How New Order made British Football Cool Again
In 1990 English Football was a far cry away from what it is today. These were the wilderness years before the Premier League, just one year after the Hillsborough disaster, and just five years after the Bradford Fire and Heysel.
English Football was in a dark place. The confidence in the national team was also at an all time low. Bobby Robson announced he was resigning as England Manager after the tournament before a ball was even kicked at Italia 90 which caused a media storm.
The FA decided on England having a song for the tournament, and with the help of Factory Records owner, Tony Wilson drafted in New Order. A rather surprising pick, they had more in common with the nightclubs of the Balearics than the terraces of Barnsley. Drafting in New Order wasn’t the most obvious choice and yet, that’s what makes the idea brilliant.
Most football songs are trying to be football songs ‘World In Motion’ is a great song in its own right. It’s a New Order song first and foremost. With brilliant synths and drum machines, as well as one of the bands very best choruses. It gave the band there first and only Number One single.
It also proved to be the final straw for many Joy Division fans. New Order had rose out of the ashes of Joy Division 10 years earlier, ‘World in Motion’ is a far cry from the post punk of Joy Division. It’s hard to believe that ‘Transmission’ and ‘World in Motion’ is same the musicians.
England had a very good tournament in 1990, they reached the semi final, ultimately losing on penalties to Germany.
English football had something to celebrate, after a few years rife with violence, hooliganism and tragedy. It marked time of change. Fans felt a connection with the National team again. This song brought fans closer to the players.
New Order combined the post punk sounds of Manchester, with ecstasy fuelled synths of the Balearics. The sound of the second summer of love was coming through the speakers. The team played like New Order had prophesied in the song, football was something to be proud of again.
English teams were allowed to rejoin European competitions in November 1990, after a 5 year ban. Following the events at Heysel. Two years later in 1992 Sky Sports founded the Premier League, and the rest is history.
Euro 96 proved to be the Britpop sequel, with a similar ending, this time sound tracked by ‘Three Lions’ by Baddiel Skinner and the Lighting Seeds.
New Order, The Fa, English football all benefited from this song, it’s a truly brilliant piece of 90s pop music. To this day it’s the greatest football song of all time.
The chorus is infectious, the rap sung by John Barnes so memorable. The video brilliant. It still gets played when ever England play at a major tournament. 34 years later it still sounds as good. A song that never should have worked.
Recorded by a band who aren’t the biggest football fans, sung by an England team who didn’t really want to be there. For a tournament everyone thought England would struggle in, with a team managed by a manager who was leaving. The circumstances dictated it would never be a success. Yet it was, a massive success. It was New Orders first and only Number One single. It started an upward trajectory for English football.
Yet sadly a downward trajectory for New Order and Factory Records. Factory would go under in 1992, due to its unique style of management. More on that can be found in this post though.
https://www.beyond-the-grooves.co.uk/blog/you-either-make-money-or-you-make-history
Thavk you for reading x