Soccer

Association football, otherwise known simply as football or soccer, is the most popular and widespread sport in the world.  The scope and popularity of the game of soccer means that a number of national and international competitions can be successfully held on a regular basis.  The Football World Cup, the Euro Cup, and a huge number of regional and national competitions are continually held throughout the world to the delight of football fans.  Soccer is traditionally played in the daytime, although the increasing number of tournaments, and the growing importance of television rights, means that a number of games are now also played under outdoor lighting conditions.  The love of football does not seem like waning any time soon, with international competitions only becoming more popular for both an attending and television audience.

While most sports have their loyal and passionate followers, soccer sometimes seems to have more than its fair share.  Passionate fans of the game can often be seen singing or chanting in the stands, providing encouragement to their favourite team or trying to slight the competition.  Football chants or songs are sometimes organised by a group of people, although they also often spontaneously arise during certain times in a soccer match.  Fans often become extremely passionate at cup finals and international competitions, where emotions are concentrated and singing provides a way for people to let go and engage with their fellow supporters.

Football singing is especially popular in England, where it is one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk singing tradition.  In traditional competitions like the FA cup, emotions often reach a fever pitch, and singing is the inevitable result.  Other famous games which have been well known for their impassioned singing include the 1966 World Cup final, and many of the games in the Euro 96 tournament.  Soccer songs can create an incredibly moving and emotional effect during a game, noticeable to an extent by anyone watching on television, and certainly by anyone in the stands watching the game live.

The combination of evening games under flood and outdoor garden light conditions, and passionate fans singing their favourite team songs, have provided soccer fans with some incredibly moving moments over the last few years.  Football is a game with a long history and many associated traditions, some of which have changed little over the years, and some of which are changing all the time.  While some things like night games under lights and multi-million dollar salaries are certainly new parts of the soccer world, other things like football songs and chants are part of an age old tradition, and are likely to be as much a part of the future of soccer as they have been a part of its past.