FA Cup of British Rock / Round of 16 - Match #7

These are the ground rules: 16 teams, each represented by a musician or band who happens to be a supporter. You, our fair reader, vote on who advances. Use whatever criteria you wish: favorite team, favorite band, prettiest uniforms (looking at you Elton), etc. Ballot stuffing is not encouraged, but will be tolerated, because we’re just as corrupt as the real FA. Voting for the Round of 16 will close on Sunday, July 20.

We are nearing the end of the Round of Sixteen, but remember that you can keep voting on all of the matches until Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Today’s teams are:


Underrated psych-pop act and diehard Cardiff City FC supporters, the Super Furry Animals

- versus -


Sting, that occasional lute-playing Police frontman turned Newcastle United fan



I have to admit that one of the reasons why I wanted to organize this FA Cup of British Rock was to include photos of Cardiff City players wearing Super Furry Animals-sponsored kits. Just seemed like the right kind of oddball pairing of rock band and footy club. I also looked forward to relaying a couple anecdotes from a good friend in the “music biz” who worked with the Super Furries in the late 90s/early aughts. During their American 2000 tour, funded with oodles of Oasis-generated cash from Creation Records, the Super Furry Animals demanded and received an expensive satellite hookup on their tour bus so they could watch the European Cup. When not watching the actual Euros, they also concocted their own Cuny Cup (it means what you think it does) that was played on their Play Station and featured an extensive schedule of play and a giant trophy made out of tinfoil. So, while the Super Furry Animals’ career might have waned slightly since they sponsored Cardiff City back in 1999-2000 (even though this year’s Hey Venus was generally thought to be a fantastic return to form), they have nonetheless succeeded in inspiring yet another made-up tournament.


What can honestly be said about Sting that hasn’t been said before? Gordon Sumner was a teacher who changed his name to Sting and decided he would form a rock band and so he did form the Police and released “Roxanne” and “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “Every Breath You Take” and his bandmates generally thought he was a prick and then he had a solo career and at some point started playing the lute and practicing tantric sex and even worse he gave interviews where he talked about tantric sex but more recently he re-formed the Police and the band played all around the world and his bandmates probably still generally thought he was a prick but I’m sure they were very, very appreciative of the tour income. Oh, and Sting also now supports Newcastle FC seeing as how he grew up in Tyneside, although he supposedly was teased for being a Sunderland fan as a kid. And for anyone who teased Sting as a kid? He bought them and had them fed to lions.