ENGLAND’S “secret weapon” for the World Cup in Russia has been revealed as a 53-year-old song written by a Scot.
In another desperate PR stunt ahead of the finals in Russia, Deezer, the global music streaming service, yesterday launched a campaign to spur England to victory – by “encouraging Brits [sic]to sing along to Lonnie Donegan’s World Cup Willie, the soundtrack to England’s win in 1966” [we wondered when that date would get mentioned].
READ MORE: McKenna's World Cup Diary: England's got the mince factor
Glasgow-born Donegan wrote the song in 1965 as the official tune to go along with the Football Association’s mascot for the tournament, World Cup Willie, who sported a bastardised version of the Union Jack under a St George’s Cross. And they wondered why Winnie Ewing won the Hamilton by-election for the SNP a year later...
Deezer stated in all seriousness: “A survey of 1000 England supporters, commissioned by Deezer in celebration of its new Football Fever channel, reveals 60 per cent believe an official song has a positive effect on the national team. By reclaiming and singing along to Donegan’s anthem, England could get some much needed luck this tournament.”
The research also unveils the top 10 English World Cup hits. Three Lions ’98 by The Lightning Seeds and Baddiel & Skinner is the most popular anthem with 54 per cent.
Deezer added: “Brits [sic] scored other England World Cup song favourites including Vindaloo by Fat Les and others we can’t be bothered mentioning.”
Memo to all English PR firms: send us your puffs about the World Cup and we’ll take the mickey out of them, too.
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