FA bosses banned Swedish pop legends from penning England’s anthem - because they were not English.
, the Swedish manager of the , came up with the idea after they secured a place in the finals. He wanted his legendary compatriots to pen a rousing anthem for the tournament in Japan and South Korea.
The Mail on Sunday said Sven told his England assistant Tord Grip to ask friend Benny Anderson if he would write a song. Abba star Benny agreed to the request - only for killjoy FA chiefs to put a stop to the idea. Sven, who died of pancreatic cancer in August, aged 76, makes the revelation in his new autobiography ‘My Story’.
READ MORE:
He wrote: “I said to Tord, ‘What if Abba wrote our song? You know him well. Call Benny!’ And Benny bought in right away, ‘I’d be happy to, and I don’t need to be paid a huge sum. This is a great honour!’”
But when a delighted Eriksson revealed his plan to the FA chairman at the time, Geoff Thompson, his dreams were dashed. “The answer was that Björn and Benny were not Englishmen,” wrote Erikkson. “‘Well, I’m not English either, but I work here,’ I sighed, exasperated.
“I still don’t understand how they could say no to Abba. The English have their principles, and this was clearly one of them.” England’s 2002 World Cup song was instead penned and performed by TV duo Ant and Dec.
‘We’re One The Ball’ got to number three in the charts, beaten only by Will Young and Eminem. Sven’s Three Lions went out in the quarter finals, losing 2-1 to eventual winners Brazil. Brazil’s star striker Ronaldinho scored the winner in Shizuoka with a second-half free-kick.
READ MORE:
You may also like
Dubai: 13-year-old hopes to play international cricket after watching India-Pakistan match
"Continuously fighting against Naxalism": Chhattisgarh CM Sai on Dantewada encounter
King Charles' favourite new Millenial snack is also Meghan Markle's top healthy pick
Vinted UK User Alleges Company Turned On Royal Mail Parcel Service By Default, No Option To Remove