“So good, so good”: The story of how Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline became the anthem of choice for England fans.
If football fans had to pay royalties each time they sang a song by a particular artist, the past few weeks would have been especially lucrative for Neil Diamond. This is due to the countless times *Sweet Caroline* has been passionately sung by England supporters before, during, and after their Euro 2024 matches, even when the team’s performances weren’t always thrilling.
Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit *Sweet Caroline* has become a staple whenever the England football team plays a major match, and that trend doesn’t appear to be fading anytime soon.
“*Sweet Caroline* has been a fantastic addition,” says Steve Riding, a dedicated England fan who has followed the team around the world, including World Cups in South Africa, Brazil, Russia, and Qatar.
“I was at Wembley for every England game during the last Euros, and it really helped create a lively atmosphere, which isn’t always the case at that stadium. We all want to see ‘good times’ return for England, and this upbeat song perfectly captures that feeling.”
As England prepare for their Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Switzerland in Dusseldorf, it’s worth considering how a soft-rock anthem, written a year before manager Gareth Southgate was born, has become the fans’ anthem.
Interestingly, football was late to the *Sweet Caroline* craze. In the 1990s, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers adopted the song for every home game, with locals embracing its chorus as an unofficial nod to their state of North Carolina.
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