No one likes us, we don't care

Last updated

"No one likes us, we don't care" is a sports chant that originated as a football chant sung by supporters of the English football club Millwall in the late 1970s. It is sung to the tune of "(We Are) Sailing" by Rod Stewart. [1]

Contents

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"No One Likes Us"
No one likes us, we don't care. Sung by Millwall supporters in the Cold Blow Lane stand.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The late 1960s saw the rise of fan violence and football hooliganism throughout England; Millwall was one of several English teams that saw elements of hooliganism develop within its fanbase. The club's fans created the chant in response to sustained criticism of their behaviour from the press and media, who perpetuated an image of them as violent hooligans. It has since been adopted by supporters of several different sports teams around the world. The chant reached a worldwide audience when Millwall reached the 2004 FA Cup Final.[ citation needed ]

Origins and history

Several other football clubs in the UK have a history of hooliganism, but commentators such as Danny Baker and Rod Liddle, both Millwall supporters, have questioned why Millwall's history has consistently been singled out to the point where the name of Millwall has become almost synonymous with hooliganism. This in turn has created a siege mentality amongst ordinary, law-abiding Millwall fans.

From the late 1960s through to the early 1980s there was a gradual increase in academic study of, and political concerns over, violence at football matches. [2] Millwall featured in some of these studies. In 1977 a Panorama programme by the BBC Dr. Anthony Clare used Millwall as an example of fans who were looking for trouble and, using a militaristic analogy, said:

But within Millwall's terraced army, there are divisions. ... In the trench warfare of the terraces, it's F-Troop who go over the top. F-Troop are the real nutters ... who go looking for fights and are seldom disappointed... [3]

This was followed up by Don Atyeo who wrote in Blood & guts, violence in sports (1979) that "F-Troop are Millwall's hard men, an older (generally middle to late 20s), tougher brigade who are bent on 'rucking' at every opportunity, even to the extent of attending games which Millwall are not even playing". [4] In his book The Soccer Tribe (1981), Desmond Morris mentions several football firms, but dwelt on hooliganism by Millwall supporters by quoting a long extract about F-Troop from Atyeo's book, and so introduced an even wider audience to Millwall's hooligans. [5]

Southwark-born writer and journalist Michael Collins believes that it is due to what he terms the demonisation of the white working classes, and that as Millwall's support has always been drawn from this group, they present an easy target for the press and media alike. Collins writes: "At the end of the 19th century around the time Millwall F.C. was formed, middle-class journalists used to descend on the area like Baudelaireian flaneurs, to report on the urban working class as though they were discovering natives from the remote islands of the Empire". [6]

Supporters of other clubs, social groups and members of professions who perceive themselves as not being liked for various reasons, have used variations of the chant. [7] [8] Wealdstone F.C., Burnley F.C., MK Dons, Crawley Town, AIK, Shamrock Rovers, Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew SC, Seattle Sounders FC, Urawa Red Diamonds, Raith Rovers, Hertha BSC, Detroit City FC, RB Leipzig, FK Rad, San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and MSV Duisburg supporters have also adopted the chant. [9] [10] [11] [12] Anaheim Ducks fans have adopted the line "No one likes us, we don't care" as an informal motto, usually replacing the "D" in "don't" for the team's logo, a stylized D. After an NHL playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, some fans in Anaheim were shown on TV holding a banner with the motto. [13] Rangers supporters sing a version of the song with the lyrics changed to reflect a bitter rivalry with Celtic. [14] [ citation needed ] Non-league team Dulwich Hamlet F.C. also sing a version, with the lyrics changed to: "No one knows us, we don't care." [15]

During the Super Bowl LII victory parade for the Philadelphia Eagles on 8 February 2018, football center Jason Kelce sang a profane version of the chant referencing Philadelphia (which, as mentioned above, has been co-opted by Philadelphia Union supporters known as the Sons of Ben; that version uses the tune of "Oh, My Darling, Clementine", which has the same rhyming scheme as "Sailing", but a different melody) to the crowd's delight. [16] Kelce's version of the chant would be replicated in singalong format by Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty during the Flyers' February 12, 2023 home game, in support of the Eagles' appearance later that same evening at Super Bowl LVII. [17]

Lyrics

No one likes us, no one likes us
No one likes us, we don't care!

We are Millwall, super Millwall
We are Millwall from The Den!

