Playing for England and making music around the world of sport

The travelling army of fans were in full cry during the tournament, thanks, in no small part, to John Hemmingham and the England Supporters Band who orchestrated them from the terraces.

The band, started by Hemmingham back in the early 1990s, was signed up in South Africa as footballing ambassadors by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and are credited with boosting the image of English fans abroad.

"England fans now have the best reputation of football supporters, believe it or not. Fans have a good time and express themselves through singalongs rather than hitting people," he says.

Among those who helped fuel the party atmosphere was veteran comedian Bernie Clifton who joined the band as a trombone player, but soldiered on even after a car ran over his foot.

But while Hemmingham and his merry band of amateur musicians proved a hit, it's fair to say the dreaded vuvuzela horns weren't quite so popular, unless you happened to run an ear-plug business.

"We got the vuvu blowers to join in, out in South Africa, and it was only when we heard them on TV that we realised how loud they sounded."

Despite their unpopularity with English Premier League clubs which have banned the plastic horns left, right and centre, Hemmingham views them a little more sympathetically.

"Having been in South Africa, you realise they're part of the game over there. Just like fans in England used to have rattles, so their

supporters have vuvuzelas; it's just a different culture."

The trip to South Africa is just the latest in a series of adventures

that has taken the band all over the world. Their roller-coaster journey has seen them making a record for Sir Richard Branson, teaming up with Melinda Messenger at the France '98 World Cup and playing at a 70th birthday bash for Sir Michael Caine.

But as Hemmingham, a lifelong Sheffield Wednesday supporter and former chief executive of Mansfield Town, explains, it all started by chance.

"I took a bugle to a Sheffield Wednesday game against Everton in 1993. I hid it up my jumper and sneaked it in through the turnstiles and after about 80 minutes we were winning two-nil and some of the lads said, 'go on, if you get thrown out you'll only miss 10 minutes'. So I played a bit of the March from Aida, which Wednesday fans sing when they score, and the fans went wild."

He played his bugle at a few more games after which the local press picked up on the story and, eventually, Hemmingham was revealed as the mystery bugler. Shortly afterwards, Trevor Francis, who was then manager of Sheffield Wednesday, rang him up asking if he would form a club band.

"He had played in Italy where drums and trumpets were played at games and said it created a better atmosphere. So I asked a few guys on the terrace if they fancied giving it a go."

They started life as a six-piece band playing drums, trumpets and

bugles.

"It was just a bit of fun, we knew we weren't the Hall Orchestra, but then your average bloke on the terraces isn't Pavarotti either when it comes to singing."

The band soon became a familiar presence at Sheffield Wednesday matches and in 1996 they were offered the chance every Englishman dreams of – to play for their country.

"We got a call from Glenn Hoddle asking us if we would come and play at an England match, which was just unbelievable."

On the back of this, they got an even better offer.

"We were all pictured on the back page of The Sun and we were asked if we wanted to go to France for the World Cup as part of some promotional tour with Melinda Messenger. So I had the difficult job of asking the lads if they fancied spending two weeks on an open-top bus with Melinda Messenger and watching the World Cup," he says, laughing.

By the end of the decade they had become a fixture at England games both home and abroad, making guest appearances on TV shows like TFI Friday and This Morning with Richard and Judy. It wasn't long before the record companies came knocking on their door.

"There were two record companies who wanted to sign us, including

Virgin. Now we didn't know the first thing about the music industry but the clincher was when Richard Branson rang me up himself. So I'd gone from having a bugle stuffed up my jumper to Sir Richard Branson calling me asking if I'd make a record; it was crazy."

Hemmingham's fascination with football, and bugles, dates back to his childhood.

"From the age of seven, I was obsessed with football and at around the same time I learned to play the bugle in a cubs scout band. I could see Hillsborough from my bedroom window, and from my classroom at school I could see the players training."

All this, and the band's unlikely beginnings, are recounted by

Hemmingham in his new book, Playing For England – the Early Years,

which follows their story up to Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager in 2001.

He's in the process of writing the second installment, which will bring events up to the present day. These include being the surprise guests on a This Is Your Life programme for Elmer Bernstein and playing for Sir Michael Caine on his 70th birthday, although the latter didn't go

as the band had hoped.

"He was being interviewed by Jonathan Ross for a special birthday show and we were supposed to burst in at the end. But the interview dragged on and we ended up waiting for two-and-a-half hours, and by the time we came in half the band had forgotten what we were supposed to be

playing. So some of us played The Self-Preservation Society song from The Italian Job and the rest played The Great Escape. It was awful and the look on his face was a picture."

Over the years, the England Supporters' Band has featured as many as 40 performers, with a hardcore of six players, including three from the original line-up.

Having played at numerous matches, Hemmingham says they have learnt how to milk a crowd and when to stay quiet.

"We know what to play that will encourage people to join in. It's the same as starting a chant, we just have a bigger voice."

Supporting their country from the terraces has seen them travel to 60 different countries in four continents, although it isn't always as glamorous as it sounds.

"Switzerland is definitely the coldest place we've been to. When we blew on our trumpets, it pulled the skin off because it was so cold."

But despite such inclement weather, the 47-year-old says playing for England has been a life-changing experience.

"It's been fantastic and we wouldn't swap it for anything, because at the end of the day we're just a bunch of lads

from the terraces who love football."

n Playing For England is published by Peak Publishing, priced 17.99.