[See post to listen to audio] » Harmony Blend – Blue City (Paloma Blanca)
	[See post to listen to audio] » The Dollies – Rah Rah Rah for Manchester United

The Man City song was original found and posted by Left and to the Back whose self torture seems to be in finding old records which were (for the most part) rightfully ignored.

This one… is there a scale of obscureness…? Because this one is something like 9/100th obscure.

Left and to the Back writes…

“The title “Blue City” should have been a screaming giveaway of course, but I’m thick like that. In a way, I’m glad I did take this one home – the single appears to be a Euro-disco soccer-based take on “Una Paloma Blanca”, complete with Linn drum “peooing!” noises, used here to an effect not heard since Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell”. Clearly the market for disco-loving Manchester City fans was no stronger in 1978 than it is today, as the single flopped.”

He goes on to write about John Schroeder (who’s been previously featured on here) and his link to Creation Records and the brothers Gallagher who… etc.

The Man Utd song I have zero information about. It sounds like something recorded in the 60′s and it helps any poor illiterate EmYou fan out by spelling out the name of the club for them.
- Bonus bit at the end: Audio from an old episode of Coronation Street with Stan and Hilda Ogden.

It was where their chase for the title took a kick to the head when they drew at Crystal Palace.

With this result and the loss of their talismanic (or just manic as it was) captain for the rest of the season, their grip of the trophy slipped and the Championship went to Blackburn Rovers that year.

Remember that so-called fan (who will not be named, it’s better if he lives in ignominy), remember what he claimed, after he got out of his seat and ran down to the hoardings, to have shouted ?

He claimed that he said:

“Off, off, off, it’s an early bath for you, Cantona…”

Which has got to be the most polite berating ever heard. At a rugger game maybe, but never at a football match. What he actually said was: “‘You dirty French bastard. Fcuk off back to France.”

That moment of madness for Eric the red was captured not only by camera, but audibly too. It’s memory lives on because of the commentator Jonathan Pearce, who I think was still on Capital Gold Sport at that time, in his description of the event that unfolded in front of him.

PhilB, who has been featured on F&M previously with his England (& KLF) Mini Mix, took this Jono Pearce moment and added some music:

[See post to listen to audio] » PhilB – Cantona Oh My Goodness Me

As mentioned above PhilB did a KLF Mini-Mix and there’s a link here with Cantona and another track which was originally thought to be something from the KLF but in the end wasn’t. Or was it ?
Via Wikipedia:

” KLF were themselves apparently the victims of a “hoax” when an outfit called “1300 Drums featuring the Unjustified Ancients of M.U.” released a novelty single to cash-in on the popularity of Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona. 1300 Drums even made a KLF-style Top of the Pops appearance, with the “band” wearing Cantona masks. The authorship of “Ooh Aah” remains unresolved: at least one source maintains that Drummond and Cauty were 1300 Drums.”

[See post to listen to audio] » 1300 Drums & Unjustified Ancients of M.U – Ooh Aah Cantona

More Cantona:
- Oh This Is Bad: Part 2

Extra Reading:
- The Guardian > Cantona’s kung fu kick
- Sporting Deviance > Eric Cantona versus Crystal Palace

(Willie) had two spells with the club and managed to fall out with chairman Bob Lord during both of them, no mean achievement, and went on to play league football until the age of 37 before finally hanging up his boots….

… Morgan established himself as one of the best wingers in the league. He had great close control, could beat defenders almost at will and was a superb crosser of the ball…

… Such was his form that he was called up for Scotland, only the third Burnley player to be capped by the Scots…

… His debut for United came on the right wing – the forward line that day was Willie Morgan, Brian Kidd, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best…

… He signed for United at a time when they were about to go into a decline although Morgan blossomed despite the lack of honours. He was relegated with United in 1974 but was in the side that bounced straight back and even scored against Burnley that season in a League Cup tie. United, a second division club, beat first division Burnley.

That promotion was the first honour at club level for him but he was involved in the highly publicised court case against manager Tommy Docherty and left United to return to Turf Moor.

» Take a moment to read the whole thing.

As for the song…

Whoever recorded the following song: “Willie Morgan On The Wing” also thought it would be a jape to call themselves Tristar Airbus. (Geddit… wing…Airbus…Nah it’s not funny at all) And now thanks to this moment of brainfartiness we’ll never know who it was. Which is probably a good thing.

