Englanders you have been asked by the authoritiesto sing La Marseillaise before match tomorrow by FA

Interesting to see if the England players who do not bother to sing their own anthem will make the effort to sing someone else's.

How they going to learn this in a day or 2

Well they could distribute leaflets although I suspect our pronunciation will be worse tha in allo allo

Maybe our supporters could just hum the tune

La Marseillaise became the rallying call in the French Revolution, the only war that the French can claim to have won....although as it was France v France they stood a realistic chance of victory.

I would have bet on that one being a goalless draw.

This is a meaningless gesture and should be resisted,its a cover for doing nothing.

After the Hebdo shootings the French came out holding hands and holding candles and that was it,the only thing these craven French did was stop Marine Le Pen attending.

No mention of stopping the current invasion.

Watching these craven politicians bursting into song at the drop of a hat to cover up their inactivity was nauseating.

The French were instrumental in getting the US independence from Britain.Hence
Obama talking about France being their oldest enemy

oops! enemy should of course read friend

Yes the US does play that card well, they trade special relationship with our oldest friend

and we both fall for it

Think he was closer the first time.
The relationship between France and America has been an unusual one to say the least.
There have been many periods in history where the general feeling towards the yanks have been hostile with them getting attacked in the streets and American businesses attacked.
These have been punctuated with the occasional acceptance of Americanism like the first Atlantic crossing by plane.

Or y'know.....

It may just be important to show a city / nation that our strange little nation is right behind them, via the medium of a meaningless gesture and leave the politics to another day and other people?

Going to be pretty uncomfortable viewing I expect.
How many do you think will be able to do it by tonight?

I think it will more likely be clapping from the fans

Instead of the Marseillaise they could make it a bit easier for the English fans by playing Je t'aime by Jane and Serge.

The sentiment would be similar

Or Lady Marmalade

Maybe the popcorn guy could sell snails and frog legs?

Bit much asking the English sing along
You think there hold back the water cannon next summer

Will be like the episode of Father Ted where Father Jack made the other priests stand up and sing The Marseillaise.

Words to the French national anthem 'La Marseillaise':

Allons, enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
Contre nous, de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Égorger nos fils, nos compagnes!

Aux armes, citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons
Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!


English translation:

Arise, children of the Fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody banner is raised
Do you hear, in the countryside
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They're coming right into your arms
To cut the throats of your sons, your women!

To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions
Let's march, let's march
Let an impure blood
Water our furrows!

Phookin 'ell they talk (well, sing) a good fight don't they!

Bloodthirsty b'strds!

yesterday's session in parliament was almost comical as politician after politician stood 'to say to the French people only this' (I shall say dis honely vonce) then proceeded to give some french in an english accent. They all seemed to have one they'd been practicing all weekend in an attempt to get theirs into a soundbite.

of course the English are well known for their love of France

You know that when a politician does it, it's just cringeworthy.

But - and I doubt it will happen on the mass scale they envisage - I think there's something vaguely noble and open-hearted about a bunch of English football fans attempting 'La Marseillaise' (not getting sniffy about it here; I'd be a bloody embarrassment if I tried it)

french anthem is a bit like the italian, a rousing chorus that sounds fantastic especially when the tanks are in reverse

I believe the people would have done something symbolic anyway.
Im a little disappointed tbh that attempts have been made to orchestrate a reaction, it should have been a decision for the people to make, interfering in that strips away the sentiment

Yeah - I'm usually against orchestration and systematisation of grief but on this occasion, given it's the first major international cultural occasion involving France after the tragedy of last Friday, that this has got some momentum.

Like I said, embarrassment will probably get the better of the (English) supporters - but I hope not.

There's a good number of French people who work for the same company as me. They are all really nice people!
They are one of our closest neighbourinos after all!

Good to show an act of solidarity with France whilst they are going through a traumatic time.

showing Emmanuelle clips half-time

I agree with Dustybin.

