It can be done! West Ham away a couple years ago - I was in the home end to the right of the Blue Army. Andy King scored and once the euphoria in the away end had died down a dead slow “When You’re Smiling†aired. It sounded class and looked great with jazz hands - I don’t think anyone in the stand I was in was watching the football!
This is how I would love pre-kick-off to go:
1. Play the “Post Horn Gallop†(another great tradition)
2. Read the Starting XI’s
3. Play the 1st 48 seconds of “When You’re Smiling†by Frank so that everyone can sing-along and then turn it right down and let the crowd go:
THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU [jazz hand / pause]
THE - WHOLE - WORLD - SMILES - WITH - YOOOUUU [jazz hands / longer pause]
THE LEICESTER [clap, clap, clap]
THE LEICESTER [clap, clap, clap]
THE LEICESTER [clap, clap, clap]
I know people that have emailed the relevant people at the club about this. I hope one day the club listens as it would be so easy to implement and add to the ‘match-day experience’ in a family-friendly way. The club should not be so afraid of change and unless I have it all wrong, I do not think that the vast majority of people have any real attachment to “Hey Judeâ€. For the record, I'm only 21 so this is not an old man's dream! I love all the new funny songs that we have but I equally love our anthem, a song that has been sung at our games since the 60s I believe and I feel that it needs more promotion. I'm Leicester till I die no matter what the club does though.
Keep On Smiling