[See post to listen to audio]» Tristar Airbus – Willie Morgan On The Wing

To accompany that one about a Scotia winger at Old Trafford – this is by another unknown (Scottish) singer:

[See post to listen to audio]» Unknown Artist – United, United

It is an early start for me, but an even earlier one for the home supporters who have to drive up the M1/get the first train from Euston/fly from Dublin.       Ah got an early one in there...

Sadly though even with Sky bigging up the match we will not see all the players on stage for this play; Robinho has an ankle, Adebayor will probably be banned, Crock Santa Cruz has just returned to training and the main protagonist in this particular footballing soap opera episode will also be sitting in the stands. Which means either Bellamy up front on his own or even…whisper it… Benjani back in there.

At the other end of the pitch there will still be a score to settle even with the “big names” missing. Utd still see themselves as the dominant force and will want to show that money doesn’t always buy you happiness.

There was a compilation album released quite a few years back (who’s title I borrowed for this post) and I’m using this as inpiration by choosing acts who are from there and who have sang about there.

[See post to listen to audio] » The Fall – City Hobgoblins

[See post to listen to audio] » Elbow – Forget Myself

[See post to listen to audio] » Oasis – Round Are Way

[See post to listen to audio] » Ian Brown – Longsight M13

[See post to listen to audio] » Doves – M62 Song

and finally…
[See post to listen to audio] » The Beautiful South – Manchester

This is only a few of the many that I could have chosen from.

Additional: If you are wondering where I got those images with the dog and the teams, I found them at this excellent website. Although I created the Man City with their new 3rd shirt myself.

I haven’t done a list of my favourite footie movies, but if I did this would be in a UEFA Europa Cup place. Maybe even a Champions League spot.

Parminder Nagra in: BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

Oh and I believe Kiera Knightly was in there somewhere too…

The film – apart from the usual dreams of playing in the big leagues/beats all the odds/setbacks, etc to get there – also had many other subplots thrown in.

For anyone who still hasn’t (seen it) yet, here’s a brief synopsis:

Like most everyone else in England, Jessmindar “Jess” Bahmra [Parminder Nagra] idolises David Beckham. But Jess is different from most fans; she’s a talented player in her own right. Unfortunately, her traditional Indian parents have other plans for their youngest daughter. They expect Jess to follow in the Indian tradition like her sister, Pinky.

When Jess meets Jules [Keira Knightley], who plays for a local female football team, she pursues her dream and begins to play, keeping her participation a secret from her parents and often leading to disastrous results. To complicate matters even more, both Jess and Jules are enamored with their coach, Joe [Jonathan Rhys Meyers]. Ultimately, Jess has to decide whether to live life on her terms or act in accordance with her parents’ wishes.

Via Rotten Tomatoes

Wasn’t just a footie movie, but an excellently viewed look at a multi-cultural life in Britain and was a springboard for the stars who both went to Hollywood.

As for the match sequences in the film, I think they pulled it off. They looked believable and not staged. I think they got actual football players in and not just actors. But the actors themselves pulled it off, Parminder Nagra especially with the scene when putting the washing out in the back garden and trying to curl one around the clothes hanging on the line.

The Soundtrack:

Is decent… It has a couple of ex-Spice Girls on there. Including yes, even rare outing from Posh herself.

Mel C’s “Independence Day” makes the list but another song of hers – “I Turn To You” – which was in a key scene of the film, didn’t.

There were a few other tracks on the film and didn’t make soundtrack. No idea as to why.

A particular absent one was Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up. Why didn’t they include that ?

But what was on the CD was some funny lines from the movie…
[See post to listen to audio] “It’s Beckham’s corner”
[See post to listen to audio] “Can’t make round Chappatis”
[See post to listen to audio] “The offside rule is…”

…as well as a fantastic Bhangra version of familiar Soca music tune previously featured on F&M, which was used on the end titles of the film and featured the cast members dancing along to the tune:

[See post to listen to audio] » Bina Mistry – Hot Hot Hot

- But the most outstanding track on the CD is this one which gets me up dancing (yes that’s right, even me) every time I hear it, is this one:

[See post to listen to audio] » B21 – Darshan

Good film, great music.
Have to go and watch it again now.

Look don’t blame me. I am only the messenger.

Ok the advanced warning is given, time to insult your ears with this musical homage to another player, which like yesterday with Juninho, is regarded as a messiah at the club.

