A FAC Football First XI

World Cup Fever again grips the nation and to celebrate Cerysmatic Factory runs through its Factory Football First XI:

1. Factory issued a red t-shirt in 1991 which bore the fourth generation 'Factory' logo and the Manchester United crest. Frank Brinkhuis has a picture of one in his excellent Image Banque.

2. The Hand of God - Factory issued a promotional football to as part of its "advertising campaign" for this New Order single (FAC 193). 30 Adidas Aztec Maya soccer balls were made with the Touched By The Hand Of God graphic design (as found on the 12" inner sleeve) printed on them, but no Factory number.

3. FAC 293 'World in Motion' - This was the official England World Cup song by England New Order and it got to number one in the UK charts. England got to the semi-final that year. This year the official song was by Embrace and it only got to number 29 in the UK charts. Time will tell how far England go this time.

4. The silky skills - Vini Reilly, Johnny Marr and Jez Kerr were all very good footballers in their youth and were even offered trials with City or United.

5. The theme tune #1 - New Order provided the theme music for the football show 'Best & Marsh' presented by George Best and Rodney Marsh (the latter being the nearest this list gets to any QPR connection!). The tune was released as one of the b-sides on 'Round & round' (FAC 263).

6. The theme tune #2 - 'Moody Places' by Northside was for a long time the theme music for ITV's Soccer Night presented by the legendary Elton Welsby. The track was the b-side to 'Shall We Take A Trip?' (FAC 268).

7. The protest song - 'We'll Never Die' was a single by Hanky Park vs Peter Hook released in protest at the Glazers' takeover at Manchester United.

8. The chance meeting - Rob Gretton met Mike Pickering after they fell in a hedge together following a City match.

9. So farewell then - Lifelong City season ticket holder Kevin Cummins published a book of photographs called 'We're Not Really Here: Manchester City's Final Season at Maine Road'.

10. The divided loyalties - The following is from 'Torn Apart: The Life of Ian Curtis' by Mick Middles and Lindsay Reade: Although Ian (Curtis) has been portrayed as a Manchester City fan, his family cast doubts on this. "I wouldn't have put him down as a City fan," said Carole (his sister). As a young boy he was more of a United fan. He got their programmes. Debbie (Curtis) says he was a City fan but she's got a picture of him in her book wearing a United top."

11. The cash-in? - Warners approached New Order during the 1990 World Cup with a treatment for a proposed Heinz Tomato Ketchup TV advert using a rewritten E for England soundtrack. The advert was to feature lookalike England players (including a 'Gazza' squirting water from his eyes) playing ketchup keepy-uppy to the strains of "We're eating for England....". Alas (?) it never happened...

Labels: football, Ian_Curtis, Kevin_Cummins, Mike_Pickering, New_Order, Northside, Peter_Hook, Rob_Gretton, T-Shirt

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