National Anthem - Come on, we need an ENGLAND anthem

[JensenA]

I'm probably flogging a dead horse here, but shouldn't we (England) really have our own National Anthem?
Let me explain my objective reasons first, rather than simply relying on emotional subjective reasoning, that will come later.

When Scotland or Wales play a sporting event, they have their own rousing - if you are Scottish or Welsh - National Anthem.

When England play, we have God Save the Queen.

In the Olympics, Formula 1 or any sporting event where the team is representing 'Great Britain' we play 'God Save the Queen'. So logically, does this not mean that 'God Save the Queen' is the Anthem of Great Britain, and therefore NOT the anthem of England? Or is it the Anthem of England? If it is the Anthem of England, then we must concede that any Scottish or Welsh person has a strong case for objecting strongly to having the 'English' national anthem played whenever they are lucky enough to climb the podium.

God Save the Queen is the Anthem of the United Kingdom of England, Wales, Scotland and N.Ireland, it is NOT the anthem of England. We English need to stand up, be proud, and have an English National Anthem. I want to see an England team before a match, standing there singing 'Land of Hope and Glory' getting fired up and passionate about the country they represent.

Edited by JensenA on Sunday 13th June 11:32

[pushthebutton]

I completely agree.

I was considering playing Land of Hope and Glory in the background and muting the TV. Well, not really, but I'm sure more of the players and fans would join in.

[JR Hartley]

I thought it was land of hope and glory?

If not they should play the dambusters theme.

[Stevenj214]

pushthebutton said:

I completely agree.

I was considering playing Land of Hope and Glory in the background and muting the TV. Well, not really, but I'm sure more of the players and fans would join in.

I don't think any England fans or players in South Africa will even know you are playing it, never mind joining in!

[mickk]

What about a couple of verses of 'Come and 'ave a go if you think youre 'ard enough'

Players won't forget the words either.

If not then Land of hope and glory is my second choice.

[statts1976uk]

I'm a Jock and I agree that England needs something more unique to themselves, most of my English friends would rather have Jerusalem.


Edited to mention that I can't believe my hundredth post is about an English national anthem.

Edited by statts1976uk on Sunday 13th June 12:53

[cs174]

I agree. Based on last nights events, what about Simon & Garfunkels "Slip, Sliding Away"

I do like Land of Hope and Glory though.

[ninja-lewis]

It's entirely up to the FA what anthem they use - just as the SFA chose to use Flower of Scotland and the WRU chose Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

[JensenA]

ninja-lewis said:

It's entirely up to the FA what anthem they use - just as the SFA chose to use Flower of Scotland and the WRU chose Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

errrm - I think you have missed the point

[Beardy10]

Jersualem. It used to be sung at Twickenham regularly but we're going back a few years now.

Best rendition I have ever heard of it was at the 1991 World Cup Final when England played Australia at Twickenham.

[anonymous-user]

Does anybody else think God Save the Queen is a really crap anthem? That's by far my biggest objection to it, let's have something rousing instead.

I suggest the theme to Hawaii 5-0

[pushthebutton]

Stevenj214 said:

pushthebutton said:

I completely agree.

I was considering playing Land of Hope and Glory in the background and muting the TV. Well, not really, but I'm sure more of the players and fans would join in.

I don't think any England fans or players in South Africa will even know you are playing it, never mind joining in!

I could turn it up EXTRA loud!!

It might work. They'd have more chance of hearing me than the non-singing players.

[Eric Mc]

At the time God Save the Queen was set as the British anthem, it was presumed, by the English especially, that Great Britain, the United Kingdom and England were interchangeable terms. Therefore, the anthem stood for the entirety of the British Isles - Ireland included.

It is only in fairly recent times that the notion of separate autonomous nations within what remains of the United Kingdom has given rise to the idea of England being some sort of separate entity - especially in the minds of the English themselves.

It was only in 1996 that English football fans took on the St George's Flag as their main symbol. Prior to that, the Union Flag/Jack was far more predominant in an English football crowd.

Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 13th June 14:18

[ninja-lewis]

JensenA said:

ninja-lewis said:

It's entirely up to the FA what anthem they use - just as the SFA chose to use Flower of Scotland and the WRU chose Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

errrm - I think you have missed the point

I'm not sure I have. I presume the point you think I'm missing is that the FA doesn't have a English national anthem like Flower of Scotland to chose from. However, Flower of Scotland isn't all that official in Scotland either - there is no central body coordinating the choice of anthem. Sure the SFA and SRU use it now but before hand they used Scotland the Brave and it's only this year that it will replace the latter at the Commonwealth Games. The Scottish Parliament don't use FOS that much, preferring Scots Wha' Hae' and other songs.

All the FA have to is follow the lead of the ECB and the Commonwealth Games team who use Jerusalem, or the Rugby Football League who used to use Land of Hope and Glory before reverting to God Save the Queen.

Ultimately if the FA want a different anthem they only need to play a different one instead of God Save the Queen. Nobody is really holding them back.

