when was sweet caroline first sung at a football match

The first widely reported football-match moment for Sweet Caroline was after Arsenal’s 2017 FA Cup semi-final victory, though the song became much more firmly linked with England fans during Euro 2020.

What happened first

• 2017: Arsenal are reported to have played it after their FA Cup semi-final win.

• Late 2010s: It also cropped up at other clubs and sporting events, including Aston Villa.

• 2021 Euro run: That’s when it really went mainstream with England supporters at matches.

Why people remember Euro 2020

The song had been used in sport before, but the England men’s team and Wembley crowds made it a national football anthem during the Euro 2020 tournament, which was played in 2021.

In one line

If you mean the first known football-match use , the clearest widely reported example is Arsenal in 2017 ; if you mean when it became a regular football chant , that was Euro 2020 in 2021.

Would you like the full origin story of how it moved from the US sports scene into football?