Because you asked...

You're a demanding lot. Here's the lyrics to accompany "Song ideas for All Whites v Bahrain".

http://www.box.net/shared/kdn5x6jpal

[left click on above link then choose download or preview]

We have a new total

Over 30 downloads of "Song ideas for All Whites v Bahrain"! Straight in at number one. Here it is again for those who missed it:

http://www.box.net/shared/29nkkajs5b

[remember left click on above link then choose download or play]

Graffiti on the walls that says we're magic...

On a wall in South Auckland: "Ricki Herbert: Played in the World Cup Finals in 1982"

Banner time

The more banners the better I reckon: “Marching On To Spain”, “Steve Sumner Walks on Water”, “NZ 2 CHINA 1”, “If anybody can the Kiwi can”, “Thanks but no Yanks”, “This is a bed sheet” etc. Someone just has to do a “Bobby Almond is Magic” banner – maybe they could borrow it off the kid below (looks like his initially said “Booby Almond is Magic”).

All Whites v Hungary, Mt Smart Stadium, February 1982: “Bobby Almond is Magic”; “NZ 11 Wonders of the World”; “We had the Roos for breakfast, Then we had Chinese, Now we’re getting Hungary”.

I’m all for making this a celebration of NZ football and reckon people should be encouraged to bring along local club banners. Add a touch of authenticity to the occasion by holding up Manurewa FC (Adshead, Van Hattum, Bright, Simonsen), Huntly Thistle (Almond), Gisborne City (Fallon, Mackay, Cresswell, Hill, B Turner), Hanimex North Shore (Cole, Elrich), Trans Tours United, Stop Out etc banners.

Oh, suits you sir!

There’s been much talk about attire for the big match on 14 November.

I still don’t think you can beat the Maori Army approach quite superbly demonstrated by Ash and Jeremy in the Thursday, October 15, 2009 “All Whites! Maori Army!” post below.

I also like the rather cunning Sheikh, Rattle and Roll approach modelled by Colin “Have you ever seen Dundee” Cook in the photo below. A reader writes: “The Bahrain players will be so confused seeing all these “Princes of Persia” yelling for the All Whites that their heads will quite simply explode.”

If you’re not keen on the above then how’s about a “Spirit of ’82” angle. You know, dust off your Naranjito t-shirts (as modelled by a youthful Ooh Aah Rufer below) or dress up as your favourite ’82 All White – I’ve included a few (eerily similar) portraits here.

Failing all that, add a bit of credibility to the occasion by wearing your Kingz strip (first season baseball strip, infamous fifth season Chelsea shirt etc). I know I’ll be holding up my vintage Football Kingz scarf – the original Stantiall production with the sticky screenprint!

Marching On To Spain - Take Two

There’s a bit of talk on Adam and Sam’s blog about the ’82 anthem. I don’t remember “Heading For The Top”. In fact, the first time I heard that song was when I borrowed the record off my old china Roy in approximately 2002 - I was surprised to see “Heading For The Top” as the A side. My memory is of “Marching On To Spain” being the anthem and being played all the time back in ’82 (hence it says “Official Squad Anthem” alongside “Marching On To Spain” on the record sleeve). Plus, I could be wrong but I don’t think Tina Cross had anything to do with “Marching On To Spain”. On the record a “Vince Harris” is credited with the song – I wonder what Vince is up to these days. He’s the only one I’d entrust with the task of creating a new anthem (if required). What do you say Vince!

Verse 1:
We're the All Whites and we're marching off to Spain
We'll score goals goals goals
And we'll score some more again
We’re New Zealand let’s put soccer on our map
So come on all New Zealanders let’s sing and shout and clap

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

We’re New Zealand let’s put soccer on our map
So come on all New Zealanders let’s sing and shout and clap

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

Verse 2:
We’ve got spirit that’s what makes our team so great
We’ve got drive drive drive
Our opponents know their fate
We’re New Zealand and we’re on our way to Spain
So come on all New Zealanders let’s hear it once again

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

We’re New Zealand and we’re on our way to Spain
So come on all New Zealanders let’s hear it once again

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap

Finale:
We're the All Whites and we're marching off to Spain
We'll score goals goals goals
And we'll score some more again
We’re New Zealand let’s put soccer on our map
So come on all New Zealanders let’s sing and shout and clap

Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap
Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites clapclap clapclapclap
Kiwis clapclap clapclapclap
All Whites!

Marching On To Spain

The All Whites marching on to Spain in 1982 was one of the greatest moments of my life and this piece of music has played a huge part in making me the person that I am. You see, I like to "sing and shout and clap". Especially at the football.

I reckon you can tell alot about a person when you find out how old they were when the All Whites took on Scotland, the Soviet Union and Brazil in '82. I feel for those who were, say under the age of 5 years at the time and so not able to fully appreciate the occasion (or, heavens forbid, weren't even born!).

I spent 4 days in a row searching for this record in the 45s at Real Groovey. I found it on the third day - there's something biblical in that. Some how I knew that I would find it - yet it was the only copy I found. If I was ever interviewed for that Weekend Herald Canvas Magazine feature "What would you save if your house was on fire?" I would without hesitation say my World Cup 1982 Official Team Record (featuring the World Cup Squad and special guest star Ray Woolf).



