1983 Song by an English Band Gets Ranked the Greatest Song About Soccer

While it doesn’t seem like it would be the case, there are plenty of songs about sports, specifically soccer, AKA football. For instance, in June 2026, The Guardian released a ranking of “the 20 greatest songs about football.”

The publication’s list featured soccer-themed songs like “Touchline” by Rod Stewartfrom 2021, 2011’s “Every Defeat a Divorce (Three Lions)” by Los Campesinos!, and Billy Bragg‘s 1991 tune “God’s Footballer.” The ranking’s top five were “Marcus Rashford” by Youngs Teflon from 2017, 2019’s “Two Halves” by Richard Dawson, “False 9” by AJ Tracey from 2017, 1999’s “England 2 Colombia 0” by Kirsty MacColl, with The Fall‘s 1983 song “Kicker Conspiracy” securing the number one spot.

Late The Fall Member Mark E. Smith Shared Details About ‘Kicker Conspiracy’ in a 2000 Interview

During a 2000 interview with When Saturday Comes, the vocalist and lyricist of The Fall, Mark E. Smith, who died in 2018 when he was 60, discussed “Kicker Conspiracy,” off the English band’s sixth album, Perverted by Language. He said that the band’s record label, Rough Trade Records, wasn’t interested in a song that focused on soccer.

“You couldn’t mention football in the rock world then. We were on Rough Trade and I told them ‘This is about football violence’ and it was all ‘You don’t go to football, do you?’ I remember Melody Maker saying, “Mark Smith’s obviously got writer’s block having to write about football,'” said Smith. “About five years later, the same guy reviewed something else saying it was a load of rubbish and ‘nowhere near the heights of Kicker Conspiracy.’ And now, of course, all the old music hacks are sat in the directors’ box with Oasis.“

While speaking to When Saturday Comes, Smith explained why he was a Manchester City F.C. fan. He said one of his reasons was because he wanted “to be contrary” to his father, who was “a United fan.”

“Back in the 1950s he’d to go to away games on his bike – he’d cycle to places like Leicester. But I converted him to City,” said Smith during the 2000 interview.