If you're looking for a festive stocking filler, then 'Who are ya?' could be the gift you've been searching for.
We review the book of football's best ever chants
If you're looking for a festive stocking filler for the football fan in your life, then the excellent 'Who are ya?' could very well be the gift you've been searching for.
Comical and comprehensive in equal measure, author Gershon Portnoi has put together an anthology of the finest and funniest chants to have graced grounds around the world.
With contributions from a number of the game's well-known names, including
Sky Sports presenter and pundit Chris Kamara, this accessible collection has plenty of hidden gems which will keep you coming back for more.
One word of warning, though, this is not a present for the younger supporter or those who are easily offended because, as you would expect, there is plenty of choice terrace language on offer throughout.
As Portnoi points out, it would be impossible to put together a tome which contains every chant from every club throughout the country, but all the key areas are covered.
Cult heroes
There's a look at the most famous club anthems, cult heroes, the key rivalries and, most interestingly, the way terrace choirs have evolved over the years and the many sources they use for their inspiration.
As a Darlington fan, I was disappointed not to see any reference to the 'D-A-R-L-O' chant popular at Feethams back in the 1990s (to the tune of Ottawan's D.I.S.C.O), but apparently Celtic beat us to it with their ode to Paolo Di Canio. Big club favouritism, I reckon.
The best chant I heard from an away side came when Darlington played Burnley in the FA Cup in 1998 at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, due to our Feethams surface being unplayable. With the Clarets winning 2-0, they baited the 'home' supporters with "**** fans, no ground." They did, however, go rather quiet as the Quakers hit back with three late goals to prevail 3-2, but I digress.
Everyone has a favourite chant, and even if yours is not included in 'Who are ya?', there are more than enough to stir the memories and take you back to games, players, goals and moments you may have forgotten.
