1987 and Later
In 1987, Sham 69 were resurrected with a different line-up, releasing the single "Rip And Tear". "If the Kids Are United" was used in a McDonald's advertising campaign, long after the rights to the band's songs had been sold. By that time, Pursey was a vegetarian, and he appeared in the British media condemning the use of his song by what he considered a multinational abuser of animals and humans.
In 2005, the band gained media attention when "If the Kids Are United" was played during UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's entrance at the Labour Party Conference. As a result of this, the band was invited onto BBC TV's current affairs programme Newsnight to sing a version of the song. Pursey sang altered lyrics, including "Mr. Blair/We know you care/So bring them home/Don't leave them there", referring to the troops remaining in Iraq after the 2003 invasion.
In 2006, listeners to Christian O'Connell's Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio voted overwhelmingly for the band to record a song to support the England national football team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Released under "Sham 69 and The Special Assembly" (O'Connell and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon were also involved), the song was based on the Sham 69 hit "Hurry Up Harry", with the lyrics "We're going down the pub", changed to "We're going to win the cup!" The resulting single, "Hurry Up England" reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's first such hit in 26 years. However this caused some controversy as a band from Romford, England, called Mottys Sheepskin had already recorded this as an England World Cup Anthem with all proceeds going to a Cancer Charity. The band had then approached Sham’s Jimmy Pursey and asked permission to put the song out officially. Jimmy agreed. The band, thrilled that they could push ahead with their charity song, were totally unprepared for what happened next. Several days later, on his Virgin Radio Breakfast Show Christian O’Connell played a version of Hurry Up England by … wait for it … Jimmy Purcey of Sham 69.
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