It’s The Home of Football - and now Sheffield could be the birthplace of a new number one hit for Euro 2024

16th July 2024

New song Around the World has been released as part of a special collaboration between two pioneering organisations, the arts charity Stand & Be Counted and historic Sheffield FC.

New song Around the World has been released as part of a special collaboration between two pioneering organisations, the arts charity Stand & Be Counted and historic Sheffield FC.

Children in the charity’s Youth Theatre of Sanctuary devised the song concept, lyrics and recorded it with the help of musicians.

The group then filmed a tongue-in-cheek music video at Sheffield FC’s The Home of Football stadium.

The track has been released on, Friday June 14, to coincide with the launch of the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and is free to download.

John Tomlinson, joint CEO of Stand & Be Counted, said,

“The children in our group live for football”

“They always play the game before our Saturday sessions together and as a team we want to focus on topics they love.
“Euro 2024 coincides with Refugee Week so it felt like there was no better time to do this.

“We’d absolutely love for Around the World to go to number one.
“But also it’s about celebrating Sheffield - which was the first City of Sanctuary - as a new home for these children and their creativity.”

Stand & Be Counted is the UK’s first theatre company of sanctuary. It works with refugees, new migrants and asylum seekers - anyone, of any age, who is seeking sanctuary.

Its youth theatre group meets every Saturday in Sheffield to work on creative projects, from making video games to shadow puppet shows.

Musician Ed Waring helped the group to record their song alongside a full creative team. The track refers to superstar footballers Messi and Ronaldo, as well as the young people chasing their dreams and ‘all being welcome’ to join their team.

Then the team united with Sheffield FC to film their video, which features the grounds, kit and fans of the club founded in 1857.

Richard Tims, chairman of the world’s first football club, said:

“At Sheffield FC we know how football has the power to transcend barriers and unite people from around the world.

“We hope the whole of Sheffield gets behind this song to score the goal of it being number one for Euro 2024.”

Download the Around the World song here or from your usual music streaming service.