It’s summertime in Dublin and the year is 1990. by Christine Allen
I’m two and a half years old..
My face is turned shyly against the fabric of my Mothers linen skirt and I wear an emerald green Italia ‘90 jersey that swims past my knees – the closest she’ll ever get to see me wearing a dress.
Feeling a gentle nudge, I turn slowly and see her office colleagues smiling expectantly.
Like our family’s Fiesta, I require a little help to get going.
“We’re all part uvvff Jackie’s Arm eee…” I begin quietly, taking my Mothers lead, arms swinging. “We’re all uvvff to Italeee…” I glance back at my Mam, who nods in encouragement. “…and we’ll weally shake them UP… when we win the Wureld CUP…cos Ireland is the graydest fuvvball teeummm.”
At that moment the Office erupts in applause, cheers of “Ole Ole Ole Ole” escaping the open windows to echo along the Quays – or so I’m told.
Every time my Mother relays this story to an unsuspecting stranger (usually at a wedding), I smile politely, resisting the urge to confess that I have zero recollection of my patriotic solo number.
What I do remember however, is the song.
Reminded once again of my child star past at a recent family gathering, I find myself searching online for “Put Em Under Pressure”, Ireland’s official Italia ‘90 World Cup Anthem – a.k.a my office smash hit.
Clicking play on the old reliable that is YouTube, I sit back and let the galvanising lyrics wash over me, the trad instruments melting into the marrow of my bones, my arms prickling with goosebumps.
Two weeks later, I watch The Gunners rewrite the morning papers in a scintillating comeback that stuns Leicester City at King Power Stadium.
Peppered throughout our 6-2 victory, to the tune of ABBA’s ‘Voulez-Vous’, the following lyrics are sung in unison by the small gathering of away fans who have braved the biting November chill.
Twenty fourrrrr.
LACASSE!
Running down the wing
LACASSE!
Hear the Arsenal sing
LACASSE!
And we’re gonna win the league…
As I watch our summer signing pivot and dance in rhythm, I can’t help but wonder if hearing her name reverberate around the royal blue stadium, so loud it must reach the weary travellers whose heads hit the pillow in Leicester’s Holiday Express Inn, has too given Cloe Lacasse goosebumps.
When the final whistle blows, calling time on what was an extraordinary display of heart following a first half where Leicester had our number on the counter, Lacasse, somewhat sheepishly, soaks in another burst of her ode.
Beth Mead, the more experienced of the two when it comes to a North London serenade, conducts the spirited voices, playfully pushing Lacasse as the Sudbury winger touches her face in a gesture akin to the sign of the cross.
Getting ready for bed that night I sing LACASSE! under my breath, convinced that the Canadian international is following suit.
“I’ve heard it, let me tell you!” She confirms to The Arsenal the following day, “My Twitter has been exploding about the song. It’s incredible, it’s been stuck in my head as well. So thanks to the fans! I’ve felt at home here since I arrived and having that chant is just incredible. I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to have that chant stuck in my head.”
Lacasse’s nod to the sense of belonging the song has evoked is not surprising.
A chant bridges the gap between terrace and pitch, opening a channel of communication between fan and player to convey a message of appreciation and acceptance.
Isn’t it fair to say that Lacasse’s lyric makes her feel seen?
Case in point, in a time when our culture was pre-literate, chants and songs served as a form of verbal communication.
This principle of communal singing or dancing continues to exist across cultures, including in the Māori Haka of one of the 2023 host nation’s, New Zealand (Aotearoa).
Football chants in particular have served as a medium through which fans can express their love for their team and their community, as well as making them feel stronger than their opponents (Blackshaw, 2008).
In addition, they have been understood to offer supporters ways in which to express their identity, demonstrate group cohesion and manifest a collective presence (Kytö, 2011).
This may provide insight into the reasoning behind players’ post game songbursts, when lyrics written for both teammates and club alike carry down the motorway.
Further studies have shown that chanting can have a positive effect on our mental well-being.
One such study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the ‘neurohemodynamic correlates of chanting the sacred syllable “OM.”’
Results revealed that during OM chanting, there was ‘significant deactivation in several brain regions, suggesting a calming effect on the mind and a reduction in mental activity associated with stress and anxiety.’’
And now back to the present moment.
It’s winter in Dublin, 2023.
My Mother, now retired, sits forward on her armchair, clearing her throat.
I squeeze her hand, flashing an encouraging smile.
“LACASSE!” She begins, laughing self consciously.
While no Maria Petri, I think she’s just about ready for Meadow Park
Christine Allen who is a member of the Dublin Arsenal Supporters Club.
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