In 2006 I spent some time living in England. One of my main goals during this time was to get to an English Premier League soccer game. My team in the comp is Newcastle United, who like the Raiders is a team known for is passionate supporters. I managed to snag tickets to a home game at *'s home stadium and drove up to the North of England for the game. After a lifetime of seeing soccer violence on TV I was expecting to see blood running down the aisles, but I was a little disappointed that the experience was not like that at all. You couldn’t drink beer in your seat, a fact I was advised by security. The fans clapped both sides, AND the ref onto the pitch. While there was no blood there were about 100 police separating the away team fans and the home side, so clearly there must have been blood at some point? The most striking thing however about the entire experience was the singing. The supporters had a long list of songs that the entire stadium knew and sung in chorus. It was brilliant.

Inspired by this, my brother and I propose that we develop some catchy tunes that we as a group can sing at Raiders games. It is a well known fact that travelling down to the house of pain in Canberra is one of the toughest road trips in the NRL, imagine if the home of the gods came alive at each home game with tunes that inspire the green machine to greatness?

Last year during the first game of the year at Brookvale, it was a sad day, but one thing my brother and I noted was the way the Manly fans clapped their players back to the halfway line after they scored a try. Inspired by this at the next home game my brother and I tried the same. Being season ticket holders in Bay 69 puts us in the perfect position to raise the chant. During the Newcastle game where we blew them off the park we lead at least half the Eastern grandstand into clapping the side back to halfway. It was a pretty proud moment for us when Chalky turned to us and clapped us back. It was a clear indication that this was lifting the team. Clearly when the team stops they have more time to absorb the atmosphere and soak up the adulation of their fans. I hope we can continue this, this year and I also hope the boys in the green army get on board clapping the team back to halfway after a try.

Now back to the bit about songs. My brother and I have drafted up a few quick ones and put this out there for others with a creative mine to build on. We have to understand it will take time to develop something like this, but perhaps we should aim at introducing one song per week while we get a hang of it. Perhaps the first one should be about our courageous captain. If we sung it every time he made a tackle we would average the song at 47 times per game.

You’ve been stung,
You’ve been stung,
You’ve been stung,
By Alan Tounge!

Or perhaps,

*'s here
*'s there
He tackles everywhere
The Tongue
The Tongue
The Tongue
Some other ideas are:

Up there Joel Monaghan,
Up there and fight,
If you take *'s bombs,
It’ll be a treat tonight.

Neville, Neville *'s our man,
If he can’t bust the line, no one can.

Well give you Marshall Law,
And he’ll chalk it up to score
On the Greenboard!
On the Greenboard!


One I heard at Liverpool, England during the FA cup final can also be adapted,

Oh when the Raiders, Oh when the Raiders, Oh when the Raiders go marching in, I want to be in that number, when the Raiders go marching in.

Perhaps we can also get involved in developing a song each week to have a go at the opposition.

For example when the Roosters come to town we could do something like:

They bought a team,
Tried to buy a dream,
But we all know,
They don’t play clean.

I am not sure how something like this can be organised, but one thing I know is that if it is possible The GH is the place that can make it happen. You might all think this sounds as lame as one of Steven Clarkes ref decisions and think I belong in Sunday school, but I have a dream and if you agree we might just be able to make it work. If I can be of assistance, let me know.

Bundy, the happy clapper.

having experienced the english football phenominum myself i concur.

Having said that the Army usually produce a few, "few", corkers. my personal favourite is the Cronulla armys visit. God knows why they sit directly next to the raiders army.

I'm sure the boys can go over the words for me but it went along the lines of "stand up if you've won a premiership, stand up"???



in responce they chanted "sharkies" "sharkies" - touche...

Lol that is GOLDEN!!

Ahhhh, a thread close to my heart!

The Raiders Army vision is to try create that English football type atmosphere with songs hopefully sungs all around the ground. Reality is that this is a long way off happening, if ever. When you go to England, or Europe for that matter, and you sit in those stands, you wish you could do it every week. Sadly it doesn't work like that. As i've said on here before, most Australians don't want a bar of things like singing or songs at the footy. It is considered 'uncool' by most. That is half the battle. In England is is just part of the culture and you grow up around the songs and tunes.

If people do want to get to know the RA songs better, and perhaps even try them in their own bay, the best bet would be to come to the pregame drinks which will be at the Lighthouse Pub in Belconnen this year. We'll try get some atmosphere in there before games. Alternatively you can stand near us or with us. One thing we do try to do though is have different songs. Most groups in the NRL sing the same tired songs that they have just adopted from their primary school swimming carnival and inserted the team name somewhere. We try to avoid those type of songs if we can and either invent or mimic ones heard in stadiums overseas.

Anyway, I'm liking your thinking Bundy and hope you keep trying to do what you are doing. I'm also quite jealous you got into St James Park. That ground still has the longest waiting list in England for a season ticket I believe.

Stevie, that song is "Stand up if you've won the league". They hate it .

I was watching the English Super League last night and the atmosphere at those games are great. I would love it if something like that started happening here.

The close proximity to the playing area and the way the stadiums are built helps that immensely too. Those ESL folk could teach us a thing or two I reckon.

TBH my favourite song done by the army was a few years ago when the tigers came to bruce, some mug a few rows down was giving up ****, looked like a very poor man's rambo, ridiculous headband on his head, and we chanted "rambo, rambo, give us a wave"
the bloke cracked it hardcore, and moved during half time

One of my favourite songs of all time was in Scottish football. A goalkeeper Andy Goram came out in the papers saying he had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia by medical staff. When the game started next weekend, the opposition fans behind his goal started singing "2 Andy Gorams, there's only 2 Andy Gorams"

Thats the type of song I like. Fans that keep up with what's going on then make it up on the spot. They are the best ones I reckon.

