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Glory Glory (football chant)

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"Glory Glory" is a terrace chant sung in association football in the United Kingdom and in other sport. It uses the tune of the American Civil War song "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", with the chorus "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" – the chant replaces "Hallelujah" with the name of the favoured team. The chant's popularity has caused several clubs to release their version as an official team song.

History

"Glory, Glory to the Hibees"
Single by Hector Nicol with the Kelvin Country Dance Band
A-side"Glory, Glory to the Hibees"
B-side"The Boys in Maroon"
GenreFolk, Football
LabelGaelfonn SPB.905
Songwriter(s)Trad Arr. Hector Nicol

The Scottish club Hibernian may be the first club to release the song as a single; "Glory, Glory to the Hibees" by Hector Nicol is believed to have been recorded in the late 1950s.[1][2] In English football, Tottenham Hotspur is thought to be the first English club to sing the song as a football chant in 1960 when they prevented Wolves from achieving the double in April 1960, but became a popular chant for the club in 1961.[3] Other notable clubs to adopt the song as a football anthem include Leeds United and Manchester United.[3]

Tottenham Hotspur

"Glory Glory, Tottenham Hotspur"
Single by Chas & Dave
A-side"Ossie's Dream"
B-side"Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur"
Released1981
GenrePop, Football
LabelGlory Records, Glory 1

"Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" became a popular song amongst Tottenham fans in the early 1960s and is still an anthem for the club today. Although it may have been sung before by their fans, the popular use of the tune by Tottenham Hotspur began in September 1961 during the 1961–62 European Cup in the home match against the Polish side Górnik Zabrze. The Polish press had previously described the Spurs team as "no angels" due to their rough tackling during the away match. In the return leg at White Hart Lane, some fans then dressed themselves in angel costumes at the match holding placards with slogans such as 'Glory be to shining White Hart Lane' and 'Rejoice! This is the night of vengeance'. The crowded started singing the refrain "Glory Glory Hallelujah" when Spurs beat the Poles 8–1, and in so doing starting the tradition at Tottenham.[4] The song was subsequently recorded by the members of the 1967 FA Cup-winning team and included in the EP, The Spurs Go Marching On.[5]

For the 1981 FA Cup Final, the Tottenham Hotspur squad together with Chas & Dave recorded the song "Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur" and released it as the B side to the single "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)".[6]

Leeds United

"Glory Glory, Leeds United"
Single by Ronnie Hilton and The Leeds United AFC
A-side"Glory Glory Leeds United"
B-side"We Shall Not Be Moved"
Released1968
GenreSingalong, Football
Length2:43
LabelColumbia DB8506
Songwriter(s)Trad Arr. Ronnie Hilton

"Glory Glory Leeds United" was released as a single (Columbia DB8506)[7] by Ronnie Hilton in 1968 to celebrate Leeds United's League Cup and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup successes, which are referenced in the lyrics. The song's lyrics also reference former player, Billy Bremner and Don Revie. The lyrics also mention Mike Summerbee and George Best in the opening. In the absence of any official release by the team, the song became Leeds' unofficial 1970 FA Cup Final song.

Manchester United

"Glory Glory Man United"
Single by Manchester United
Released1983
Recorded1983, At Strawberry Studios, Stockport
GenrePop, Football
Length2:53
LabelEMI 5390
Songwriter(s)Frank Renshaw
Producer(s)Peter Tattersall
Manchester United singles chronology
"Manchester United"
(1976) 		"Glory Glory Man United"
(1983) 		"We All Follow Man United"
(1985)

"Glory Glory Man United" was a single released by the Manchester United squad prior to the 1983 FA Cup Final. It was written by Frank Renshaw, who was a member of Herman's Hermits in the 1970s and 1980s. It was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport with the football team and some of Renshaw's friends – Renshaw's son Lee also sang on the recording.[8]

Manchester United fans have been singing this song since the early 1980s.[citation needed] In the 1990s, it became popular among opposition supporters to manipulate the words of the song when playing Manchester United to "Who the fuck are Man United?", which Man United supporters sarcastically sung themselves after scoring, or while winning, against a rival team.

Glory Glory Man United was also the name of the official club poster magazine, launched in 1994 and published every four weeks, totalling 13 issues a year.[9] In 2007 its average reader age was 13 years 2 months.[9]

In 2007, a full length version of Glory Glory Man United was written in the style the battle hymn of the republic. The song recorded by "The World Red Army" and produced by Will Robinson and Michael Graves became the[10] official song at Old Trafford. Ten years on and The World Red Army recorded a further version called Glory Glory Man United 2 which had a few lyric changes to update the anthem to the current United team.[11]

Glory Glory to South Sydney

In Australia, "Glory Glory to South Sydney" is used by the South Sydney Rabbitohs an Australian rugby league club. The song mentions all the teams in the competition when the song was written, and says what Souths did to them when they played. Each verse ends with, "They wear the Red and Green".[12][13][14]

See also

References

  1. ^ McLean, David (26 January 2017). "The origins of Scotland's most popular football chants". The Scotsman.
  2. ^ "Hector Nicol with the Kelvin Country Dance Band – Glory Glory To The Hi-Bees (Hibernian Supporters Song)".
  3. ^ a b "Tottenham Chants". India Spurs. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  4. ^ Cloake, Martin (12 December 2012). "The Glory Glory Nights: The Official Story of Tottenham Hotspur in Europe".
  5. ^ "Record Details". 45cat.
  6. ^ "Tottenham Hotspur F.A. Cup Final Squad 1980/81 Season* - Ossie's Dream". Discogs.
  7. ^ "Ronnie Hilton And The Leeds United AFC - Glory Glory Leeds United / We Shall Not Be Moved - Columbia - UK - DB 8506". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  8. ^ "Frank Renshaw". Discogs. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Glory Glory Man Utd". Hidden Titles. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  10. ^ Manchester United New Chevrolet Shirt Revealed
  11. ^ "Glory Glory Man United 2". The World Red Army.
  12. ^ "Rabbitohs Club Song | Official Membership Site of the South Sydney Rabbitohs". Membership.rabbitohs.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  13. ^ "South Sydney Rabbitohs: They Wear the Red and Green!". Traveling With Jared. 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  14. ^ Ritchie, Dean (13 March 2007). "Broncos song riles Rabbitohs". Herald Sun.
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