English Football Anthem

EDM number 283 in 2012-13, proposed by Greg Mulholland on 27/06/2012.
Categorised under the topic of Sports.

That this House believes that the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship should be the last international football tournament at which England competes without using an English anthem; notes that while God Save The Queen as the UK national anthem should be used for UK teams and athletes, Scotland and Wales have alternative anthems for use when competing individually while England continues to use the UK national anthem even though it represents all of the home nations; further notes that in 2014, the Scottish Government plans to hold a referendum on Scotland's place within the Union and that this important vote, regardless of its outcome, makes all the more timely efforts to recognise and enhance the distinction between the UK as a whole and the home nations when they compete separately; calls on the Football Association (FA) to consult with other sporting bodies, fan groups and interested bodies to bring forward plans for an English anthem to be approved in time for the 2014 FIFA Brazil World Cup; further calls on sports clubs, teams and organisations to support such moves and encourage their members and supporters to lobby the FA on supporting an English anthem; and ultimately calls on the Government and local authorities to support and facilitate these efforts so that fans of English football have their own English anthem, just as the Scots sing Flower of Scotland and the Welsh sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers), whilst retaining God Save The Queen for UK and British teams and anthems.

This motion has been signed by a total of 8 MPs.