Janus’ Journal #5- By Hugh Wilkins
Music is a deeply spiritual and elucidating part of life. It can be deeply emotive, beautifully raw means of support, clarity or identity for oneself. However, music and sport have a close bond. Where supporting a sports team creates an interminable bond between fan and club, this connection can be only strengthened by music, with it coming to define the identity of both the club, and its supporters. Whether belted out before, during or after a game, these anthems are integral at emotionally reifying the club to its supporters: creating not a business, but a family.
West Ham: I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles
I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles was a song that was created for the 1918 Broadway musical, The Passing Show of 1918, and it wears its meaning blatantly. It speaks to the ephemera of dreams, and how, despite their fleeting nature, come to define a clubs identity.
West Ham as a club are often constrained by their own ambition. As they try to reach for the sky through flashy football, homegrown talent, and working class grit, the realism of life in English Football supplants ambition with reality. But still, the songs message highlights that when nothing is given, you need to work hard to achieve your ambitions.
As the lyrics suggest, “fortunes always hiding”, but regardless, the Hammers blow bubbles that always try to “reach the sky” despite how their dreams “fade and die”. No matter what happens, no matter how many times the dream fades, the ambition never does, as West Ham continue to blow their bubbles.
An anthem that shows a desire for more. It reflects West Ham’s never say die attitude. The song is sung with passion before kick-off at every home game, bubbles are released in the stadium on every West Ham goal, and West Ham’s 2023/2024 home shirt even had bubbles emblazoned on it to reinforce the songs connection to the clubs identity.
Liverpool: You’ll Never Walk Alone
The anthem that has become a motto for Liverpool, it forever represents the community support that is expressed by Liverpool and its fans to their club, their city, and the wider football community.
Created by Gerry and the Peacemakers in 1963 in celebration of a passing friend, it made its way to Liverpool after manager Bill Shankly was awed by it upon listening to the single in 1965. This translated to its consideration as Liverpool’s club song, which was proudly sung for the first time in the 1965 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Leeds United.
It’s hopeful message ensures it is sung in times of hardship. Its symbolism of unity and community strength has found further meaning in the midst of many footballing tragedies. In the wake of the Hillsborough disaster (1989); a disastrous crowd-crush, Anfield residents sang this anthem as a poignant reinforcement for communities recognition of the victims (97 of which were Liverpool fans), and unwavering support for their families. The song became a hopeful anthem that these families would never walk alone again.
More recently, in 2022, when Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina’s newborn son tragically passed away, the Anfield crowd used the anthem as a touching tribute for a footballing icon. In the seventh minute of a match between Liverpool and Manchester United, the Anfield crowd rose in applause for the Ronaldo family, and sang You Will Never Walk Alone. That is what the anthem is, it looks at football past the rivalries, and instead highlights the beauty of its unifying nature. The anthem became a vessel that showed that the entire footballing world, regardless of club or country, that in the wake of unimaginable tragedy, the only way to get through it, is together.
Most recently, in the wake of Diogo Jota’s passing: the song re-emerged as an undying connector between the supporters, the players and the club, all of which were absolutely rocked by the sudden death. In the pre-season matches, the minute of silence was followed by the raw chorus of the anthem, sung with immense vibrance. Moreover, Liverpool’s beautiful gesture to continue providing Jota’s family with the remainder of his contract shows that those apart of Liverpool, no matter for how long, or how short, will never walk alone.
Sunderland: Can’t Help Fallin’ In Love With You
The meaning of the song is obviously evident. Sunderland, a proud, passionate and spirited city that is reflected in its supporters, and despite Sunderland’s recent footballing turbulence, these supporters are undying in their loyalty.
Elvis’ Blue Hawaii hit made its way to Sunderland in the 1990s, a period where Sunderland bounced around the football leagues with relegations, promotions, survival and mid-table finishes. In 1992, in which they were relegated, they still made a miracle run to Wembley in the 1992 FA Cup, which they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
Sunderland fans are among the most passionate in English football, and they started singing Elvis’ anthem as a message to the club. No matter what happens, the fans will be there, rain, hail or shine. It is an anthem of undying devotion, personal commitment, the resilience of love, but most importantly, pride. Sunderland supporters are intimately proud of their team, and belt this anthem out at the beginning of every home game to solidify the cosmic connection between players and the fans.
Sunderland’s home, Stadium of Light, is an emotionally resonant environment. The name itself evoking the Sunderland miners emergence from the depths of the mines. The song if further indicative of this, as no matter how dark it gets, how tough it is, the love of the fans is forever: and will always be a light in the darkness for Sunderland.
In my following of Premier League, I have never seen Sunderland play due to their inhabiting of the lower leagues. My first experience witnessing the Stadium of Light came most recently on the opening fixture, which ended as Sunderland beat my West Ham 3-0. The limbs on each goal, and the deafening atmosphere that bled through the coverage only heightens just how loyal and devoted Sunderland fans are.
Port Adelaide: INXS Never Tear us Apart
Anthems are not just limited to the world game. In AFL, few clubs have adopted it, but the ones that do have generated a primal connection to the club that is a sight to behold.
The Port Adelaide Magpies were a proud South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club, with a rich history and passionate supporters, established in 1870. In 1997, when Port Adelaide were granted the licence in the AFL, the club itself was brutally divided. The Port Adelaide Power became the AFL team, and was not allowed to be associated with the magpies of the SANFL. Legal tribulations ensured that the Port Adelaide of the AFL was considered a pale imitation by the fans who felt that the real Port Adelaide was the one in the SANFL.
The club was brutalised, and their history, neglected. For the diehard supporters of Port Adelaide, this was a bitter pill to swallow. The Port Adelaide Power was associated with Port in name only.
The use of the anthem dates back to 2012, after a club trip to Anfield saw them witness Anfield’s display of You’ll Never Walk Alone. Matthew Richardson (Port’s General Manager of Marketing) saw the commercial value of such an event, and the ability to generate further connection between the supporters and the club. Enter, INXS’ 1988 hit: Never Tear Us Apart.
The meaning is clear. Port, which endured much turmoil in the merger from the SANFL and the AFL, resulting in a brutal disconnection from their rich history, used the anthem as a beacon of the strength and undying tenacity of their supporters. Despite the AFL’s attempts, Port Adelaide survived, and the anthem is a beacon of their impassioned stance towards the preservation and celebration of their history. The Port fans turn Adelaide Oval into an intimidating and territorial hunting ground that strikes fear into any opposition supporter or player.
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