Whether it's Ant and Dec dressed as Sven and Tord, Fat Les pushing sloppy curries or John Barnes rapping in ultra-cool adidas jumpers, you know a big tournament's approaching when the FOOTBALL ANTHEMS start appearing on the radio and you start believing once again that... THIS IS OUR YEAR!
Maxim have teamed up with MTV to try and sort out once and for all which is the greatest football anthem ever and the results will be aired on Vh1 on Friday 11 June.
Click here for details www.mtv.co.uk/footballanthem and register your vote below. COME ON ENGLAND!
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(IS THE WAY TO) THE WORLD CUP / TONY CHRISTIE
Christie re-recorded (Is this the way to) Amarillo as "Is This the Way To the World Cup" to coincide with England's World Cup campaign in 2006. It reached number 8 in the UK charts.
ALL THE WAY / THE ENGLAND FOOTBALL TEAM
The kind of guitar music that wouldn’t sseem out of place dubbed over an Eighties action movie montage. Somehow manage to crowbar in the phrase “high self-esteem” into a football song. Amazing.
COME ON ENGLAND / 4-4-2
A 21st century version of the Dexy’s classic ‘Come on Eileen’, this Euro 2004 “anthem” by Talksport and The Hamptons topped the official song in the UK charts. Didn’t stop us from losing on pens again though…
ENGLAND CRAZY / RIDER feat TERRY VENABLES
An over-ballooned open-top bus, a suited-and-booted brass section and an ex England gaffer with orange skin, a finger-clicking disease and pretensions of pop stardom. England Crazy indeed.
ENGLAND MY ENGLAND / DEAD POETS' SOCIETY
A group who set the words of dead poets to music. The original verse entitled Pro Rege Nostro was written by the 19th century by poet, critic and editor, William Ernest Henley, and became popular during the First World War for inspiring patriotism. Ex Radio 1 DJ Mike Read on bass. Oh yes.
GO ENGLAND / THE ENGLAND BOYS
Take the tune of "Going Underground" by the Jam, get Paul Weller to give the nod and change the lyrics – England “anthem”.
HI HO COME ON ENGLAND / JOHN LEYTON AND THE ORIENTS
They named the band after a football team because of the frontman’s surname. Brilliant.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD / ENGLAND UNITED
The official song of the England team performed by a supergroup consisting of Echo and the Bunnymen, Space, Spice Girls and Ocean Colour Scene that was largely overshadowed by Vindaloo.
HURRY UP ENGLAND (THE PEOPLE'S ANTHEM) / SHAM 69
A charity single by punk rock band Sham 69, featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon on guitar that was released on 12 June 2006 as "The People's Anthem," after being voted for by fans of Virgin Radio DJ Christian O'Connell's morning show.
JERUSALEM / FAT LES
A rework of William Blake’s short but epic poem "And did those feet in ancient time" (and Sir Hubert Parry’s music) by Keith Allen, Damien Hirst and Alex James, with Michael Barrymore on vocals. A fitting tribute to our green and pleasant land indeed. Blake would surely be proud.
LIVE FOR LOVE UNITED / LOVE UNITED
The music video features over 50 footballers from around the world singing along including Zinedine Zidane, Fabio Cannavaro and Luis Figo. It was the centrepiece of the Fever Pitch album which was the official soundtrack to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, held in Japan and Korea.
ON THE BALL / ANT & DEC
The official song of the 2002 World Cup, a reworking of an old Arsenal anthem. "We are really chuffed The FA chose us to write and record the official England World Cup 2002 song," the pair said. "Obviously our previous crimes against music weren't taken into account when they were passing judgment!"
STANDING TALL / BUBBLE & DEAN
Competition for Ant and Dec in 2002 from Big Brother housemates, Bubble and Dean. Gay and lesbian radio station The Scene backed them, their head of music Stuart Kelly claiming the tune could have become the people's favourite in the way Three Lions did. It didn’t.
STAN'S WORLD CUP SONG / STAN BOARDMAN
“Hello and welcome to my website! Everyone is welcome, even the Germans!” He’s a card isn’t he, Old Stan? The video is set in a working man’s club and, yes, he does mention the war.
SVEN SVEN SVEN / BEL & SPURLING
The English comedy music duo reached number seven in the UK Top 40 in October 2001. They used clips of Jonathan Pearce’s commentary from the 5-1 victory against Germany. They never charted again.
THE GREAT ESCAPE / THE ENGLAND SUPPORTERS' BAND
And you thought they could only play The Great Escape and the national anthem. This 2006 England smash to the tune of the band James’ brilliant Sit Down, proved otherwise. Ish. 
THREE LIONS / FRANK SKINNER & DAVID BADDIEL
The official anthem of the England football team in 2006’s European Championships, which captured the mood of the nation perfectly. Franks Skinner and David Baddiel wrote the lyrics and The Lightning Seeds the music. An bona fide classic.
VINDALOO / FAT LES
Music by Alex James and lyrics by Keith Allen, Vindaloo was obsessed with “scoring one more than you” and mostly consisted of "nah nah nah" and the word "Vindaloo". The music video for the song is a parody of the video for " Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve.
WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE WORLD AT OUR FEET / THE ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
The official 1986 World Cup song. Unfortunately for us, a certain Argentinian had the whole world in his hand…
WORLD AT YOUR FEET / EMBRACE
Not quite the impact of Three Lions or World in Motion but a well liked England tune and the official song of the England World Cup squad in the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign.
WORLD IN MOTION / ENGLAND
The awesome pre-1990 collaboration between indie giants New Order (their only UK number one single), Keith Allen (who co-wrote the lyrics) and the England squad (nice jumper, Barnesy). Originally it was going to be called E for England but the FA, worried by the reference to the drug ecstasy, vetoed the title.
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