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What do Boston Red Sox fans and the nation of England have in common?
An affinity for Neil Diamond.
Somehow, his American anthem “Sweet Caroline” has become the fight song of the Three Lions throughout their improbable UEFA Euro 2020 finals run this summer.
It all started with Wembley Stadium DJ Tony Parry, who had a “gut” instinct to play the song after England’s 2-0 shutout of Germany in the round of 16, he told talkSPORT.
Since then, fans have adopted the song as their own and have been belting it out across the nation. Even players started singing to the crowd after their semi-final victory over Denmark.
“To hear them at the end, I mean you can’t beat a bit of ‘Sweet Caroline,’ can you? That’s a belter, really,” England’s manager Gareth Southgate told reporters after the Denmark match.
As for Diamond, the profits from the spotlight could be so good (so good).
By way of “cultural resurgence,” Diamond may earn an estimated $10 million on “Sweet Caroline” from English football alone, according to music licensing expert Bridget Bloom of 401K Music.
Well, at least if England wins.
Bloom, who’s played soccer her entire life, explained that revenue would come from fans and bars streaming the song in celebration and potential advertising campaigns and promotional deals.
Diamond himself has joined in on the action and recently became a Three Lions fan.
“What a thrill it was to hear everybody singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ at Wembley,” he told the Telegraph earlier this month.
Although England’s toughest test is still to come against Italy on Sunday, it’s been a tournament to remember for the nation and their newfound Diamond.
“I hope you can do it again,” he said.
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