Notes

  1. ↑ pr: Norma Spence (1989). No One Likes Us – We Don't Care (VHS). Working Pictures (Millwall) Ltd for Channel 4.
  2. ↑ Guilianotti 2013 , p. 14
  3. ↑ Clare quoted by Guilianotti 2013, p. 15.
  4. ↑ Atyeo 1979, p. 315.
  5. ↑ Morris 1981, p. 271.
  6. ↑ Collins 2004, p. [ page needed ].
  7. ↑ Buckley, Martin (6 April 2006). "No one likes us, we don't care..." Channel 4. Archived from the original on 29 August 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  8. ↑ "No one likes us and we don't care – or do we?". Kudocities. June 2007. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  9. ↑ "No One Likes Us chant a MK Dons song & lyrics". Fanchants.com. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "We are Rovers, super Rovers, no-one likes us, we don't care, we hate To..." Terrace Chants. 24 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "SDSU vs UNLV, MWC Tourney, 03/10/11 Show chants: No One Likes Us, etc". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "MSV Duisburg - Wir sind Zebras ,SuperZebras". YouTube. 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "Ducks fans hold "No one likes us" banner on TV". Imgur.com. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Glasgow Rangers Lyrics – Soccer Lyrics". Lyricsondemand.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  15. ↑ mike urban (9 April 2015). "Dulwich Hamlet FC songbook – the great chants from Champion Hill". Brixtonbuzz.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "Eagles' Jason Kelce delivers epic speech | WATCH". NJ.com. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  17. ↑ @GrittyNHL (12 February 2023). "we rly don't care" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 March 2023– via Twitter.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football chant</span> Song or chant usually sung at association football matches by fans

A football chant or terrace chant is form of vocalisation performed by supporters of association football, typically during football matches. Football chanting is an expression of collective identity, most often used by fans to express their pride in the team or encourage the home team, and they may be sung to celebrate a particular player or manager. Fans may also use football chants to slight the opposition, and many fans sing songs about their club rivals, even when they are not playing them. Sometimes the chants are spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millwall F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Millwall Football Club is a professional football club in Bermondsey, South East London, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the Millwall area of the Isle of Dogs in 1910. From then until 1993, the club played at what is now called The Old Den in New Cross, before moving to its current home stadium nearby, called The Den. The traditional club crest is a rampant lion, referred to in the team's nickname The Lions. Millwall's traditional kit consists of dark blue shirts, white shorts, and blue socks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultras</span> Fanatical association football fans

Ultras are a type of association football fans who are renowned for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tendency of ultras groups includes singing football chants, playing musical instruments such as drums, their use of flares and smoke bombs, vocal support in large groups and the displaying of flags and banners at football stadiums, all of which are designed to create an atmosphere which encourages their own team and intimidates the opposing players and their supporters. The frequent use of elaborate displays in stadiums is also common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football hooliganism</span> Violent behaviour by football spectators

Violence can also come as a result of a player's poor performance.

The Chelsea Headhunters are a notorious English football hooligan firm linked to the London football club Chelsea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Old Den</span> Former football stadium in London

The Old Den was the fifth football stadium occupied by Millwall F.C. in Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, London since their formation in Millwall on the Isle of Dogs in 1885 before moving to the New Den, in May 1993. The ground opened in 1910 and was the home of Millwall for 83 years. It boasted a record attendance of 48,672. Millwall played a total of 1788 games at the Den in all competitions, winning 976, losing 360 and with 452 drawn.

The Zulu Warriors are a football hooligan firm associated with English football club, Birmingham City. The Zulu Warriors were formed in the late 1980s and the name allegedly came from a chant of "Zulu, Zulu" which Manchester City fans aimed at Birmingham in 1982, due to their multicultural following. However, both the "Zulu" chant and the term "Zulu Warriors", in the context of a fan following rather than as an organised gang, were in use from at least the mid 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Muckers</span>

The Muckers are a football hooligan firm linked to the football club Blackpool F.C. They take their name from the word mucker, a colloquialism meaning good friend.

The Millwall Bushwackers are a football firm associated with Millwall Football Club. Millwall have a historic association with football hooliganism, which came to prevalence in the 1970s and 1980s, with a firm known originally as F-Troop, eventually becoming more widely known as the Millwall Bushwackers, who were one of the most notorious hooligan gangs in England. On five occasions The Den was closed by the Football Association and the club has received numerous fines for crowd disorder. Millwall's hooligans are regarded by their rivals as amongst the stiffest competition, with Manchester United hooligan Colin Blaney describing them as being amongst the top four firms in his autobiography 'Undesirables', and West Ham hooligan Cass Pennant featuring them on his Top Boys TV YouTube channel, on which their fearsome reputation for violence was described.