Nobody who is English or French should sing either national anthem. Our politicians and many of our fellow citizens are trying to destroy us, to sing the anthem, either one, would be an act of treachery.

act of treachery

To clarify, I don`t believe the English should sing the English, or French anthem. And also the Frech should not sing the Marseillaise or the British anthem.

dont mention french fries to the yanks....wasnt too long ago they wanted them banned.

i wonder what the fans will be singing tonight....1.01 no surrender

free EU flags available at all turnstiles tonight and don't forget to hum along to Ode an die Freude

How do you know you can trust the person standing beside you?

It was kind of tictacman to post the words of la Marseillaise for those who don't know them.
Unfortunately there is already an anglicised version in the form of a rugby song which many will already know. Perhaps the authorities are unaware of this. Could be embarrassing.

LFC...To clarify, I don`t believe the English should sing the English, or French anthem. And also the Frech should not sing the Marseillaise or the British anthem.

oh dear...

PM now going

This will probably be the only time that the pre match national anthems will get bigger viewing figures than the actual football match.......

BTW. Max bet on France win.

One massacre not enough then?

Some of the French players weren't even singing it and they didn't show the England players.

The small black bearded French player acted as if he hated the tune.

That may have been Lassana Diarra, whose cousin died on Friday.  Dont quote me on that though.

....hard to sing the English national anthem I would have thought - anyone know it?

It WAS Diarra, rob. Don't know if that makes WFMB feel better or not.

I was very sceptical that even had they shown the will, not too many could have pulled off singing La Marseilles.
Frankly I would have been surprised if more than around 10-20% even knew it....why would they?

The directors knew it was a hiding to nothing attempting to show the English supporters giving it a go, they'd only look stupid and that would have undermined the occasion.
The important thing was they honoured the minutes silence. Sometimes the footy fans can be real tits.
They behaved and it all passed calmly so that's a result.

Dya think we would of heard anything if the minutes silence was not respected by all?

It's television.... the sound would be turned down

There have been plenty in the past that havnt and you've heard the idiots shout something.

Great goal, we are givin it the French fookers

Don't really know what to think about someone named...., erm..... Alli scoring

With a username like yours too!

One of the most touching gestures from English football fans to the French since those Chelsea fans in Paris, concerned that a Frenchman was disorientated and getting on the wrong train in February, looked after him by not letting him get on the train.

Turkey fans were heard booing during the minute's silence for the victims of the Paris attacks before kick-off

Chants of 'Allahu Akbar' - the Islamic phrase meaning 'God is greater' - were reportedly heard in Istanbul

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu watched the game together

Chants of 'Allahu Akbar' were reportedly heard in Istanbul as some Turkey fans shamefully booed a pre-match minute's silence for the victims of the Paris attacks.

The friendly itself against Greece was largely forgettable as the action finished 0-0 at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium.

What was shameful about it.

Turkey is a Muslim country,despite all the pretence Mulims approve of the events in Paris.

Turkey is trying to get entry into the EU,it has the backing of David Cameron and Tony Blair,were they successful that will be another 80 million entitled to enter your country.

Stop talking s hit wildman , you do enough of it on the Irish forum.  Freedom of speech is wasted of the likes of you

A good example of liberal intolerance.

A poster incapable of giving his own opinion wants to shut down others opinions.

One day dlarrsonf will overcome his timidity and give us his own opinion.

I have given my opinion - with you been a know all it's probably a hard concept for you to grasp

Telling someone to stop talking sh it is not an opinion.

We still don't know your opinion on this topic.

It WAS Diarra, rob. Don't know if that makes WFMB feel better or not.

Of course not - wild showing his absolute ignorance of the facts again - back to the 'Bnp 1974 pop up annual' for your tactics wild. You are bleeding hilarious mate - spouting your words as if you think you are some sage dispensing unknown knowledge to the masses. Keep it up as you bring a smile to my lips every time you post!