Will Grigg probably never thought he’d be partly responsible for a footballing cultural phenomenon.
Though a reliable goalscorer in English Football’s lower leagues, the Northern Irishman became a household name thanks to one devoted Wigan Athletic fan in 2016.
On this day in 2016, Wigan fan Sean Kennedy uploaded a video of himself singing a chant that would take the football world by storm. Kennedy took the 90s dance tune ‘Freed from Desire’ by Gala, switched up the lyrics to celebrate Wigan’s free-scoring forward, and it exploded.
That summer’s European Championship was dominated by the song, as Northern Ireland competed at the tournament for the first time.
Even now, teams are still stealing the chant to suit their own players, while nightclubs, bars and stadiums often blast out the original following its boost back to popularity.
On this day in 2016… 🗓️
This video was uploaded to the internet.
It led to this song being played relentlessly at nightclubs, bars and stadiums around the world.
And it all started with a Wigan fan in his bedroom.pic.twitter.com/6IUaM1i2Gd
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) May 7, 2025
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