Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville refused to sing the national anthem during his first major tournament with the Three Lions. There has been much debate about players refusing to sing the national anthem, with German manager Thomas Tuchel also choosing not to sing the national anthem, but Neville’s decision was born out of protest at being ordered to play the national anthem. A few years later, the Bury-born defender, who has moved into the punditry world, will admit that his decision at Euro 96 was a mistake.
“The first time I played for England I didn’t sing this song,” Neville said. “Partly because I thought, ‘I take my job very seriously and I don’t sing before games.'” When asked for an explanation by FA chairman Geoff Thompson after failing to sing before a match against Japan in 1995, the full-back was still in the game and Neville insisted he would not be told what to do by the ‘suits’. Neville later revealed further details about the exchange in a column for The Mail.
“He (Thompson) only asked to speak with me once,” Neville wrote. “Did he want to pick my brain on World Cup preparations? Or did he want to ask how the FA could help behind the scenes? No, Mr. Thompson wanted to know why I wasn’t singing the national anthem.
“He said, “Gary, I would rather appreciate you joining me.” I had to politely explain that I meant no disrespect and that throughout my career I wanted to spend a few minutes concentrating on the game. That was the extent of my dealings with the FA president.”
Although there is no official British national anthem, the British national anthem ‘God Save the King’ is played before Three Lions matches. While some have called for change, with some preferring Jerusalem and the Land of Hope and Glory, many Express readers are happy to stick with the current arrangement.
In a recent poll, 45% of a sample of 4,000 readers thought “God Save the King” should be kept. However, the rest was divided into Jerusalem, the land of hope and glory, or I swear to thee, my land.
Another song caught the attention of England fans during this summer’s World Cup. Oasis’ 90’s hit song “Wonderwall”. “Hopefully this song will become our national anthem, because that’s what tournaments like this are for,” Tuchel said after the team’s group stage win over Croatia.
“It’s because of the connection between the fans and the team. They felt the energy, the team spirit. It was a beautiful moment and meant so much to all of us. I hope we can replicate this in the next game.”
It certainly became a tradition throughout the tournament. But regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s third-place match against France, it is unlikely that the Wonder Wall will be unveiled again after the game after Wednesday’s disappointing loss to Argentina in the semi-finals.
