell Williams at whatever cost. Due to hiring the cheapest knock-off of Puff Daddy, however, his song ‘Don’t Tread’ seems to have the intensity of taking out false teeth and the terror of being happy-slapped by a midget. It’s obvious that Dempsey wants to be taken seriously here but, with lyrics describing how he is signed by Nike, his venture into music is as credible as Paul Gascoigne’s music career without even realising it.

Despite these accusations, there have been recent attempts to record football songs for charity. However, these seem to be a cynical attempt to further expose these vanity projects on the public radar rather than being a genuine attempt to raise funds and awareness for various charities.

The Players, for example – fronted by Norwegian Premier League players (i.e. obscure and/or unknown players to the average football fan) Freddy Dos Santos, Kristofer Hæstad, Raymond Kvisvik and Øyvind Svenning, along with Blackburn Rovers winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, they gathered to sing the track ‘This is For Real’ which raised funds for the charity Soccer against Crime. Fair play, until you listen to the song. As tepid as a John Major pose, it has the lyrical content that is likely to induce immediate projectile vomiting. Utterly pointless, where it feels like random members of Embrace, Orson and Westlife have instantly been turned into waxwork models.

The Players – This Is For Real:

Neil Danns’ effort for the Haiti fund seems even more contrived and self-satisfied than others. In a doomed attempt to show that he cares about the world, he discusses terror and poverty with the substance of the average Metro article. In addition to committing manslaughter to Eric Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’, Danns tries to be cool and insightful by singing about 9/11 whilst using Auto-Tune and dancing in an ushanka:

Rather tragically though, Danns is the artist most convinced that he is set for music stardom as he is currently studying for a video editing and production course. You can imagine Danns spending every single second of his life thinking about Auto-Tune, given that Sheffield Wednesday duo Richard O’Donnell and Mark Beevers’ have practised the Kings Of Leon song Sex on Fire on Auto Tune with empty Coca-Cola bottles.

There are, however, two saving graces that revert to the stereotypical view of the football song….

One is Carlos Tevez’s band Piola Vago who completely understands the concept of recording a wonderfully bad football song. Recorded by musicians who are performing at five pitches higher than it should be, their musical incompetence is naturally brilliant in its own way. It is also what a football song should be; no boasting or being completely in love with themselves, just a bunch of football fanatics having a bit of fun and not taking themselves seriously with it. Whilst I’m convinced that the song ripped onto YouTube was played at completely the wrong speed, they are comedy geniuses.

Didier Drogba’s effort is equally entertaining. Whether the collaborator is called ‘Billy Billy’ or whether that is the name of the song is unknown, given that every aspect of this recording is completely incomprehensible. Utilising the modern techniques found in the Ivory Coast such as the using the horn function on the 1992 Yamaha PSR-75 electronic keyboard, it somehow sounds like a remedial class trying to play Caribbean music. As devastating as cot death, Billy Boy’s is hilariously bad with Drogba’s contribution a delight to marvel at.

Although it seems like a trivial subject to discuss, modern football songs parallel the criticisms of modern football (whether these are right or wrong is a different story). They are generally mean-spirited and soulless songs, recorded by a bunch of narcissistic show-offs who will throw their toys out of the pram if they don’t get their own way. As credible as Rio Ferdinand’s television career, it is the worst kind of music you can listen to -in the musicians’ warped world they think they are creating something groundbreaking when it is in fact the opposite. Apart from two people, that is. Thank god for Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba.

About the author:

Chris Ledger is the writer and editor of the cult website Obscure Music and Football.

In my posts I went with bands that share the same name as a football team... I told you it was thin… and Eric found artists who slip football references into their songs.

Oh and the “e-rawk” name ? He tells me that it came from a fleeting nickname he had whilst fronting a Scorpions cover band. The band lasted for a year… 5 years ago.
You shouldn’t have told me that Eric.

On with the music:

The Decemberists

“I fell on the playing field
The work of an errant heel
The din of the crowd and the loud commotion
Went deafening silence and stopped emotion
The season was almost done
We managed it 12 to 1…”

I'm not the only one who thinks the intro/drums sounds like Lust For Life am I ?
Thought not.

The Lucksmiths

…were an Australian band who sadly broke up just last year.

“And on your left
Is all that’s left of the bowling green
A town without a football team”

The opening line: “What a beautiful day for a crushing defeat” and then:

“Don’t be hopeful on my behalf
I’d like to offer my resignation
And strangle myself with a football scarf
Or act in self-defenestration..”

Bell and Sebastian

“Another day in June, we’ll pick eleven for football
We’re playing for our lives the referee gives us fck all
I saw you in the corner of my eye on the sidelines…”

and of course…

“I don’t want to play football
I don’t understand the thrill of the game
I don’t want to play football
I don’t understand the thrill of the running, catching, throwing
Taking orders from a moron…”

Some good selections there E-Rawk, I now bestow the title of Chief (football&music) Scout upon you.

If you’d like to become a F&M scout then email us here with any music/footie songs you’ve spotted.

Last year’s selection included Pete Green, The Sultans of Ping FC and Saint Etienne, which had some links to f&m even if it was just with their name. This next lot and their connection is even more tenuous but I don’t care.

Some actual Crimbo tunes first with a couple of (un)usual suspects.

Starting with The Fall, previously featured here when I commemorated John Peel Day, because the Beeb didn’t. – For your delectation we have Mr Mark E. Smith and co. with a short and sweet seasonal tune.