You don’t need me to tell you about Eric.

You do..? Just a little bit then:

The now retired enfant terrible spends his time with the occasional acting gig and managing the France beach soccer squad. He has been offered a coaching job back at Old Trafford (because yeah, there’s no difference between beach soccer the and Premier League), but has refused because of the Glazer family. Although the word is that he has softened with age and is now thinking about it.

- -

A song that somehow got out, was done by some unknown “artists” and the name they chose for the occasion – appropriately enough – was “Beach”. The song title is a strange one too. Did he suffer some (unreported) memory loss ..?

[See post to listen to audio]
» Beach – You Are Cantona

Hey stop throwing the shoes, I told you it isn’t my fault.

I need to distract you from the abysmal effort above…. ah how about this one… it actually mentions Cantona in the lyrics:

[See post to listen to audio] » Black Lace – I Am The Mimic Man

*ducks a major barrage of footware heading this way*

OW ! Ah come on it worked didn’t it ? You’ve now forgotten about the first song. But are now not forgiving me for that one…

All right I’ll make it up to you.

Here’s a track from Ash done in 1996. They got permission to use the photograph from that incident for the single’s cover:

[See post to listen to audio] » Ash – Kung Fu

Nothing…? .. not a single goal..?

What I did see Ronnie Ronaldo falling down every time he was challenged, I should have done something with the prediction league where the players had to guess how many.

- Oh I did promise to post something from the winners didn’t I.   Me and my big mouth…

I was hoping that the other side would have pulled off an upset because I had a really good bad one lined up for them. There was a tenuous connection to them with the singer purportedly being a fan of the team, but I’ll have to save that for the next time they appear in a cup final.

Whatever decade that will be…

*zing !*

But they didn’t and the other ones did so let’s have a dig through the bin here and see what I’ve got…

Ah ! One from The Georgie Boys (gee not dee) and a 60′s sounding tribute to Fergie and his boys – including Lee Sharpe, Brian McClaire, Paul Parker and others. So that will give you an idea of the period it was recorded.

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Georgie Boys – Red Devils

- and here’s a repost from last October, because it seems appropriate after watching (most of) this match:

[See post to listen to audio]
» ALRN – Another Wasted Afternoon

This gives us the chance to see the new Clown Prince of goalkeepers in action…

…Before he puts his boots back on again for Sunday.

(Cudicini is cup tied for the League Cup Final, but is eligible to play in the UEFA cup. Redknapp though is wisely saving Carlo for the Prem league run in which will be a relegation 6-pointer at home to Middlesbore the following Wednesday.)

- I want to post one for each team but I was having difficulty choosing something for Spurs because of a certain musical act associated with them.

So what I’ve done is gone back to one I posted last May when old Hurry up ‘arry was in another Cup Final with another team…

In that post (if you can’t be arsed clicking that link) I added one done by the late great Ian Dury.
The reason being (obviously) is that the song is called “Hurry Up Harry” and in the lyrics it sings about going up the Wembley Way.

Now I know neither the song or that line is about either of these things (if you do want to find out try here) but it was convenient for the occasion and is a flag of convenience again with a remixed version I stumbled across:

[See post to listen to audio] » Ian Dury & The Blockheads – (S)mash It Up Harry (Remix)

I think that the Blockheads are probably more associated with the residents of Upton Park than of White Hart Lane, so this could be an insult to some Hammers fans. But in my defence Redknapp was the boss before he jumped ship to Southampton (and then to Pompey) before going back to the Saints and then back yet again to Pompey until he abandoned them for….

Now for the other team.

Again I wanted to find something local* to them and happened upon something done by another established English musical act who call themselves loyal supporters:

*Well to their fanbase in Guildford at least…

The Forest Hill, London born Francis Rossi with his partner in Quo – the Woking, Surrey born* Rick Parfitt, did this one for their 1994 FA Cup Final appearance:

*See I told you.

[See post to listen to audio] » Status Quo & The 1994 Manchester United Squad -Come On You Reds

Some fun facts for you fact fans !

- The song was a rewritten version of Burning Bridges (you know it – the one with; “…On and of and on again…” Burrm burrum. “…On and off again…”)

- This was technically the last number one single Status Quo ever had. (Technically because the single was release as: “by Manchester United”)

- Some interesting lyrics to begin the song:

I will of course next week post a song for the winners and I think that it is the first time I wish that – looking at the other stuff I have from both teams – that nobody actually wins on Sunday…

Is it possible to cancel the final because of lack of interest….?

