THEY hope it will be chanted in the stands at St Mary’s this season.

After years of waiting for Southampton to play in Europe a pair of Saints fans have penned a song for their beloved team.

Musicians James Knights and Mark Lawrence stumbled upon the idea of writing a song for Southampton’s European campaign when they were in the pub.

They wanted to craft a song showing their appreciation for Saints manager Ronald Koeman as they embark upon their first European match in 12 years.

This Thursday night they face the manager’s former club, Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem at 8.05pm.

Now fans could be singing Southampton In Europa as they watch their favourite team walk out onto the pitch in the Netherlands.

Band promoter James, 36, said they wanted to do something which fans of bigger sides like Manchester United do.

James, from Little Minster Street, in Winchester said: “It was one of those drunken conversations in the pub.

Daily Echo:

James Knights, left, and Mark Lawrence

“We almost thought we’d left it too late or that someone else had already submitted a song. We just sat down and threw together a few notes.

“It’s been on the table for about six months but we only really knuckled down to it about one month ago.”

“The main influence really was that all those other teams, Manchester United, Liverpool, I’m sure they’re all indebted with tracks being sent in to them every time they get into Europe.

“There’s never been a really successful track for our generation [for Southampton]. The idea is just to up the tempo and praise how well the team are doing.”

Mark, 31, from Valley Park, near Chandler’s Ford, said the pair were not aiming to copy the Baddiel and Skinner and The Lightning Seeds' hit song Three Lions.

He said: “It’s a football song at the end of the day and we want to have fun doing it. We want the fans to be singing it. It’s cheesy but its full of easy lyrics that you sing on the terraces."

Vocalist James who is part of the band Scarlet Soho wrote the foundations for a song in his living room while Mark, with band Broken Links, added the guitar parts to the dance tune at his home.

The pair recorded in their own homes with both of them doing the vocals and playing the other instruments featured in the track.

And they even got backing from a pair of Saints legends who make cameo appearances in the video, which is released today.

Ex-Saints Reuben Agboola and Paul Jones make brief appearances in the video to go with the dance-style three-and-a-half minute song which was made on the musicians’ iPhones.

Already they’ve seen considerable interest through social media websites such as Facebook and the pair hope that through downloads from their website they can raise as much cash as possible for a Southampton charity.

To listen to the track or see the video visit dailyecho.co.uk and to purchase it visit theredstripez.bandcamp.com.

Fans can follow Saints progress game live on dailyecho.co.uk on Thursday night.

  • Sing along with the lyrics below:

Fonte at the back

Pelle in attack

Mane up the wing

Everybody sing!

 

Koeman takes us higher x3

Ohhhhhhhhh

Southampton in Europa

 

Forster in the goal

Tadic in the hole

Hey big Victor, hey big Victor, Victor keep the ball

 

Koeman takes us higher x3

Ohhhhhhhhh

 

Southampton in Europa

Fonte at the back

Jay Rod coming back

Shane Long up the wing

Everybody sing!