[See post to listen to audio] » The Fall – Jingle Bell Rock

Another previously featured artist who got a mention in relation to Bristol Rovers, this is from 1944 and is an excellent tune:

[See post to listen to audio] » Leadbelly – On a Christmas Day

This next one I don’t know why … again these are random selections but I can’t remember the reason – apart from it being a decent tune – for it’s inclusion here.
Oh now I remember. It was included on that disappointing Match Of The Day album. Some disappointing selections there. Did they get Lineker to choose the tracks ?

[See post to listen to audio] » MGMT – Time To Pretend

We are nearly at the end of this year, which had a non-footballing summer and now it’s only six months until the world will be watching events from South Africa.
A few weeks ago I posted a related article and the follow was one of the featured artists. This is another well known track from him:

[See post to listen to audio] » Johnny Clegg & Savuka – Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World

Sadly and probably for the very last time here…. The very epitomy of football and music. Chaz N’ Dave:

[See post to listen to audio] » Chas N’ Dave – I Wish I Could Write A Love Song [See post to listen to audio] » Chas N’ Dave – That’s What I Like

So to those who celebrate... all the best for the season.

"Yay ! We finished 2nd !"

» E-Type – Campione

An explanation…

We’ve been notified that we received a Worthy Website: Silver Award from that venerable (not Venables) long standing, most respected (ok that’s enough ass kissing) football magazine When Saturday Comes. The mag doesn’t hand out these awards willy-nilly and this time around they somehow found this very website, liked what they saw and then mentioned us in the same breath as Twohundredpercent & Pitch Invasion amongst others.

I’ve been involved with and have contributed to a couple of fanzines which got a mention, but in all these years of reading WSC… I never thought something that I produced would be in there.

A few quotations from them:

“It’s five years since WSC last handed out any awards to worthy websites. And even then, we didn’t actually hand anything out. These are virtual awards that reflect the cyber-realistic nature of the internet and so will be better appreciated by the keyboard-bound phalanx of dedicated writers who would never desert their terminals just to attend some fancy web awards dinner at the Savoy. Besides, they were fully booked until next Christmas.

Those five years have seen a significant decline in webzines while blogs, forums and Twitter feeds have emerged as the instant conduit for football’s weary, frustrated and furious fans. …

… Considering the payback, we are amazed that in the non-commercial substrata, there are still independent websites ready to invest energy in producing work full of conviction, originality, wit and well-hewn prose. …”

Before I break out a can of Panda Cola to celebrate I’m going to take this as a weak excuse to post some musical-football related tunes – The reason being is that if you’ve just recently visited and have viewed the previous posts, you’ll be thinking that yes, footie & music are two things that should not have ever met. But you would be wrong. Sometimes they can be a perfect union, as exemplified with the following:

The Delilah’s sound like a Swiss version of Elastica, they even have male band members.
A few years ago they released this track, which sings that: “… 2-1 is better than 1-nil at home..”

[See post to listen to audio] The Delilahs – One-Nil At Home Click for Lyrics On the chest Uncle Pete is looking past his best But he dribbles better than the rest Here I go down the wing Everybody sing Eye on the ball, eye on the ball, eye on the 2 – 1 is better than 1 – 0 at home And long live the pissheads that leave me alone Here’s the wall Freekick and I’m standing so tall To the left, to the left, STOP. A bit more… Here I go Everybody sing Eye on the ball, on the ball Eye on the own goal Well 4 – 1 is better than 1 – 0 at home And long live the pissheads that leave me alone Foul referee He’s hacking at my knee Down in the box Point to the spot – Whey! Back of the net It’s going in the back of the net Eye on the ball Eye on the Bollocks 8 – 1 is better than 1 – 0 at home And long live the pissheads that leave me alone 10 – 1 is better than 1 – 0 at home And long live the pissheads that leave me alone

The Dynamics are a French group who are deeply routed in soul, they took a song popularised by the fans at Euro 98 and put their own spin on it:

[See post to listen to audio] » The Dynamics – 7 Nation Army Click for video » Link to video

Lastly one from an entry originally posted in 2007, in which I featured WSC with a scan of their very first issue and the song from where they got their name:

» The Undertones – When Saturday Comes

Honestly.

[See post to listen to audio] » Antione – Le Match De Football (Love Is Like A Football Game) [See post to listen to audio] » Giorgio Chinaglia – (I’m) Football Crazy [See post to listen to audio] » Louis Phillipe – Carioca

                [Once again add your own caption]

Extra Time:
[See post to listen to audio]
» Sugar Ray featuring Rivers Cuomo – Love Is The Answer
(Rivers Cuomo – lead singer of Weezer – previously featured here)

Once again… because of other werk…phoning it, etc…etc.
Ah what are you going to do ? Pay me to do this ? I’d like to see you do that.

Seriously.

[See post to listen to audio]
» Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra conducted by Robert Farnon – Drum Majorette (MoTD original theme)

[See post to listen to audio]
» Mike Vickers Orchestra – Offside (Match Of The Day Theme – Commerical release)
- More info

[See post to listen to audio] » BBC Match Of The Day Theme (2009)

[See post to listen to audio] » The Posh – Le Match Du Jour

[See post to listen to audio] » Genesis – Match Of The Day

[See post to listen to audio] » Big In Japan – Match Of The Day
(Featuring Ian Broudie – More info)

[See post to listen to audio]
» Band of The Irish Guards conducted by Major CH Jaeger – Out Of The Blue (Radio 5 Sports Report)

[See post to listen to audio]
» Melodi Light Orchestra conducted by Ole Jensen – Football Fanfare

[See post to listen to audio] » Sound Stage Orchestra – The Big Match (70′s)