Music

To immediately allay your fears, there are no plans to make ‘1FCNUK – The Musical’ … Let’s just get that clear from the start.

So what’s this page all about?

Throughout the history of 1FCNUK there have been links made to certain music, representing genius, trash, annoyance or the downright bizarre. The music has added to the memories of 1FCNUK trips to Germany, or even embedded itself into 1FCNUK folklore. This page, with a little help from YouTube, provides a somewhat eclectic mix of that music and, where our memory still serves us well enough, tries to explain the connections between the music and events.

Endure the following at your leisure, or plug your device into your TV and have a 1FCNUK inspired evening of drink* and song.** Any suggestions for further additions to our playlist, please comment below.

Here I Go Again – For some reason we chose this as the 1FCNUK anthem. On the first trip (before 1FCNUK was formed) in October 2005, we had lots to drink (no surprise there) and ended up in Brown Sugar, where we had even more to drink. This track was played and sung several times. The next visit we made to Brown Sugar we requested it again. After that they played it whenever they knew 1FCNUK were in the bar. In his time as Chairman of 1.FCN, Iain thought that we should have a white Jag like in the video. Not hard to guess why!

Wind of Change – ‘An August summer night…’ sing the German rock band. It was an August summer night in 2006 when Jason, Iain and Jon first discovered the delights of the Indonesian Karaoke bar, Star Diner, in Nuremberg. We were guests of Klaus Zasibniak, his wife Suzy and their friends from Bali. The diminutive Yohannes, who barely spoke a word of English, hauled himself up onto a bar stool, whistled the introduction and sang the song word perfectly. It was probably the greatest karaoke performance of all time.

I Could Be So Good For You – Cologne, March 2006. Papa Joe’s bar has an automated piano ‘played’ by a large doll. All very civilised and pleasant background tunes. Then an instrumental version of this, the Minder theme tune, drifted through the bar. The doll looked nothing like Dennis Waterman.

Fliegerlied – This has to be the German equivalent of Agadoo… it’s completely annoying yet horribly addictive. Jon endured it many, many times on a fan bus with Rudi from Nuremberg to Stuttgart (and then back). Come to think about it, it seems to be always played at some point when Rudi is around.

Danny Boy – October 2005. Barfuesser. A long table for 12 of us. On the table behind they were celebrating a birthday and one of the guests stood to sing (rather well) an operatic number. When she had received her applause, our very own Stephen Dillon stood and belted out Danny Boy. The audience politely applauded but Stephen had not finished – he launched straight into Fields of Athenry (see the next song). The diners in Barfuesser were too perplexed to be unhappy. The group of Brits (and one Derry boy) who would soon become 1FCNUK were in tears (of laughter). In case you were wondering, the guy in the video is not Stephen.

Fields of Athenry – See notes for Danny Boy. Both songs have been repeated on numerous occasions in Germany since.

We are the Champions – On the night of the legendary performance by Yohannes in Star Diner, Jason, Iain, Klaus and Jon took to the stage at the end of the evening and belted out We are the Champions. This was after the first game of the 2006-07 season. The final game of the season was the Cup Final victory over Stuttgart. After hearing of the 1.FCN cup success in an interview with Jon, BBC Radio Stoke played this very track. It has been performed at various other karaoke and 1FCNUK events, usually by Jason, and always better than that first attempt. Sadly, none has been as predictive.

Ein Stern – Probably first heard in the Ernst August Bierhaus in Hannover in May 2007. There can be little doubt that 1FCNUK had being drinking steadily all day, and after the match had joined the Seerose fan club in the Waterloo Biergarten. By the time we found ourselves in the Ernst August, the place was ‘kicking’ and the band were in full swing. The crowd went wild when they heard this. Always seems to be heard at the Volksfest in Nuremberg too.

99 Luftballon – See notes for the previous song. Nena had exactly the same effect on the revellers in the Ernst August, the only difference was that 1FCNUK recognised the song.

Country Roads – Everywhere in Germany. Honestly. Wherever we go this seems to be played at some point.

Little Old Wine Drinker Me – If Yohannes performed like a karaoke god when he belted out Wind of Change in Star Diner, Trevor’s performance of this track comes a very close second. A Bochum Karaoke bar, 1FCNUK had, of course, got drunk during the day, and we now sought a final drink or two before rolling into our beds. The drinkers in the karaoke were paying no attention to the singers on stage, and only slight applause (if any at all) accompanied each performance. Then Trevor got up. He crooned his way through the song and was more Dean Martin than Dean Martin himself. He wandered over a couple of tables working his increasingly attentive audience. His performance culminated in a rousing standing ovation. 1FCNUK were almost proud.

Whatever You Want – The guitar intro to this track always starts proceedings in the Frankenstadion before the teams come out. It rocks.

Thunderstruck – Just as Quo precedes 1.FCN home games, Thunderstruck gets things going in Leverkusen’s BayArena. We’ve always been outside still when it’s played but it’s been loud enough for us to rock along.

Die Legende lebt – The words say it all. “A rock in wild surf is our FCN.” The 1.FCN club hymn. The stadium anthem. This version is accompanied by video from the greatest day in recent 1.FCN history.

Wild Rover – another Irish song and, yes, it is another of Stephen’s repertoire. There can be no doubt that after a few beers Mr Dillon really does think that he is the Wild Rover! Always great for a sing-along although not quite a funny when waking the whole of the Hamburg Etap hotel at 3am, as at Easter 2007.

You’ll Never Walk Alone – A busy, backstreet restaurant in Nuremberg. The only table large enough to hold the 1FCNUK contingent stood alone on a side room. After the meal was finished, we managed to murder this song (as we have done so on request from our German friends on many occasions). When we left the privacy of our own room, the restaurant had unsurprisingly emptied.

Love Generation – The Berlin fan mile and a stage beneath the Brandenburg gate. Thousands of 1.FCN and Stuttgart fans started to gather ahead of the evening’s Cup Final. It was incredibly hot and beers were flowing. This song stands out as the only memorable one from a band on the stage. It’s fair to say the band were soon out-sung by the fans eagerly awaiting their journey to the Olympic Stadium and the momentous Nuremberg victory.

Amore – Trevor managed to rouse the audience in Bochum for a second time, belting out this little number. Once again, a standing ovation ensued (although not quite as big as the first).

Stairway to Heaven – An evening with the Gruener Baum Fan Club in August 2007 saw 1FCNUK and their hosts unsurprisingly imbibe more than we all should have done. Kurt’s guitar appeared and at one point in the evening, Haydn serenaded Kev Barker with this song (and a change of lyrics that Led Zeppelin would have been proud of maybe).

*1FCNUK do not condone the consumption of alcoholic beverages and take no responsibility for the actions of anyone – we have enough trouble looking after ourselves.
** More importantly than our drinking disclaimer, the above songs are in no particular order of preference, likeability or importance to 1FCNUK. They are just there for your and our amusement.