[JensenA]

ninja-lewis said:

JensenA said:

ninja-lewis said:

It's entirely up to the FA what anthem they use - just as the SFA chose to use Flower of Scotland and the WRU chose Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

errrm - I think you have missed the point

I'm not sure I have. I presume the point you think I'm missing is that the FA doesn't have a English national anthem like Flower of Scotland to chose from. However, Flower of Scotland isn't all that official in Scotland either - there is no central body coordinating the choice of anthem. Sure the SFA and SRU use it now but before hand they used Scotland the Brave and it's only this year that it will replace the latter at the Commonwealth Games. The Scottish Parliament don't use FOS that much, preferring Scots Wha' Hae' and other songs.

All the FA have to is follow the lead of the ECB and the Commonwealth Games team who use Jerusalem, or the Rugby Football League who used to use Land of Hope and Glory before reverting to God Save the Queen.

Ultimately if the FA want a different anthem they only need to play a different one instead of God Save the Queen. Nobody is really holding them back.

Sure No one is holding the FA back from selecting a different National anthem, but I'm not asking who is responsible for choosing the Anthem that is played, but Why do they choose 'God Save the Queen?
I am making the point that the UK have the unique situation of 4 National teams eligible for competing in international football, and that 'God Save the Queen' is the National Anthem of the sovereign nation of the United Kingdom, it is NOT the National Anthem of the sporting entity known as England, and therefore England should adopt a national anthem that is unique to England. The English Football Team, and the Rugby team, do NOT represent the UK, they represent England.

So who agrees that we should have a National Anthem for England, and what should it be? Maybe then we can put pressure on the FA to adopt an English national anthem to be played at International level.

[Eric Mc]

God Save the King/Queen IS the English National Anthem AS WELL AS being the National Anthem for the UK.

Up until fairly recently, many Commonwealth countriries still used God Save the Queen. Australia only changed in 1984.

[Meoricin]

JensenA said:

ninja-lewis said:

JensenA said:

ninja-lewis said:

It's entirely up to the FA what anthem they use - just as the SFA chose to use Flower of Scotland and the WRU chose Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

errrm - I think you have missed the point

I'm not sure I have. I presume the point you think I'm missing is that the FA doesn't have a English national anthem like Flower of Scotland to chose from. However, Flower of Scotland isn't all that official in Scotland either - there is no central body coordinating the choice of anthem. Sure the SFA and SRU use it now but before hand they used Scotland the Brave and it's only this year that it will replace the latter at the Commonwealth Games. The Scottish Parliament don't use FOS that much, preferring Scots Wha' Hae' and other songs.

All the FA have to is follow the lead of the ECB and the Commonwealth Games team who use Jerusalem, or the Rugby Football League who used to use Land of Hope and Glory before reverting to God Save the Queen.

Ultimately if the FA want a different anthem they only need to play a different one instead of God Save the Queen. Nobody is really holding them back.

Sure No one is holding the FA back from selecting a different National anthem, but I'm not asking who is responsible for choosing the Anthem that is played, but Why do they choose 'God Save the Queen?
I am making the point that the UK have the unique situation of 4 National teams eligible for competing in international football, and that 'God Save the Queen' is the National Anthem of the sovereign nation of the United Kingdom, it is NOT the National Anthem of the sporting entity known as England, and therefore England should adopt a national anthem that is unique to England. The English Football Team, and the Rugby team, do NOT represent the UK, they represent England.

So who agrees that we should have a National Anthem for England, and what should it be? Maybe then we can put pressure on the FA to adopt an English national anthem to be played at International level.

Just because the English National anthem is used as the anthem of the UK as well doesn't make it any less the English National anthem. All it means is that England have managed to get one over the others by having their National anthem as the group anthem.

[Northern Munkee]

Beardy10 said:

Jersualem. It used to be sung at Twickenham regularly but we're going back a few years now.

Best rendition I have ever heard of it was at the 1991 World Cup Final when England played Australia at Twickenham.

Definitely. Makes me well up, every time. Even if according to the vicar who did my mother's funeral insisted it was a darkly humourous polemic rant against the Church of England by William Blake, the riches of the church, amongst the squalor and deprivations of the industrial revolution, etc. still it makes me bloody proud to be English!

And as an aside Jerusalem or God Save Queenie, if I were Captain, I'd break out of the line, and wander up and down the line, insisting the entire team, belt the number out, even if it meant standing face to face within an inch of dumb footballers, belting out the words, to wind each other up. Show some bloody pride!

And given the multi faith religious significance of JERUSALEM, and no reference to the monarchy, war or jingoism, or even republicism, it's JERUSALEM for me! It's a stirring and distinctive tune, that the dirge of GoSTQ is not.

The only other tunes that come close are Abide With Me, or I Vow To Thee My Country... No JERSUALEM!

[Eric Mc]

Hmm - a National Anthem entitled after a rather disputed city in the Middle East.

That would go down well with our Moslem and Jewish brothers.

[Northern Munkee]

... And Christian significane. On the contrary, it's a metaphor, for building a place they so desperately want!