There are numerous things that come to mind when we think of our favourite sports. The big teams, the star athletes, the iconic kits and strips of sports teams known around the world. But what more could there be to sport?

Well, you’ve got the relationships between sports and odds from betting companies, the partnerships with sponsors whose logos are plastered on kits and around stadiums. But in addition to that, and it doesn’t matter what team sport you follow, you can guarantee that whoever it is that you support, they’ll have their own collection of chants and anthems sung by its fans.

One of the most famous anthems is Liverpool FC’s You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers, also adopted by Celtic FC in the Scottish Premier League. It has been synonymous with the Merseyside club for many years now, being one of the oldest anthems in sport. But how does a song become a stadium anthem, and is it just classic songs that are adopted by fans?

Let us answer that second question first, because no, not all anthems are old classics. Take the White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” for example, it is one of the newer anthems that have been adopted by fans in stadiums around the world. And whilst we can’t really tell you why certain songs are picked, we can tell you the origins of how Seven Nation Army became a stadium anthem.

When and where it first took off

The song was originally released in 2003 by the rock duo the White Stripes. However, it was never an instant hit for them back then, despite “Seven Nation Army” being their biggest selling and best known song to date. It wasn’t actually until later that year that the song’s fame really took off. And it was all started by a football team from Belgium called Club Brugge.

It was a huge European night in the Champions League, and minnows Club Brugge were taking on the mighty AC Milan, who went on to lose the final of the competition year’s later in 2005, possibly the best Champions League final there has ever been. They travelled all the way to Italy, and had been as many fans do, enjoying a beverage or two along the way to make the most of their European adventures. It was during this time that “Seven Nation Army” was playing in the background, and fans began chanting the famous “doooo, doo doo doo doo doooooooo doo”.

Club Brugge would then go to get one of the biggest results in the club’s history, as they caused a major upset, beating the Italian giants 0-1. And to celebrate, the fans began chanting that very same tune, with “doooo, doo doo doo doo doooooooo doo” ringing around the stadium. And it began to follow them around, with the Brugge fans chanting it at many of their games.

How it travelled around the world

Three years later, Club Brugge were drawn against Italian competition in the Champions League again. This time they would face Roma, but it wouldn’t be the same glorious night they experienced when they faced AC Milan. Unfortunately they ended up losing the tie 2-1, but the Brugge fans had been chanting the “Seven Nation Army” throughout the game, and by the end of it, it was the Roma fans who had “doooo, doo doo doo doo doooooooo doo” ringing around the stadium.

Roma then took the chant back to Italy with them, where they continued to chant it at all of their games home and away. Before long, it began to be adopted by the Italian national team’s fans. Accompanying them all the way on their journey that saw them make it to the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and lift the trophy.

Since then, it has continued to crop up at international tournaments across the globe. Continuing to be sung by a wide range of fans supporting all different teams, pretty much becoming a universal stadium anthem. And now you rarely can go to a football game without hearing it chanted at some point. Sometimes it will be the traditional “doooo, doo doo doo doo doooooooo doo” and other times fans have amended the lyrics to match the names of their favourite players.

And that is the story of how “Seven Nation Army” became a stadium anthem. Starting as a chant by a small club from Belgium, and then taking over the world. They were probably also to credit for the song’s success since then, since after its initial release it was a bit of a flop, and it was only after it became an anthem that it became a hit for the White Stripes.