First official poet from the terraces

A lyrical soccer fan was named Britain’s first “Chant Laureate” on Tuesday after writing a song for the supporters of his team’s bitterest rivals. Jonny Hurst, 37, a Birmingham City fan, penned a chant which beat 1,500 other hopefuls and win the $17,740 prize.

His chant, to the tune of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”, celebrated Aston Villa’s Juan Pablo Angel.

It included such lines as:
Just hear the Villa roar; with each Juan Pablo score; We’ve got him on a four-year deal; but we still want more.

Runners up included 16-year-old Emma Jayne Pursey, whose tribute to Everton striker Wayne Rooney twisted the Weather Girls’ song “It’s Raining Men” into the chant “It’s Wayne Again”.