Music Mansfield have run out to

[joeheadland]

Hello everyone,

I hope this is okay to post here – if not, moderators please move or delete as appropriate.

I’m part of a team at the University of Sheffield, led by Dr Chris
Stride. We've published a number of academic papers and magazine
articles relating to football history, on subjects such as statues and
replica shirts (see, for example sportingstatues.com, and
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10 ... 19.1578255).
Our current project is investigating the music that football teams have
run or walked out of the tunnel to over the years.

We are looking for the music that Mansfield have run out to for as
many seasons in the past as you can recall. We are simply interested in
the title of the song, the artist who recorded it, and for which seasons
Mansfield ran out to this. Any help you can give us to
piece together the different songs that your club has run out to would
be hugely appreciated.

If you have any personal anecdotes around the reasons for the songs
being used, or the changes between them, that would also be fantastic.

I should also add that we are not interested in goal music, or a song
that is played at the final whistle, but just the song that is on the
tannoy system as the players enter the field.

If you think someone else may be able to help, or you have any
questions, please let us know! We would be very happy to discuss the
project.

Thanks for your time guys,

Joe Headland

[Stoney]

[Foresttownstag]

I hope we never change this.

[Beano]

As others have said, “on the ball” has been used at the Mill for as long as most peeps can remember.

The old North Stand speakers really used to struggle a bit though.

There have been a cpl of attempts to “modernise” us in recent years, but “On the Ball” says “Mansfield Town” for the vast majority of us.

[ParisStag]

It was originally a song made for the 1966 World Cup, I believe. Its brilliant. This year is my 30th as a Stags fan and my earliest memories are associated with this sound. When I hear it, Keith Cassels' bald patch and Kevin Kent's tasche flash to the front of my mind! Evocative stuff!

[nigegray]

never change this it gives me goosebumps when the teams come out

[bellwhiff]

Do not change. It is history.

[london amber stag]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

[ST4GS]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

As a kid in the mid to late 70's I used to love that tune (don't know why though?)
Then the tune vanished for decades and to be honest I did not miss it at all. (the tune does not age well with time)
When it was re-introduced a few years back for some reason I started to dislike it (not sure why though?, probably feel it is an embarrassment when opposition fans hear it, if they take any notice?)

If it was up to me I would bin it but I can fully understand the nostalgia.

Do any of the other attendees from the 70's who would keep the tune actually think it has stood the test of time or is it just "our tune" or both?

Be honest !!

[Big yella]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

As a kid in the mid to late 70's I used to love that tune (don't know why though?)
Then the tune vanished for decades and to be honest I did not miss it at all. (the tune does not age well with time)
When it was re-introduced a few years back for some reason I started to dislike it (not sure why though?, probably feel it is an embarrassment when opposition fans hear it, if they take any notice?)

If it was up to me I would bin it but I can fully understand the nostalgia.

Do any of the other attendees from the 70's who would keep the tune actually think it has stood the test of time or is it just "our tune" or both?

Be honest !!

It's very dated.
It's very bad.
It's very embarrassing.

It's ours.
It's history.
It's staying.

[Sneag]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

As a kid in the mid to late 70's I used to love that tune (don't know why though?)
Then the tune vanished for decades and to be honest I did not miss it at all. (the tune does not age well with time)
When it was re-introduced a few years back for some reason I started to dislike it (not sure why though?, probably feel it is an embarrassment when opposition fans hear it, if they take any notice?)

If it was up to me I would bin it but I can fully understand the nostalgia.

Do any of the other attendees from the 70's who would keep the tune actually think it has stood the test of time or is it just "our tune" or both?

Be honest !!

It's very dated.
It's very bad.
It's very embarrassing.

It's ours.
It's history.
It's staying.

It's dated, it's crap. I've hated since the first time I heard it nearly 46 years ago.

It's utter raspberry, but like that Elvis dirge, Sweet Carolime and the Bishop Street Stand, we appear to be stuck with it for the forseeable future.

[Foresttownstag]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

As a kid in the mid to late 70's I used to love that tune (don't know why though?)
Then the tune vanished for decades and to be honest I did not miss it at all. (the tune does not age well with time)
When it was re-introduced a few years back for some reason I started to dislike it (not sure why though?, probably feel it is an embarrassment when opposition fans hear it, if they take any notice?)

If it was up to me I would bin it but I can fully understand the nostalgia.

Do any of the other attendees from the 70's who would keep the tune actually think it has stood the test of time or is it just "our tune" or both?

Be honest !!

It's very dated.
It's very bad.
It's very embarrassing.

It's ours.
It's history.
It's staying.

It's dated, it's crap. I've hated since the first time I heard it nearly 46 years ago.

It's utter raspberry, but like that Elvis dirge, Sweet Carolime and the Bishop Street Stand, we appear to be stuck with it for the forseeable future.

Agree on the Elvis song and partly on Sweet Caroline (Everyone seems to be on this atm)

On the ball - keep it.

It’s unique and cant say I’ve heard it at another ground.