Shame Steve Irwin didnt get a run for our FG... "One Steve Irwin" could have been good, i recall there was talk of doing it in bay 72 during a PL game but i believe it was decided to be far too soon

That was a terrific post Bundy.
I am, like you always wishing it could be like that here too.
I was in the U.K in 2003 and saw Hull F.C vs Bradford Bulls at the K.C and was absolutely overwhelmed by the experience.
Even walking towards the stadium and hearing the Scorpions song 'winds of change' (no lyrics, music only) absolutely blasting around the stadium gave me goose bumps and immense anticipation to get inside the ground, then once in there, I entered a different world. It was electric. The synchronized singing and chanting was a thing of sheer beauty.
I even menchioned to the bloke next to me that it was not like this in Australia.
I remember after Ruben's farewell how **** special it would have been if the entire crowd had sang 'you are the wind beneath my wings' as one.
I also think we need a new anthem. 'Green Machine' has its history and all, but lets face it, it's ****.
I would love an anthem like Liverpool's 'You'll never walk alone' or West ham's 'forever blowing bubbles'. Something the crowd could sing before the lads run out.
Some i thought could be good are

'daydream believer' Monkeys. I think one of the Dundee clubs have that
'annies song' John Denver
'You were always on my mind' The King
'Leaving on a jet plane' John Denver
'Playing to win' Sir John Farnham
'Our house' Madness

Or just cool songs to run out to like Guru Josh 'Infinity' or Vangelis ' Conquest of paradise'.

Anyway i'll be drunk, proud and **** loud this year and hope for a right proper show from the lads.

Get the pitchforks and assemble the angry mob. Ill find a sturdy branch to throw a rope over.

Hahahaha, are you serious!??

How about following it up with "my heart will go on".

Our Anthem is bloody fine leave it alone, all for new songs but nothing gives me more goosebumps then "were bad and mean the green machine" it revs me up, i could run a marathon on it.

You feeling alright RAMRAID?

Either that or Sex Bomb from Tom Jones.

haha, yeah i know, I do love all those sorts of soft songs. But singing "did you ever know that your my hero" would have fitting for Wiki. He would never forget that.
And back to the 'green machine' song. Yes, it has it's history and i do like the words in it, but it sounds crap and can't for the life of see how that could fire anyone up.

This thread has taken a bit of a turn....

And for the record, the Green Machine song is frickin awesome! I wouldn't want to change it for the world!!!!!

I must say im envious of clubs like Cronulla and souths who have such easy sing along songs... id be great if the raiders had a personalised song that got played over the PA after a win for the crowd to get involved with.

Green Machine isnt a song you can really sing along to imo

Rubbish! I sing along to every word after a win! Nothing better!

I especially love singing it on the bus with the army...

Nah nah nah na na na, nah nah nah na na na......

Were bad and mean, the GREEN MACHINE, We hit em hard, so they see green, were big and strong, were fast and mean.....

Its a great song, and I feel a lot more comfortable belting that out than Glory, Glory etc.

I'd like to see them pick one or 2 'popular' songs as well, ala Melbourne in 99 with Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's 'Won't Back Down'. It worked for them that year!

TBH id stray right away from any hit songs like that
Green Machine is an awesome song, good to get pumped up to, but for a victory song, id go with something more melo and personalised

there's only 1 minichello, you got the wrong minichello... vs sths for the 25th anniversary match

I challenge someone to make a catchy song based on Zillman to the tune of John Williamson's Rip, Rip Woodchip.

KW

Rip rip woodchip

I laugh but no doubt you are serious.

What about:

You are our Zillman
Our Willy Zillman
You make us happy, when skys are grey
Zillman is greater
Than Billy Slater
So please don't take our Zillman away

Verse 2 (in the Slater bit) could be:
Zillman is better
Than that Rhys Wesser

brilliant...

You've got a **** talent for this woody, thats a bloody decent zilly song

for the 2nd verse, id go with "Then Rhysy Wesser" as opposed to "Then that Rhys Wesser"

Done. Than Rhysy Wesser it is.

What the plan is going to be as decided at Raiders Army meeting last week is that we will create a book of songs, however we don't really want it to be distributed or on our website. Therefore, if you want to get the book then you need to be part of the database and we will send the book out in a few weeks to the email addresses on there. If you haven't joined the database then all you need to do is email: kw@raidersarmy.com
If you have any drama's or comments outside that can you please PM either KW, Shifty or myself. I suppose we can email people the book even if they have concerns about joining the DB, the more people trying to sing em the better. Having said that we don't send that many emails so hopefully there won't be any dramas.

Cheers.

Brilliant stuff boys, this has gotta be the most productive RA off season of all time
well in lads

Ha ha memories

Rip rip Currier's **** - his defence is weaker than paper
Blockers in the bin, no shield today
Junior's dreaming - can't you hear Wazza screaming?
Hardwicke's an eyesore he's got tooth decay

Yes we were very drunk


Clever, but deluded




Substiute Zillman for anybody

Haha, nice song from 89!

Deluded yes! That's how you support at the ground. Apparently the Raiders could play the Australian team at Bruce and we'd still claim every one of our 17 is better

Think it?
We'd have proof of the matter 80 minutes on when the Raiders put the aussies to the **** sword

That's it mate

Commiserations for yesterday buddy

Maybe a Raiders premiership will cheer you up

lol i was at that game it was hilarious, wasnt one also "your being coached by a raider" or something