The 'Abide With Me' bit just before the start of the final was pathetic. Some singer that no-one has ever heard of comes of with the Normal Collier style microphone and coupled with words so small on the so-called 'big' screen you couldn't see them anyway.

At least back in the days of community singing, if there was a mic problem, it could be sorted out well before you get to the A W M or National Anthem stage. Also, back in the community singning days, everyone had their programmes out (with the song words in them) and just followed on to the next tune. These days, those big A4 efforts usually go in the bag or are read later.

Whilst many people at the final love to sing A W M, most of them are not religious and the only time of the year they actually sing it is five minutes before the start of the cup final ... Thus, there was much mumbling and humming along in the bits that people couldn't remember and a big rousing 'Abide With Me' at the end of each verse, 'cos that's the bit they could remember. You've got a big bloody screen at each end of the ground and whilst I am not suggesting turning it in to some sort of kareoke event, you could at least put the words up line by line in a decent size so those at the opposite end of the ground could read it.

When it is done properly, I've seen blokes choked nearly in tears at it and this year's was frankly a disgrace, generating about as much passion as a damp flannel.

in my opinion the cc has Definitely lost its edge over the last few years as a special moment on the calender poor entertainment before and after the cup and no one of great importance to give the cup to the winners like it used to be the queen now its some one i have never heard of

You mean ex Saints and Hull FC player Steve Prescott?

Like Steve Prescott? I'm sure as hell the players would rather receive the cup from him than the queen.

i dont mean it like that he is different its usually someone i have never heard of he is a legend and a great bloke who has got every respect to give them the cc just normaly it ends up as a nobody who presents it a make shift in my eyes except for Prescott

total nonsense...ask any of the 35k Wire fans that were there yesterday...everyone of them loved the day and the occasion....

the mic problem was unfortunate.... I had no problem reading the words for A W M that were shown on the screens...I don't know the words..so needed them...was able to sing along quite happily...and it did evoke an emotional response from me and others around me....never fails top bring a limp to my throat..even with a dodgy mic.

anyone going to a CC final that needs the words for Abide with Me is a band wagon fan!

The problem is when you're in one 'end' of Wembley, you need to be able to see the screen at the opposite end of the ground.

I've got 20/20+ vision with glasses and couldn't see any of the words on the big screen at the opposite end of the ground. I couldn't see the big screen at 'my' end of the stadium, as I was actually sat behind and above it.

It's OK, if you're on the lower tiers and can turn around to view the words, but frankly shouldn't you be singing towards the pitch ?

If the words were bigger and displayed at line at a time, in time with the music, it would be a lot easier to follow and sing along with, thus getting a better atmosphere.

As for the mic problem, if it is actually tested beforehand, then that might resolve the problem of the guest act walking on to the pitch and 'dying on their backside'

Clare Balding offered an explanation to the microphone issues on her Twitter page:

It was only when she tweaked the cable just before the second verse that it was fixed, you can't blame the girl for that.

And she was hot...!!!



BTW - Just before the end of the hymn you could see a woman was visibly upset, shaking with her hands over her face.

...Or not had the pleasure of going ever year with Saints.

Did you know the words the first time you went to a CC final?

Why dont they put the words in the programme like they used to? Problem solved!

Psst, Standee is a Hull fan.

Got him muddled up with that Saints dude who really, really dislikes Wigan.

Abide With Me at the Cup final is one of my favourite parts of the year, however apart from the microphone fault, this year my experience of Abide With Me was standing up and sitting down as some tools walked past with beers and shouted loudly to their mates that they had brought the order in. Then some other lad blew on a fking vuvuzela.

Rather than having just one singer with a microphone why not have a choir sing it, that male voice choir would have done it well, it sounds better with multiple voices.

That narrows it down then.

I thought Abide with me was so funny it was untrue, apart from the obvious cock ups that were pointed out above the only time the fans seemed to sing was when it came to the bit "Abide with me" then we would have all the other words inbetween then again the fans would sing the short bit "Abide with me" lol

Well thats what it was like in the Warrington end where i was, i presume it was similar around the stadium as i didn't hear much singing going on during the verses.

"Abide with me"

How many other times a year do you sing it ?

That's exactly how it was around the whole stadium, with humming / mumbling inbetween ...

I remember a brass band doing it at Wigan before a GB vs Aus match (might have been the one when Morley lasted 7 seconds). That was tear inducing, absolutely brilliant.

I'm also old enough to have a vague recollection of Windsor Davies leading it at Wembley. Did I hallucinate that?

Abide with Me is a strong tradition that should be continued. Pity about the mic yesterday - the sound engineer wasn't worthy of some of the sheds my band plays in getting that wrong. As for the words, for years we sang the first and the sixth verses, now they changed the sixth for the eighth ( and last ) verse so I need to see them to sing 'em. Wouldn't want to go without it, though.

2009 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg3gCw5mm7c (uploaded by Hayley Westenra's website before you kneecap it)

2009 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg3gCw5mm7c (uploaded by Hayley Westenra's website before you kneecap it)

When the lady was singing Abide With Me we did have a few fans around us singing get your t1t5 out for the lads,sad really.

V sad that again like i said why not ban boose at RL finals would be worth a try if you cant go 2hr without a drink you have got a problem as we are classed as a "family game" not any more i think.

Only watched it on TV but it seemed that she did have awful problems with the microphone but also that her singing was bad anyhow. I think she also sang "God save our Queen" rather that "God save the Queen."