England Band: Behind the Chant

As the England Band embark on a new and very exciting chapter in their journey, they wanted to give you the chance to get to know them a little better. From how this adventure first began many years ago, to why they do what they do, and an insight into what the future holds, it’s time to step behind the chant and find out who’s making all that noise.

December 27, 1993. An away day at Goodison Park ended in a 2-0 win for Sheffield Wednesday thanks to first-half goals from Mark Bright and Carlton Palmer. A great day on the pitch for the Owls, but off it, John Hemmingham and his bugle started something truly special.

“I pulled it out from under my jumper in the 80th minute, blew it, and the crowd went mad,” John recalled. “The next day, Trevor Frances and the Wednesday chairman both called me and asked me to form a band.”

John duly obliged, assembling a group of season ticket holders, most of whom didn’t know their way around a trumpet or a drum. And yet, it worked. So much so that three years later, England called, and the rest is history, as they say.

This is more than just a few blokes banging a drum in a football stadium, though. The England Band has become a genuine institution within the footballing world and it’s something John and his clan are incredibly proud of.

“The band means a lot to us. It’s an honour to play for club and country and hopefully influence what happens on the pitch in some way,” he said. “Players and managers have told us it helps their performance. It means a lot that the effort we put in works and we are very, very proud of what we do.”

People have been hearing the England Band for over 30 years, but now, the goal is to be seen; to reach new audiences and to amplify everything they do; to be louder, more visible, and more connected than ever before.