I mentioned in a previous Prediction League mailout that the 1st week of February was a bit of a black hole music-wise. Specifically with February 3rd, 1959 and the aircrash which took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens & The Big Bopper.

But it wasn’t just in music in which there was a big loss, football-wise too.
Also in the beginning of February, one year and three days before the above was an event which devastated and nearly caused Manchester United Football Club to fold.

I don’t need to say much more about it. The real followers of footie will know of that tragic night of February 6th, 1958.

I did forget about the date and it’s thanks to Peke, one the contributors to F&M who reminded me – and told me about a track on a single that Morrissey did in 2004.

The single was Irish Blood, English Heart. (Which if you click on the link will give you more details and audio from all the tracks, as provided by The Vinyl Villain – but the tracks don’t stay long on there. If you are reading this later try The Hype Machine.) The B side… yes I know there are no B sides anymore... is his homage to those lost that night:

[See post to listen to audio] » Morrissey – Munich Air Disaster 1958 - Lyrics We love them We mourn for them Unlucky boys of Red I wish I’d gone down Gone down with them To where Mother Nature makes their bed We miss them Every night we kiss them Their faces fixed in our heads I wish I’d gone down Gone down with them To where Mother Nature makes their bed They can’t hurt you Their style will never desert you Because they’re all safely dead I wish I’d gone down Gone down with them To where Mother Nature makes their bed

- Two years later The Futureheads created a song (which was also used as the album title – and the title for this post) which recalled the events and is their tribute:

[See post to listen to audio] » The Futureheads – News and Tributes - Lyrics Cut down in their prime, In silence, on that day, February 58, they got what they need, From Belgrade and back home to sleep. More than a name, to millions, What could have been changed, By all the boys leaving Munich on that day, The snow came and sent them to sleep. CHORUS (This, fall, was, greater than them all) News and tributes come leaking (in) As all eyes turn to Rome, I forgotten the sadness (feel) Voices turn us towards. Cut down in their prime, In silence, on that day, February 58, they got what they need, From Belgrade and back home to sleep. CHORUS (This, fall, was, greater than them all) News and tributes come leaking (in) As all eyes turn to Rome, I forgotten the sadness (feel), Voices turn us towards. They’re still singing despite the (years) Sending them back into Rome, There’s a ringing in the (ears), That lasts them here to war. News and tributes, (Lick it in Lick it in, Lick it in)

Why does it always end with a big falling out and them leaving and moving as far away as possible.

Maybe even to another country…

This happened a couple of years ago when Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij was the apple in Alex F’s eye.

But then a younger more attractive prospect arrived and soon became Fergie’s latest crush.

Little Ronn had become the darling of the play(training) ground. Everybody crowding around him, eager to be near this new pretty young thing.

Big Ruud saw this and that Fergie was constantly watching ‘ickle Cristian and not him anymore… Ruudi didn’t like this. Ruud was getting angrier and angrier.

Near to the end of the season he was told to sit on the park bench and look at whilst everybody else got to play a game.

And then one day…

Via Wikipedia:

“On 9th May 2006, Setanta Sports reported that van Nistelrooy’s exclusion from the squad was due to a training-session fight between him and teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Nistelrooy allegedly criticised Ronaldo’s tendency to hold onto the ball instead of passing to his teammates, which sparked the fight, after which van Nistelrooy remarked, “Go crying to your daddy.” The article claimed that this was not a reference to Ronaldo’s father (who had died earlier in the season), but to United’s Portuguese assistant coach, Carlos Queiroz.

For the final game he was told that he would still be benched, forced to watch all the others and that was it. He took his ball and stomped off in a huff.

Soon after he packed his bags, flew off to Madrid and has never been seen in or near Manchester ever since.

It wasn’t the first time that AlexF had fallen out with his BFF, it had happened many years before. This time it wasn’t with a one trick pony who was good with the free kicks, it was with an out and out front performer who liked to knock them in.

But as we saw with last season, Ruudi has all been forgotten about now thanks to Fergie’s latest squeeze.

» Tune about Ruud sung in Dutch (it isn’t SteMcL singing though). I hope it isn’t actually rude:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Jan the Frallan – The Ruud van Nistelrooy Song