The World Cup is now less than two months away and naturally many businesses are starting to cash in on football fever. Now Easter is over, football is a great excuse to sell more pointless, overpriced rubbish in the usual dry period up until Halloween.

One of the biggest money makers is the Official England Anthem. In the past we have had some greats, most notably Three Lions by Baddiel and Skinner. We have also had a few embarrassing ones by artists who will remain nameless (you know who you are, you loud mouthed Geordies, why don’t you go back to the jungle).

It was leaked a while ago that indie band Embrace would be singing the England anthem for the 2006 World Cup. I like Embrace so eagerly anticipated this one. Radio 1 played it this morning for the first time…

What a load of rubbish! It’s a nice song but as an England anthem it is pathetic and about as weak as a Steven Gerrard backpass! They may as well have got fucking Radiohead to record it! You certainly cannot see this being sung by millions of fans across the country in pubs and those in the terraces.

The FA’s decision to appoint an indie band to write and perform an uplifting anthem is about as bad as hiring Sven Goran Erikkson as manager.

It’s time to dust off the Three Lions & Vindaloo CDs from past tournaments, two classic and uplifting England anthems, unlike Embrace’s effort.