He Banged The Leather For Goal

Album: Not Recorded on an Album (1898)
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Songfacts®:

  • English composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934) is famous for a string of symphonies and concertos but he also wrote what is believed to be the first ever football anthem. The composer was a keen Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, one of a founder members of the Football League in 1888, and often cycled over 40 miles from his home in Malvern, Worcestershire, to watch his team play. According to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he wrote this tune in honour of an 1890s striker, Billy Malpass.
  • This song is not Elgar's only footy connection. One of his best-known scores, "Land of Hope and Glory," has been adapted by football fans over the years for their own chants. For instance Wolves fans sing a version with the lyrics changed to "We will follow the Wanderers over land sea and water."

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