Sing When You're Winning: Football Fans, Terrace Songs and a Search for the Soul of Soccer, by Colin Irwin (2006)
COLIN Irwin dons his bobble hat and scarf in pursuit of the ultimate football anthem. From Gillingham to John O'Groats FC, he joins the fans of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and all the other leading clubs in the country...and many obscure ones too.
He looks at the history of the songs and drinks with the fans in an attempt to unravel the mystery of the seemingly spontaneous songmaking, devours a lot of dodgy pies and attempts to launch his own terrace chant.
After meeting a bewildering array of colourful, noisy characters with interesting haircuts, he returns with a sore throat and a million anecdotes about tribal anthems, full of passion, wit and cultural identity that can instantly inform, delight and provoke in equal measures.