The UEFA Champions League pits Arsenal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)on June 1st at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. The match will decide the most prestigious title in European club football and mobilizes fans worldwide.
Arsenal arrive at the final seeking an unprecedented title, which would also delight the members of Pink Floyd. Over the decades, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason , and the late Richard Wright have demonstrated a strong connection with the London club.
Music wasn't always the most important thing for Pink Floyd. For Roger Waters, who was a fanatical Arsenal supporter during the 1970s, no session was so important that he would stop himself from dropping what he was doing to watch the team's matches at Highbury, the club's old stadium.
“Roger Waters’ love for football often interfered with his work at Abbey Road. A passionate supporter of the London team Arsenal, which had won not only the English championship but also the national cup in 1971, he regularly left the recordings to go to the team’s stadium in north London, not far from his home,” reported John Harris, author of the book The Dark Side of the Moon – The Making of Pink Floyd’s Masterpiece [via Whiplash].
David Gilmour isn't as fanatical as his former bandmate
Pink Floyd's relationship with football didn't stop with Waters. Band members even formed an amateur team called PFFC, an acronym for Pink Floyd Football Club. In this team, David Gilmour played as a right midfielder. The team also included Roger Waters in goal, Richard Wright in defense, and Nick Mason in midfield. A photograph of this team was even featured on the back cover of the famous compilation album A Nice Pair (1973).
David Gilmour is also an Arsenal fan. The guitarist revealed that he had a season ticket to attend games at Highbury during one of the most remarkable periods in the club's history. At that time, Arsenal achieved the so-called "double," winning the English Championship and the FA Cup in the same season, in 1970/71.
At the time, the recording sessions for The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) were interrupted several times so that Roger Waters could watch the club's games. Despite being one of Arsenal's most famous fans, Gilmour isn't as fanatical as his former bandmate. In 2002, he admitted to having "a soft spot" for Arsenal, but stated that he often roots for the winning team. "I'm a bit of an unstable football fan. I watch the team that's doing well and become unfaithful when it's doing badly" [via Trivela].
Nick Mason and the "sacrilege" of using the opposing team's anthem
Nick Mason, in addition to his fame as a drummer, became known for his involvement in sports and motorsports, and even though he was far removed from the rivalries of English football, he participated in the sporting routine created by the musicians during Pink Floyd's heyday.
The incident involves the song "Fearless," released on the 1971 album Meddle. The track ends with fans of rival team Liverpool FC, known as the "Kop Choir , " singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," one of the most famous anthems in world football. According to drummer Nick Mason, including this material was almost a symbolic breach of loyalty within the band itself, since they were all Arsenal fans.
“The idea of using the Kop Chorus was interesting because it was all about the sound the Kop Chorus makes. And I say that because it’s Liverpool’s official chant. Roger was an Arsenal fan – and still is, actually. We were North London fans. So, it felt sacrilegious to use the opposing team’s chant, but it’s very impactful,” Mason told Songfacts in 2022 [via ForOut Magazine].
In 2023, Liam Gallagher joked that he would call Noel if Manchester City won the Champions League —something that ended up fueling the brothers' reconciliation and the return of Oasis in 2025.Now, while Arsenal tries to achieve a historic title in the 2026 edition (although Paris Saint-Germain is the favorite for the title), it would be possible to imagine another "miracle" of British rock: an unlikely return of Pink Floyd for at least one show at the Emirates Stadium?
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