[urlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLaUdcwjvAg[/url

Not quite as good quality but this compilation says it all about what a Challenge Cup final day is all about.....

I know it's traditional, but to paraphrase my nan "Why are they playing a funeral song."

I've sung it when I've gone, but felt weird. Felt far worse watching it on TV, made the sport look amateurish.

A lot of people associate the hymn with relatives and friends no longer with us, hence why it's common to see grown men and women openly crying. It does bring a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat, it did with me on TV yesterday.
I was lucky enough to go to 11 Wembley Finals in the eighties and nineties with my old man (who's no longer with us), I know for a fact that my next wembley visit with Wigan will be difficult for me to listen and sing to Abide with Me.

Some great scenes there.

The clip of the Hull fan crying during Abide With Me in 2005 is one of the most memorable of that amazing weekend. IIRC he'd been at his grandfather's funeral not long before that where it had been sung.

When was the queen last at a challenge cup final then ?

It was a slight cock up get over it. Human error! The final was a great day a sell out and a great atmosphere.

The Queen has PRESENTED the Challenge Cup twice - once in 1960 to Wakefield and again in 1967 to Featherstone.

Shame about the mic
Choir would have been better
Most people don't know the words
But I was still proper choked.

According to Clare Balding on twitter it was all the rhinos players fault abide with me sounded so shocking



[url=http://twitter.com/clarebalding1"Poor Camilla Kerslake who sang Abide With Me not helped by whole Leeds team inadvertently standing on the microphone cable. Oops "[/url

The mic problem was a great pity. However, on TV I could hear enough to tell that the poor girl sang Abide With Me beautifully.

Apart from when she fell out of tune!

You should've gone to Lugsavers.

She was pitch-perfect daft lad

Listen again!

Presumably, like most live singers at large venues she was wired up and listening to the feed from her mic rather than the "live" backing, I'm guessing the feed from her mic would have confused anyone.

why on earth didn't they use a radio mic?????

She's no Hayley Westenra or Katherine Jenkins.

Why would you want to sing it? It has little meaning in a multi cultural society where religions plays such a small part in the lives of most citizens.

I fail to understand why we should be subjected to it anyway - it is the same as the RU song we have at the GF.

Tradition - this has very little meaning to 99% of the crowd and as such should be scrapped.

The whole "Entertainment" was a joke on Saturday - the RFL needs to improve it or scrap it.

I expect you're part of the movement to scrap [iThe Last Night of the Proms[/i as well? Tradition and history is everything in a major sport. Maintaining a tradition like the singing of [iAbide with Me[/i unites 2010's Wembley with every other previous cup final there going back to 1929 ( no, I don't know for sure if it was sung in 1929 ). Most people are moved by the metaphorical words and stirring melody even if they are not of a religious frame of mind. Scrap tradition and you may as well go the the 2010 street hockey final.

So why place the cable in such a position in the first place ?

Or, if you've got a cable in a place where it's likely to get trampled by thirty-odd rugby boots, why not protect it in some way ?

RFL need to take a look at the NFL and put a real show on, not stupid songs abide with me ffs it's like a WI meeting, and scrap god save the queen load of crap

Dont shoot me Im just the messenger



This is the BBC remember, you know the channel that had scalextrix qualifying on when the rugby should have been starting



I wouldnt mind but the actual "racing" was over and it was just that prat Eddie Jordan and the Scottish feller with the huuuuuge jaw talking

Talking bollox.

Indeed.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but don't they start the Super Bowl with something like Star Spangled Banner ?

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot?



Abide With Me is part of the whole Challenge Cup Final build-up, it wouldn't be the same without it. We can continue, and will, as a sport to evolve, but we will always have traditions that'll be there forever.

Back in the 90's we tried the Americanised bollox, such as Diana Ross singing from the rear of a white open top limo, twas $hite.

Good crowd though.