Hopefully the fans in Paris will all be singing my song

Hopefully the fans in Paris will all be singing my song

1 June 2016

A HUGE football fan from Ballynahinch has penned a Euro 2016 themed song in dedication to his beloved Northern Ireland team.

It’s the first time in 30 years that the team have qualified for major finals and the first time they’ve qualified for the Euros, so Kenny Porter from Ballynahinch thought it deserved a bit of a tribute.

Although he has dabbled in the past, it is the first time the former Glas-Seal factory worker has officially produced lyrics, which have been transformed into a football anthem by professional studios.

Entitled ‘Sacré Bleu — The Dream Came True’, the song pays tribute to the ‘loyal, true and faithful’ green-n-white army and ‘best behaved supporters’ in France, with a rocking chorus that Kenny hopes will be chanted by local fans marching down the Champs-Élysées.

‘Sacré Bleu — The Dream Came True’ was penned shortly after Northern Ireland’s unexpected qualification for the championships last year and was produced by Andrew Dougherty at Broughshane Sonic Visuals, where the music and vocals were added.

“It is a bouncy, catchy one,” Kenny said. “It is about the supporters and for the supporters.”

Kenny’s love of football began as a fan of Derry City, but he moved away from the area to Ballynahinch after a weekend in the town 40 years ago when he met his future wife.

The lyricist admits being a Northern Ireland fan meant being the butt of a few jokes back in the less successful years.

“The only way was up,” he said. “I had friends too such as David Crainey and Jimmy Dixon who were ardent fans and really supported them through thick and thin.”

So the night Northern Ireland qualified for their first ever European Championships with a 3-1 win over Greece at Windsor Park was a particular highlight for Kenny and friends.

He isn’t one of the lucky ticket holders heading to France but is looking forward to settling down and hogging the TV remote control for a month over the summer.

“I am doing all the right things, getting my brownie points, so the TV is mine — no chance,” he joked.

Northern Ireland take on Poland in their opening game in Nice on Sunday, June 12, and Kenny is confident of some anthem-inducing wins.

“It was not the fact that they qualified but the fact that they topped their group that was totally unexpected,” said Kenny. “I think they have every chance of qualifying first or second in their group in France.

“The tickets were like hen’s teeth, even for people who had queued for all the matches, but there will be quite a lot of of people going over there for the atmosphere and watching it on the big screens.”

“And hopefully the fans in Paris will be singing my song.”

‘Sacré Bleu — The Dream Came True’ will be available from the Market House in Ballynahinch from Monday and online shortly online. Kenny has also extended thanks to Leslie McMullan who helped produce copies.