Cardiff fans get into the groove

Madonna may be riding high in the popular music charts, but not in Cardiff. For in Wales, they are consumed with a ditty called Bluebirds Flying High, which knocked the venerable songstress off the top slot in the local HMV chart. It is that time of year when the sun shines, the flowers bloom and a trip to Wembley has to be made to the accompaniment of the inevitable football song. Oh, we have been there so many times before with so many memorable musical masterpieces. Well, memorable in the way that trapping your finger in the car door stands out in the landscape of life.

Cardiff City were not going to let their first FA Cup Final since 1927 go past without a musical tribute and it is penned and performed by James Fox, a Cardiff lad whose claim to fame was that he was a member of the BBC's Fame Academy - although he didn't win. And he, er, represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, which he also didn't win. But then, that is probably to his credit.

Meanwhile, little Ebbsfleet United are not to be outdone, for they have a song for their FA Carlsberg Trophy final against Torquay United next week. The Blue Square Premier side's tune is dedicated to Peter Norton, their groundsman, set around his mantra, Beat the Weather, to a Brazilian beat. Fans are being told that 7,500 downloads of the single from iTunes (a bargain at just 79p, proceeds to the club) could be enough to send the song to No1 in the charts nationally. Really. So that would be Madonna knocked off again, so to speak.

Burnley change tune to drum up support

One musical appointment that almost attracted an application from The Insider was that of club drummer. Directors at Burnley thought the Turf Moor crowd needed gingering up and wondered if the continental idea of having a drummer in the crowd would work. Fans of a delicate disposition gave the plan a resounding “no”, which led to a rethink and the setting up of a singing section in the upper tier of the James Hargreaves Stand instead. No news on whether there will be auditions, though.

Wedding clashes

Finally, from drums to bells, wedding bells and Jeff Mostyn, chairman of Bournemouth, who will walk his daughter, Janine, down the aisle today but spend the reception anxiously plugged into the radio to find out whether his team can avoid relegation from Coca-Cola League One away to Carlisle United. “The clash couldn't have been worse,” he moaned, but his duty was family first and then fingers crossed.