The MIGs are a football hooligan "firm" associated with the English football club Luton Town, which was originally formed in the 1980s.

"Carefree" is a football chant, sung by followers of Chelsea football club, mainly at away games, and meant to demonstrate indifference and possibly belligerence when in an alien, hostile environment. The original tune is "Lord of the Dance”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millwall F.C.–West Ham United F.C. rivalry</span> Rivalry between two London football teams

The rivalry between Millwall and West Ham United is one of the longest-standing and most bitter in English football. The two teams, then known as Millwall Athletic and Thames Ironworks, both originated in the East End of London, and were located less than three miles apart. They first played each other in the 1899–1900 FA Cup. The match was historically known as the Dockers derby, as both sets of supporters were predominantly dockers at shipyards on the River Thames. Consequently, each set of fans worked for rival firms who were competing for the same business; this intensified the tension between the teams. In 1904, West Ham moved to the Boleyn Ground which was then part of Essex until a London boundary change in 1965. In 1910, Millwall moved across the River Thames to New Cross in South East London and the teams were no longer East London neighbours. Both sides have relocated since, but remain just under four miles apart. Millwall moved to The Den in Bermondsey in 1993 and West Ham to the London Stadium in Stratford in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 Luton riot</span> 1985 football riot in England

The 1985 Luton riot occurred before, during and after a 1984–85 FA Cup sixth-round football match between Luton Town and Millwall on 13 March 1985 at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road ground in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It was one of the worst incidents of football hooliganism during the 1980s, and led to a ban on away supporters by Luton Town which lasted for four seasons. This itself led to Luton's expulsion from the Football League Cup during the 1986–87 season. The club also began to enforce a membership card scheme, which Margaret Thatcher's government attempted to have adopted at grounds across England. Kenilworth Road was damaged, along with the surrounding area, and a year later was converted to an all-seater stadium.

There are two Arsenal hooligan firms, The Gooners and The Herd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Kelce</span> American football player (born 1987)

Jason Daniel Kelce is an American football center for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Kelce is a Super Bowl champion, seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and six-time first-team All-Pro selection. Kelce is often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ham United F.C. supporters</span> Supporters of association football club

West Ham United F.C. supporters are the followers of the London-based West Ham United Football Club, who were founded as Thames Ironworks in 1895. There are 700,000 fans on the club's database and over 2,300,000 likes on Facebook. The club's website is in the top ten most visited websites for English football clubs by people in the USA. Their fans are also associated with a once-notorious hooligan element and have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs, most notably Millwall.

The County Road Cutters are a hooligan firm associated with Premier League football club Everton F.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football hooliganism in the United Kingdom</span> Hooliganism associated with football in the United Kingdom

Beginning in at least the 1960s, the United Kingdom gained a reputation worldwide for football hooliganism; the phenomenon was often dubbed the British or English Disease. However, since the 1980s and well into the 1990s the UK government has led a widescale crackdown on football related violence. While football hooliganism has been a growing concern in some continental European countries in recent years, British football fans now tend to have a better reputation abroad. Although reports of British football hooliganism still surface, the instances now tend to occur at pre-arranged locations rather than at the matches themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Guard Supporters</span> Sports group

The Northern Guard Supporters are an independent supporters group for Detroit City FC (DCFC) of USL W League and of the USL Championship. DCFC’s men’s side formerly played in the National Premier Soccer League's (NPSL) Midwestern Conference before joining NISA in 2019, and women's side formerly playing in the United Women's Soccer’s (UWS) Midwest Conference

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds United F.C.–Millwall F.C. rivalry</span> Rivalry between two English football teams.

The rivalry between Leeds United and Millwall is a bitter North–South divide rivalry in English football. Millwall were founded in London in 1885 and Leeds United in Yorkshire in 1919, over 170 miles (270 km) apart. Both sides entered the Football League in 1920–21 season, albeit in different divisions. From 1920 to 2003 the sides met just 12 times; competing in different tiers for the majority of their histories, and neither considering the other a rival on the pitch. From 2004 to 2020, the teams met 28 times when Leeds were relegated from the Premier League. The rivalry began in League One during the 2007–08 season, with disorder and violent clashes between both sets of fans and the police at Elland Road. It continued into the 2008–09 season; where the teams were vying for promotion to the Championship, culminating in Millwall knocking Leeds out of the League One playoffs at the semi-final stage.

References


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.