[Jimstag]

Love that tune, takes me back to 1971 when I started supporting my beloved Stags. Never, ever change it.

As a kid in the mid to late 70's I used to love that tune (don't know why though?)
Then the tune vanished for decades and to be honest I did not miss it at all. (the tune does not age well with time)
When it was re-introduced a few years back for some reason I started to dislike it (not sure why though?, probably feel it is an embarrassment when opposition fans hear it, if they take any notice?)

If it was up to me I would bin it but I can fully understand the nostalgia.

Do any of the other attendees from the 70's who would keep the tune actually think it has stood the test of time or is it just "our tune" or both?

Be honest !!

It's very dated.
It's very bad.
It's very embarrassing.

It's ours.
It's history.
It's staying.

It's dated, it's crap. I've hated since the first time I heard it nearly 46 years ago.

It's utter raspberry, but like that Elvis dirge, Sweet Carolime and the Bishop Street Stand, we appear to be stuck with it for the forseeable future.

Agree on the Elvis song and partly on Sweet Caroline (Everyone seems to be on this atm)

On the ball - keep it.

It’s unique and cant say I’ve heard it at another ground.

Like half the Mansfield sides I’ve seen walk out to it, it’s pants but it’s ours!

[magicstag]

Its our own tune mtfc

[Sedgwick]

Been to many grounds but never get goosebumps and get so excited soon as I hear on the ball playing. Iconic.

[Sandy Pate Best Stag]

If it's good enough for the only England team to win the World Cup, it should be good enough for any English football team. Pure inspiration in a tin!!!.

I could suggest that we get some wiz kid to reproduce it on electronic whirlythings but doubt they would get even close.

[Spiritater]

Lost all my love and faith in Muzz when he banned it in favour of some random rap pump it up crap. It'd 'help fire up th lads pre match' apparently
It's unique to us, our bit of originality in a ocean of everyone following what the big boys do.
The magical memories of the mid 70s come flooding back with Sandy proudly leading the boys out to recieve the Div 4 Championship trophy. It's our tune and will be engrained in t'minds of the younger ones as we keep on our inexorable march to the Championship.

[Random Hero]

On The Ball is ours. There's not much unique in modern football, and I'm so glad we haven't changed it.

Might be interesting to hear how it sounds when accompanied by light shows, fireworks displays and other naff stuff others clubs do when the players walk out...

[Spiritater]

And a decent sound system

[Random Hero]

And a decent sound system

Pardon?

[GranbyStag]

On the ball does have to remain, it's part of our history just as much as the West Ham game.

The theme was played at my Dads funeral some years ago after 50 + years as a supporter, it means so much to so many of the Field Mill faithfull.

[bellwhiff]

It isn’t crap. It isn’t dated and it most certainly isn’t embarrassing.

It’s ours.

[victor A block]

Loved it since first hearing it as a kid in the 70's . It's ours as much as Newcastle's Local Hero or Liverpool's YNWA . Should never be changed.

[I am Spartacus]

On the Ball is part of our heritage. No one else’s. To some it may an outdated ‘antiquated silly tune’ that we run out to but to many it is part of the DNA of being a stags fan. Something that is as unique to us as is the Z-cars theme tune to Everton and Down Down by Status Quo is to Chesterfield. This belongs to us and no one else.

The subject of a replacement is thrown up every now and again by those ‘new’ to football, revel in change or those that may be blind to heritage. What would the outcry be if the buffoons at the EFL, (If Carolyn wants to ‘earn her spurs’ as a spearheading CEO in football she really put to take on the EFL’s management board) wanted a generic run out song for brand identity? Their would be uproar. The Champions League ‘anthem’ is to football run out songs what any focus group sat in Strasbourg whilst plotting the football higher echelons financial status quo would come up with. I applaud the City fans for booing this odious quasi EU tune. If only the scousers, red half of Manchester, Gooners, Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys, Ze Germans etc took the same stance then football as a national identity for lower level clubs may have a beginning of standing a chance.

I known of one infrequent poster on here that wants On the Ball played at the start of his funeral. The last ‘game’ he will ever play framed perfectly with the run out song that means so much. The run out song that has seen him through childhood, adolescence, jobs, marriage, divorce, children, good times and bad times. When Field Mill is full for a big game, tensions high and this is played as the players emerge from the tunnel it sends a tingle down the spine and long may it continue.

If a manager says he needs to replace our tune, with one that ‘gees the player’s up’ then questions need to be asked of his motivational skills and team talks. Because it is there to get the fans in the mood and gee us up.

Keep it, get the elected officials of Mansfield to protect it by a bye-law if necessary but what ever we do, never replace it.

[I am Spartacus]

I played On the Ball to Mrs Spartacus. As she has only ever been to a handful of away games I was doubtful as to her recognising it. But to my delight she did, replying ‘It’s that music that the players come out to, you and Family Von Trapp are always going on about it’. Like I said part of our heritage.

On the down side, I played her some top quality 808 State dance music from the early 90’s and she didn’t recognise a single one. Shame that as she has got two hours of them live at Sheffield after the Walsall game.