Alright, let’s talk about this match chant thing I worked on.
It kinda started outta nowhere. Was at the game last week, you know? And the energy felt a bit… flat. Same old chants, kinda mumbled. Felt like we needed something fresh, something with a bit more bite. So, I thought, why not try and make one myself?
Getting the Ball Rolling
First thing I did was just sit down with a pen and paper. Sounds simple, right? Well, it wasn’t. I wanted something easy to remember, loud, and something that sorta fit our team. Not asking much, eh?
I started jotting down words. Player names, team name, stuff like ‘fight’, ‘win’, ‘score’. Then I tried stringing them together. Most of it sounded pretty dumb, honestly. Like a bad nursery rhyme.
Tried a few rhythms too.
Tapping on the table, clapping my hands. Trying to find that beat that gets stuck in your head. You know the type. The ones you hear once and can’t shake off all day. That was the goal.
- Tried rhyming player names. Bad idea. Really bad.
- Tried making it too clever. Nobody would get it in the heat of the moment.
- Tried copying other teams’ chants but changing the words. Felt cheap.
The Messy Bit
Yeah, this part took longer than I thought. Got a bit frustrated. You think it’s easy, shouting a few words, but making it catchy? That’s tricky. I must’ve written down and scrapped about twenty different versions. Some were too long, some too short, some just plain awkward to shout.
I even recorded myself saying a few out loud on my phone. Played it back and just cringed. Sounded like an idiot. But hearing it helped, actually. Made me realize what wasn’t working. Usually, it was trying to be too complicated.
So, I went back to basics. Simple words. Strong beat. Something you can roar even after a couple of halftime beers.
Figuring it Out
Eventually, I landed on something. It’s not gonna win any poetry awards, let me tell you. It’s basic. It’s repetitive. But it feels like it might work. It mentions the team, has a clear call-and-response bit, and a good, solid rhythm.
Here’s what I did:
1. Picked a core phrase about the team’s spirit.
2. Found a simple beat, like a slow clap rhythm.
3. Added a bit where one group shouts, and another answers.
4. Kept it short. Easy to loop.
Tried it out pacing around my living room. Felt alright. Still feels a bit weird doing it alone, but I reckon with a crowd… it might just catch on. Or it might flop completely. Who knows?
Anyway, that’s the process. Just me, a notepad, and a lot of slightly embarrassing attempts. The real test will be trying it out with a few mates next match, see if it sticks. We’ll see how that goes.