Why Wonderwall has become England’s World Cup anthem

The term Wonderwall is originally taken from the psychedelic and surreal 1968 film of the same name.

It stars Jane Birkin as the object of obsession for a man who lives next door, slowly making holes in his wall so he can watch her through it (not creepy at all).

George Harrison provided the soundtrack – the first solo album by a Beatle – which is where avid record collector Noel came across it.

The original working title for his tune had been Wishing Stone, but a smart tweak to the lyrics resulted in his best-selling song – millions of records and billions of streams – and probably paid for his swimming pool.

Louder Than War writer and Membranes musician John Robb, who also released an Oasis book last year titled Live Forever: The Rise, Fall And Resurrection Of Oasis, tells us Wonderwall is the perfect song for football fans due to it’s heady mix of “euphoria” and “melancholy”.

“There’s something really melancholic about being a football fan because any second you’re about to lose but any second you’re about to win,” says the Blackpool supporter.

“The song captures both – it’s the perfect football song.”

He continues: “It has that thing where you can sing along to it but it’s got that undertone of sadness, it’s also got that lift in the chorus.”

Although not written as a football song, Noel has spoken of the influence of his time spent on the terraces at the old Maine Road watching Manchester City on his songwriting, Robb recalls.

“Football is about community and camaraderie and everybody being together in the moment, and those kinds of songs are perfect for it,” he adds.

“The ultimate choir is a football terrace, because it’s a lot of people who can’t really sing, singing together and in harmony.

“That’s quite a beautiful thing.”