Chanting directed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer erupted once more as England faced Andorra in their World Cup qualifying match at Villa Park, with thousands of supporters using the international fixture to voice their displeasure through coordinated offensive songs. The hostile reception mirrored similar scenes from June’s fixture in Barcelona, establishing a pattern of abuse that has become a recurring feature at England matches.
The explicit chanting began in Villa Park’s Holte End on Saturday evening, where supporters sang “Keir Starmer’s a w***er” to the melody of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. The offensive song quickly gained momentum, spreading across different sections of the sold-out Birmingham venue as Thomas Tuchel’s side pursued their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Saturday’s match at Aston Villa’s historic ground served as England’s opening home fixture of the campaign, with the venue hosting the Three Lions for the first time in 20 years. The unusual location was necessitated by Coldplay’s weekend concerts at Wembley Stadium, which rendered the national stadium unavailable for football fixtures.
The coordinated nature of these chants demonstrates a persistent campaign of abuse directed at the Prime Minister during England’s international fixtures. This latest incident echoed June’s match in Barcelona, where approximately 7,000 travelling England supporters had sung “Starmer is a c***” to the tune of KC & The Sunshine Band’s Give It Up during the goalless stages of that qualifier.
Government minister Peter Kyle attempted to dismiss the chanting when questioned about it, laughing it off and suggesting it was “part of the spirit of the game”. The Science and Technology Secretary predicted that “the next time we have an England game, I’m pretty sure they’ll be chanting some pretty nice things about us too”, though this optimistic assessment appears increasingly unlikely given the pattern of behaviour.
The abuse directed at Starmer represents an unprecedented level of hostility towards a sitting Prime Minister at England internationals. Never before had a Prime Minister been singled out for such scale of abuse at England matches, not Margaret Thatcher after the Poll Tax, Tony Blair following the Iraq War, Boris Johnson after “Partygate”, or Liz Truss after economic turmoil.
Former Sports Minister Richard Caborn warned it would be wrong to dismiss how much those involved represented the wider football fanbase. “A Prime Minister that didn’t would not be serious,” he said. “You always take these things seriously and you want to find what the root causes are.”
Thomas Tuchel, managing his first home match as England boss, addressed questions about the offensive chanting following the match. “If it happened, it’s not acceptable,” the German coach said, whilst maintaining he had not personally heard the abusive songs during the game. His response highlighted the uncomfortable position the chanting places football authorities in.
The timing of this abuse is particularly striking, coming less than a year since Starmer took office following Labour’s election victory. The Prime Minister has made his football fandom a key part of his public persona, regularly attending Arsenal matches and incorporating his support into his political messaging during the election campaign.
Labour’s polling has fallen dramatically in recent months, with YouGov’s latest survey showing the party on just 21%, its lowest rating since the Jeremy Corbyn era of 2019. Starmer’s personal popularity has also declined significantly, recording his first negative approval rating among Labour voters, with favourable views dropping from 62% to 45% between April and May.
The hostile reception at football matches appears linked to broader political grievances. Simon Harris, a veteran member of the England Supporters Travel Club and former Conservative councillor, noted that much of the England fanbase was pro-Brexit and that Starmer’s failure to “smash the gangs” responsible for small-boat crossings would not have gone unnoticed.
England supporters have form for controversial chanting, having previously inserted anti-Irish lyrics into the national anthem and sung anti-German songs following Thomas Tuchel’s appointment. During Saturday’s match, they also unveiled a new song about Germany having “never won a war”, demonstrating a broader pattern of politically charged behaviour.
The incident occurred during a week when England defender Ezri Konsa had spoken about football’s potential to bring the nation together during periods of division regarding national identity. The irony of this message being undermined by political chanting from the stands was not lost on observers.
Villa Park’s selection as venue came after Coldplay booked Wembley for ten concerts between August 22 and September 8, including shows on both Thursday and Saturday this week. The band’s Music of the Spheres World Tour forced the Football Association to seek alternative venues, with Birmingham chosen ahead of other traditional England venues like Old Trafford and Anfield.
The last time Villa Park hosted England was in February 2005, when Sven-Göran Eriksson’s side drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in a friendly. That low-key affair featured debuts for Stewart Downing and Andy Johnson but was hardly memorable, making Saturday’s politically charged atmosphere all the more striking.
Caborn stressed why football was so important to governments, adding: “They see that is where their constituency is. It’s as simple as that, in my view. What is it Bill Shankly said? Life, death and football.” He warned Starmer would have “absolutely” real cause to worry if the chanting spread to wider fanbases at domestic matches.
The Barcelona incident in June had seen England fans go through their entire repertoire of songs whilst struggling to break down their lowly-ranked opponents. Thomas Tuchel’s team were playing at a half-empty Espanyol stadium after the fixture was switched from Andorra’s national stadium 125 miles away, creating an atmosphere where fan chanting became particularly audible.
Political observers have noted that it is rare for politicians to become subjects of chants at matches. Former Tory culture secretary David Mellor faced musical mockery in the 1990s after personal scandals, whilst George Osborne was roundly booed at the 2012 Paralympics following harsh austerity measures, an early sign of his political decline.
The chanting represents a challenge for football authorities trying to maintain the sport’s inclusive image. The Football Association has worked to eliminate discriminatory chanting from grounds, but political abuse presents a different challenge, existing in a grey area between free expression and unacceptable behaviour.
England’s victory on the pitch, maintaining their perfect World Cup qualifying record, was overshadowed by the toxic atmosphere in the stands. The team’s pursuit of qualification for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico continues, but the political divisions exposed at matches suggest deeper societal tensions.
As England’s qualifying campaign progresses, with remaining home matches against Wales and Serbia scheduled for Wembley later this year, authorities will be watching closely to see if the anti-Starmer chanting continues. The June friendly against Senegal, played at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground due to more Coldplay concerts, provides another opportunity for supporters to voice their opinions.
The persistence of these chants across multiple matches suggests this is not a passing phenomenon but a sustained expression of political discontent. Whether Starmer can reverse this hostility with another four years until the next general election remains to be seen, though the omens from the terraces appear distinctly unfavourable.
For now, England’s football stadiums have become unlikely venues for political protest, with the beautiful game providing a platform for uglier sentiments. The challenge for both football authorities and the government is how to respond to this unprecedented situation without inflaming tensions further.
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Image Credit:
Prime Minister Keir Starmer (cropped portrait) — photo by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, OGL 3.0
