We're on the Ball

"We're on the Ball"
"We're on the Ball"
Single by Ant & Dec
from the album The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
Released	27 May 2002
Recorded	2002
Length	3:01
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Harold Spiro; Anthony McPartlin; Declan Donnelly;
Producer(s)	Mike Hedges
Ant & Dec singles chronology

"We're on the Ball" is a single by British pop duo Ant & Dec, released in 2002. Their second of three comeback performances since their musical career ended in 1997, and their only studio recording since, "We're on the Ball" is a football song. The song was adapted from a song written by Harold Spiro and was produced and arranged by Mike Hedges.

The song is the England football team's "Official Song" of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.^[2] It features on the album The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, released by Epic Records.^[3] The song's lyrics are about the England football team of the time, featuring references to their victory at the World Cup 1966 at their attempts to repeat that success since. It also namechecks the 2002 England Football Team by surname.

The single was re released digitally in May 2010, to coincide with the World Cup 2010.

It was the duo's first single since their single of 1997, "Falling", after which they decided to call time on their pop career and move into television presenting. They resurrected their musical career for CD:UK in 2000, for a one off performance of "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble". Their success with that performance led to "We're on the Ball".

The song entered the UK Singles chart at number three, beaten by the "Light My Fire" cover version by Will Young, who was the winner of the reality show Pop Idol, which Ant & Dec presented, and also by the previous week's number-one single, Eminem's "Without Me".

Thus, it became their highest peaking single at the time, beating 1994's "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble", which only at the time reached number nine. The music video starts with Ant & Dec eating in a café watching the FIFA World Cup on a television (which is on top of a fridge that bears a sticker advert for Tizer, who sponsored the music show CD:UK, which Ant & Dec also presented).

Dec explains how they "really want to be at the World Cup", but Ant says "it's too expensive", and they would need to disguise themselves as then England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and his assistant manager Tord Grip to be at the World Cup. After first laughing it off, they quickly deem it a good idea, disguising themselves in a K6 red telephone box outside the café (a reference to Superman).

The pair then go to the World Cup. The rest of the video sees them singing in the cafe and in disguise, as well as kicking large inflatable St. George's Flag footballs and, whilst in disguise, managing the England football team, wearing their fake identities on their shirts, which shows Dec's reluctance to be Grip. At the end of the video, the duo are caught by officials.

A previous song with the same name was performed by The Balls Brothers in 1998. This had the same chorus and tune but different verses. Both songs are mainly accredited to the same person as songwriter Harold Spiro. Ant & Dec are also credited as songwriters on their version, writing all parts of the song bar the chorus.

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (2002)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[4]	15
Scotland (OCC)^[5]	8
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	3

Year-end charts[]

Chart (2002)	Position
UK Singles (OCC)^[7]	51

Certifications[]


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[8]	Silver	200,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[]

^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 27 May 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 25 May 2002. p. 37. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
^ "World Cup Archive". everyHit.com. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
^ "The Official Album Of The 2002 FIFA World Cup: Various Artists: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20 no. 25. 15 June 2002. p. 9. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^ "British single certifications – Ant & Dec – We're on the Ball". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

[1] "New Releases – For Week Starting 27 May 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 25 May 2002. p. 37. Retrieved 26 August 2021.

[2] "World Cup Archive". everyHit.com. Retrieved 14 March 2012.

[3] "The Official Album Of The 2002 FIFA World Cup: Various Artists: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2012.

[4] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20 no. 25. 15 June 2002. p. 9. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

[sc_Scotland_-5] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

[sc_UK_-6] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

[7] "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

[United_KingdomAnt_&_DecWe're_on_the_BallsingleCertRef-8] "British single certifications – Ant & Dec – We're on the Ball". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

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show v t Ant & Dec
Anthony McPartlin Declan Donnelly Holly Willoughby
Studio albums	Psyche (1994) Top Katz (1995) The Cult of Ant & Dec (1997)
Singles	"Tonight I'm Free" "Why Me?" "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" "If I Give You My Number" "Eternal Love" "Our Radio Rocks" "Stuck On U" "U Krazy Katz" "Perfect" "Stepping Stone" "All I Have to Do Is Dream" "Better Watch Out" "When I Fall in Love" "Shout" "Falling" "We're on the Ball"
Television	PokerFace Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Ant & Dec's Push the Button
Related articles	PJ & Duncan discography

show v t FIFA World Cup music
Official albums	Gloryland World Cup USA 94 (1994) Music of the World Cup: Allez! Ola! Ole! (1998) The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup (2002) Voices from the FIFA World Cup (2006) Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album (2010) One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album (2014)
Official songs	"A Special Kind of Hero" (1986) "Un'estate italiana" (1990) "Gloryland" (1994) "The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)" (1998) "Boom" (2002) "The Time of Our Lives" (2006) "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" (2010) "We Are One (Ole Ola)" (2014) "Live It Up" (2018)
Official anthems	"La Cour des Grands (Do You Mind If I Play)" (1998) "Anthem" (2002) "Celebrate the Day" (2006) "Sign of a Victory" (2010) "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)" (2014)
Other official songs	"Hot Hot Hot" "World in Motion" "Put 'Em Under Pressure" "We Are the Champions" "Together Now" "Let's Get Together Now" "We're on the Ball" "World at Your Feet" "Oh Africa" "Vida" "Olé" "La La La" (Brazil 2014)
Other songs / Non-official songs	"Back Home" "Argentine Melody (Cancion de Argentina)" "Nessun dorma" "Shibobo" "Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé)" "World In Motion" "Vindaloo" "Carnaval de Paris" "Tema da Vitória" "3 Lions '98" "Three Little Birds" "A Little Less Conversation (JXL version)" "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Jurgen Klinsmann?" "Zidane y va marquer" "Coup de Boule" "We Are the Champions (Ding a Dang Dong)" "Allez Ola Olé" "Everywhere You Go" "Wavin' Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix) (2010)" "Shout for England" "Stan's World Cup Song" "(Is This the Way to) The World Cup" "Hurry Up England" "Adrenalina (Univision version)" "Ko Ko Bop"