<
        >

          Pogba with Stormzy, 2 Chainz at Atlanta United: When soccer and music mix

          • Chris Wright, Toe Poke writerJan 16, 2020, 03:50 PM

          From Manchester United's musical announcement they had #Pogback, to 2 Chainz kicking things off at Atlanta, the worlds of music and soccer often collide...

          The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place.

          Jump to: Bayern's Davies learning the local lingo | Pep launches new Puma boots

          Whether it be famous faces spotted on the terraces watching their team in action or adrenaline-inducing tunes being blared over stadium PA systems, the twin pursuits of music and football constantly intertwine.

          This week, for example, Portuguese giants FC Porto announced they have joined forces with James to promote a new equality campaign.

          (We should clarify at this point that in this instance we mean James, the 1990s Manchester indie stalwarts of "Sit Down" fame, not former Porto attacker James Rodriguez. Which would be a slightly less unlikely pairing.)

          Here we examine several examples of the melding of worlds, with bands buddying up and/or becoming synonymous with clubs and players, and vice-versa.

          Stormzy and Pogba

          When Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United in the summer of 2016, the infuriating transfer saga rumbled on for months before UK grime star Stormzy officially broke the news.

          Kasabian and Leicester City

          Kasabian are lifelong fans of Leicester City and always have their song "Fire" belted out over the tannoys at the King Power Stadium whenever the Foxes score.

          As such, it was only fitting that the local band were front and centre at Leicester's title celebration party back in 2016.

          Macklemore and Seattle Sounders

          Macklemore is a shareholder at hometown side Seattle Sounders, joining Ciara and Russell Wilson in the MLS club's star-studded ownership group. He performed at the celebrations when the Sounders won MLS Cup last year.

          2 Chainz and Atlanta

          Macklemore isn't the only U.S. rapper involved in MLS either, with 2 Chainz invited along to drive home the Golden Spike -- a prematch tradition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- at his first Atlanta United game in front of 71,000 feverish fans.

          Iron Maiden and West Ham

          Iron Maiden founding member Steve Harris has been an ardent supporter of West Ham since attending his first game in the 1960s. He even regularly plays live shows with the Hammers' crest emblazoned across his bass guitar.

          It must have been a dream come true, then, when last year Harris collaborated with his boyhood club to produce a special limited edition West Ham x Iron Maiden replica shirt.

          Kaiser Chiefs and Kaizer Chiefs

          The Leeds-based band chose their name in 1997 after being inspired by Lucas Radebe's former team in South Africa, changing one letter to avoid confusion.

          Many years later, the Chiefs (the band) were able to meet the Chiefs (the football club) when they dropped in during a tour of South Africa.

          Bayern's Davies learning the local lingo

          One year on from his big move to Bayern Munich, Alphonso Davies is gradually starting to get to grips with the local way of life.

          The Canadian winger has filmed himself in front of the mirror performing the various stages of his progress from new-in-town auslander to fully fledged Bavarian.

          As demonstrated, things are definitely improving with Davies able to recite at least three bursts of valuable Bayern-themed phrases.

          Not sure if he can order a weißwurst or successfully navigate his way to the bahnhof yet, but we're confident all that will come in time.

          Pep launches new Puma boots

          Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has helped to launch a new Puma boot specifically designed for the likes of Sergio Aguero, Marco Reus, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.

          The "Sparks" pack features new FUTURE and ONE boot models with an eye-catching new "ultra-yellow" paint job that is highlighted to great effect in the launch promo.

          Puma have designed the boots to focus on allowing key players to give their teams the "spark" required to turn a game in a moment of spontaneous genius.

          "It all starts with a SPARK, that is how players become champions," Guardiola said.

          "They are the players that can change a game in an instant, they are the players who are redefining the game."

          We're not certain he'll be quite so enamoured with them if Messrs Reus, Suarez or Griezmann spark his City team out of the Champions League while wearing them.

          Nike have also released a new boot this week, updating a modern classic by launching the latest incarnation of their ever-popular PhantomVSN boots.

          The PhantomVSN 2 boast a revamped ergonomic fit and ball-gripping texture designed to complement the needs of technical attacking players.

          The upper is divided into four "touch zones" -- medial trap zone, strike zone, knuckle zone and dribble zone -- to increase ball control and fully accommodate all the precise needs of a tricky winger or playmaking No. 10.

          The keen-eyed observer will also note a series of numbers embroidered on the pull-tab, a small numeral graphic that references the GPS coordinates of the Nike Football design lab.

          Reims aim cheeky barbs at VAR whiffs

          Ligue 1 side Reims took to social media on Thursday with a funny take on their feelings about the refereeing during Wednesday's rearranged 1-1 draw away at Amiens.

          Johan Hamel, overseeing the match at Stade de la Licorne, refused to consult the Video Assisted Referee (VAR) twice during the encounter -- denying Reims what they felt were two clear penalties.

          Coach David Guion could not hide his disappointment after the match and claimed VAR was not even needed to recognise a foul on Moussa Doumbia, which Reims likened to a "clothesline" move from video game Street Fighter.

          A Christophe Jallet handball also went unpunished, which prompted Reims to get cheeky and suggest that it was buy-one-get-one-free on VAR injustices with the current sales on.

          Ironically, Amiens cancelled out Dereck Kutesa's superb opener on the stroke of half-time early in the second half through... You guessed it, VAR!

          The hosts were awarded a penalty that was initially waved away by Hamel and although Predrag Rajkovic saved the initial effort, Moussa Konate scored the rebound.

          Reims' final touch on their elaborate grieving against Hamel was to wish refereeing technical director Pascal Garibian happy new year in very tongue-in-cheek fashion.