Affecting the game

When it comes to really getting to the bottom of the England Band and their ultimate purpose, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the main reason they do what they do is to generate a positive and exciting atmosphere for the fans in the stadium.

Of course, that’s a massive part of it. Indeed, John and his team are fans themselves, and what is football without the fans, after all? The match-going experience is pivotal to the sport, and the England Band naturally want to improve that for supporters as much as possible (at least for the Three Lions fans, that is).

But, it goes deeper than that. The influence of the England Band doesn’t stop at the advertising boards, it bleeds onto the pitch, too. Those thumping drums and piercing trumpets get under the skin of every player that pulls on an England shirt.

Affecting the game from the stands is something David Beckham knows all about. His finest moment representing his country – that stunning free-kick in the dying moments against Greece in 2001 which secured England’s spot in the 2002 World Cup – is a goal that may actually owe a lot to the stirring sounds of the band.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the iconic moment, Beckham said: “I remember stepping back, taking a breath, and all I remember… We have the band at the England games, and I could hear the beat of the drum in the back of my mind. Then everything went quiet. And I remember running up and hitting it, and as soon as I did I knew it was in.”

Admittedly, most of the credit for the goal has to go to Beckham himself and the years of hard work he put in on the training pitch to perfect his free-kick routine. But there’s no denying the band play their part in key moments like this all the time.

The band has travelled around the world following the Three Lions over the last 30 years, from major tournaments to those friendlies you’d forgotten all about. But, every time John and the gang play their instantly-recognisable tunes they are hoping to become that fabled 12th man and inspire the England players to produce something special on the pitch.

Who knows, perhaps one day those familiar echoes from the stands might just be the difference between glory and heartbreak?