April Fools

Read that they are playing the full length of the Ukraine national anthem at tonight's match vs England online this morning.

The Sun
ENGLAND fans should brace themselves for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine — they’ll have to stand through the world’s longest national anthem. The Three Lions’ opponents have been granted special permission to play the full 6½-minute version of Oi Ukrainy.

The FA has confirmed any supporter who sits back down or jeers during the performance may face ejection from Wembley before the Group Six clash. The Ukraine Football Federation usually plays a shorter version — just 90 seconds long — at games.
FIFA agreed to the extended anthem after the visitors claimed it would boost key players, such as ex-Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko and Liverpool flop Andriy Voronin.

FA chiefs are said to be unhappy at the decision. But they declined the chance to make Fabio Capello’s boys Wayne Rooney and John Terry sing all six verses of God Save The Queen. A Soho Square insider said: “FIFA gave us the option. But we turned it down on the basis most of our players don’t even know the words to the short version.”

Ukraine’s anthem will be sung by folk star Furstov Aprylova, who hails from capital, Kiev. It includes a tribute to Shevchenko: “No oil well could ever dig deeper for the great Ukraine than Andriy.” And in a dig at its former Soviet rulers, the tune ends: “Kiev, Kiev — there is no such thing as a Chicken Moscow.”

The Sun was having a little giggle here.

The REAL Ukraine Anthem (English Translation)

Ukraine has not perished, neither her glory, nor freedom,
Upon us, fellow--Ukrainians, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun,
And we too shall dwell, brothers, in a free land of our own.

CHORUS

We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom,
And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation.

(repeat chorus)

We'll stand together for freedom, from the Sian to the Don,
We will not allow others to rule in our motherland.
The Black Sea will smile and grandfather Dnipro will rejoice,
For in our own Ukraine fortune shall flourish again.

CHORUS

Our persistence and our sincere toils will be rewarded,
And freedom's song will resound throughout all of Ukraine.
Echoing off the Carpathians, and rumbling across the steppes,
Ukraine's fame and glory will be known among all nations.

CHORUS

So can you microwave a Kiev in 6.5 minutes? or are we having the 90 second usual version tonight? Right, Moscow...