The A side that was a B side:

Alot of people said we'd never make it through,
Said it was just a great impossibility.
But as we pressed ahead they saw what we could do,
and what was once a dream became reality...

All Whites! Maori Army!

Bazza's boys Ash and Jeremy keeping it local.

Get yourself down to the Look Sharp Store, Victoria Street East, Auckland CBD and pick yourself up one of these and/or one of these.

Photo courtesy of Oi Oi Edgecumbe's Plains Rangers FC website.

I hear you...

"When Johnny comes marching home"
We have a boy in our defence
Ryan, Ryan
El Hadji Diouf think he's immense
Ryan, Ryan
He plays his football at Blackburn
But now he wears the silver fern
Ryan Nelsen All Whites capitan
nana nana nana nana na na na na...

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
He's big he's bad he's Timothy Brown
The hardest man in all of town
With kung-fu kicks beware
Come and have a go if you dare

"Anarchy for the UK"
I am an All Whites fan
I am from New Zealand
I know what I want and I know how to get it
I wanna see the All Whites in South Africa
I wanna be a Kiwi

"Ole ole ola" [Jazz hands]
Oh Ricki Herbert
We're World Cup dreaming of '82
Ole ole ole ole ole ole ola
Ole ole ole take us to South Africa

"We shall not be moved"
We shall not we shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
Just like a team that's going to South Africa
We shall not be moved

"Geordie bootboys"
We are the Mori, the Mori Ori
Oh we are mental and we are mad
We are the loyalist football supporters
The world has ever had

"Can't take my eyes off of you"
dada da dada dada da da
dada da dada dada da da
dada da dada dada da da
dada da dada
Oh Ryan Nelsen you are the love of my life
Oh Ryan Nelsen I'd let you shag my wife
Oh Ryan Nelsen
You're Kiwi through and through
Oh Ryan Nelsen...

"Sloop John B"
So hoist up the John B sail
See how the main sail sets
Call for the captain ashore oh let me go home
Don't wanna go home
Don't wanna go ho-o-ome
This is the best trip I've ever been on

"E I E I E I O"
E I E I E I O off to Africa we go
And when we win the trophy this is what we'll sing
We're the All Whites
Super All Whites
Nelsen is our King

Confession - not enough ole: I didn't have enough "oles" in the download version of "Ole ole ola". See also that, thanks to your suggestions, I've changed it slightly - check these guys doing it:



and these guys:

Oh when the Saints...

Further to my comment in the download from the "Song ideas for All Whites v Bahrain" post...

Stoke (tune is traditional but draw out "reds" on first line and "in" on second line - I think it's generally accepted that this is the more preferable version):



Spurs (after they go through it twice slow, which is great, they break out into sound and repeat - I think it's generally accepted that this is a bit "old hat"):

Song ideas for All Whites v Bahrain

Ladies and gentleman, Mr Ric Le Roc “I could feel at the time there was no way of knowing...”:

http://www.box.net/shared/29nkkajs5b

[left click on above link then choose download or play]

O Epoe Tooki Tooki

I’ve been pretty keen on getting All Whites fans to sing O Epoe Tooki Tooki at matches. I reckon the circularity and “boy scout camp fire sing-a-long” nature of that song would make it a good terrace chant. Here’s the Wiggles doing it (apparently the words translate as something like “At night up straight, at night up straight thrusting” which is kind of peculiar for a children’s song):

It could be our “Doe a deer”:

Football culture and New Zealand have never really been a good fit – much like football culture and Australia, the Pacific, North America and Canada. I like the idea of embracing those elements which have made it difficult for football culture to take off in this country – you know, finding cool in the uncool/finding football in the un-football. For example, the term “soccer”. It’s clear to me that NZ Football should have stuck with the name NZ Soccer/Soccer NZ as the term “soccer” is quite frankly much more hip. I mean, how great is Johannesburg's new “Soccer City”? See also the “Celtic Soccer Crew” and Auckland’s own “City Soccer Casuals”. As another example, it took a Burton Albion supporting mate of mine to awaken me to the idea of singing “All Whites! Maori Army!” at matches.

Shifting the Goal Posts: Kingz Kick for Cash

This is an excerpt from the abovenamed article that featured in the 11 May 2001 issue of the New Zealand Business Times (!!):

Bloc 5
One thing that is certain is that the Kingz in whatever shape they take the field next season can count on the support of their very own fanatics in the shape of Bloc Five.
The several hundred singing chanting fans have become a feature at home matches and are recognized by management as being an essential part of the Kingz mix.
“Our fans are everything, without them we are nothing,” says Chris Turner.
He says the Bloc Five rowdies have helped attract fringe fans who come to the football because they see it as a good night out.
They also make up a large proportion of the 400 strong fan club and wear a sizeable number of more than 600 replica kits sold by the club.

Dear Ricki

Michael McGlinchey is your best player.

love
Richie