The FA have commissioned anthems for both the men’s and women’s FA Cup competitions, according to a report.
Martyn Ziegler reports for The Times that the Football Association is planning to create an anthem for the FA Cup, commissioning separate anthems for both the men’s and the women’s competition.
The FA have tasked a company under the Universal Music Group to create the new music, following in the footsteps of other competitions that already have pre-match anthems like the Champions League and the Premier League.
The FA hope to promote the pre-match atmosphere at cup games and build brand recognition for the tournament.
Ziegler clarifies that the new anthem would be played throughout the tournament up until the final, at which point the traditional singing of Abide With Me would remain for the tournament’s conclusion at Wembley.
The report also stresses that the anthem won’t replace any music played by clubs when their teams run out, so Arsenal could presumably continue to play North London Forever, Liverpool could sing You’ll Never Walk Alone, and so on.
An FA spokesperson confirmed an update is planned “in the months ahead”, which makes it sound as though there won’t be anything done imminently. Arsenal face Wigan Athletic in the next round of the FA Cup on February 15th, just three weeks from now.
The only other details about the new anthem are that the FA plans for a British composer to write it, it will likely have orchestral elements, and that supporters’ groups will be consulted before a final decision is made.
As long as the song proves popular, it’s probably a good idea for the FA Cup to introduce one. It might seem like an irrelevance to the actual football, but anthems and logos and branding all help you to feel like you’re watching a game in a different competition.