God Save The King is rubbish and must be scrapped – England already have ideal replacement | Football | Sport

It isn’t the 18th century, so why are we asking God to save our monarch anyway? There’s no need to galaxy brain this one; England’s national anthem is rubbish and we deserve better.

Tune into any World Cup match (or sporting event in general for that matter) and you’ll mostly be treated to a pre-match rallying call that showcases a nation’s collective passion and pride. For England matches, it’s like watching a group of schoolchildren who have been dragged to church and forced to sing hymns from medieval times.

It’s boring. It’s turgid. It’s dull. It’s antiquated. And above all else, it’s time we changed it.

It isn’t like we’re short on any alternatives. Take athletes at the Commonwealth Games, for example. Winners of a gold medal are treated to a rousing rendition of Jerusalem – a song that really does make you proud to be English.

The song, which is a musical setting of the 1804 poem by poet William Blake, speaks of England’s “green and pleasant land”, as well as building a country that can be considered a “Jerusalem”, which is shorthand for a heaven on earth.

England cricket fans will know just how powerful the song can be, and it would be the perfect candidate for a new anthem. And then there’s Land of Hope and Glory. A little more funky, but still emotion-stirring nonetheless.

It isn’t just the God-saving aspect that turns people off either. In 2026, is a song about the Royal Family really the best we can do? England, a nation of rich history, culture, countryside and community, but we sing about a fella and his family? It’s time to move on and give England – its footballers and fans – an anthem they can be proud of.

Who knows, if we did change it, it might be the spark the national team needs to actually win something on the pitch!