Football: Players plan own tribute to Diana

It Is only football, and it appears to operate outside of the real world sometimes, but in its own way it also has a capacity for inspiring unity and community. That quality is likely to be in evidence when England play Moldova at Wembley on Wednesday in front of the first major gathering of a national crowd since yesterday's funeral of the Princess of Wales.

The Football Association, still gauging the mood and attempting to assemble an appropriate response, did approach George Michael, a friend of the Princess's, to sing the national anthem but were unsucessful. The honour now falls to Lisa Hull, who also sang at the nation's VE Day celebrations in Hyde Park.

"The national anthem is always a very emotional moment anyway, it doesn't matter how many times you hear it when you are wearing an England shirt," said the Arsenal striker Ian Wright. "But it's going to be a sad one this." "The hardest time," said the England coach, Glenn Hoddle.

On the question of other music to be played on the night, the Wembley disc jockey Steve Kemsley said he would seek permission to play "Goodbye England's Rose" sung by Elton John in Westminster Abbey yesterday. If possible, he added, he would like still to play "Football's Coming Home" at the end of the evening. "It's a sensitive area but it's something that could be rousing and uplifting. We just don't know how the mood will have changed."

In addition to a minute's silence and the wearing of black armbands, Hoddle and his players are also keen to make a gesture as a mark of respect. Such is the strength of the squad's feelings that they are believed to want to play a match in the future for the Princess's favourite charities.

Paul Gascoigne, who once playfully kissed the Princess's hand before the 1991 FA Cup final, is thought to feel particularly strongly. I understand that he was in touch with his Rangers' team-mates Ally McCoist, Andy Goram and Gordon Durie as they made their decision about refusing to play before Scotland postponed their World Cup match against Belarus, originally scheduled for yesterday.

Hoddle is in an unenviable position, in tune with the significance of the night but also aware that as professionals going into a World Cup qualifying match, he and his team must concentrate on matters in hand once the whistle blows to start the match. The reaction of the players will be crucial.

"No one will know how they are going to react until the night," said the coach. "There has been a sombre mood at the hotel but we can't allow the emotions to get to the players so that they don't perform.

"It would be fitting and lovely for us to lift the country. In one way it might inspire the players to really go out and put on a performance. In another, with the build-up of sadness and emotion of 75,000 people, that might be a difficult task."

Deprived of Alan Shearer, Tony Adams and Paul Ince, Hoddle has been delaying naming a captain, aware that the right man for the job will need to remain dignified and upright throughout. "I am looking at the style of the person and the player," said Hoddle. "The right kind of captain who can handle the occasion." Though David Seaman has the seniority, Hoddle may prefer an outfield player, with Gareth Southgate a prime candidate.

However humble it may seem, English football will clearly provide another focus for national sentiment this week. "After the emotion of Saturday we have to start living our lives again as a nation," said Hoddle. "Maybe Wednesday is a time to carry things forward."

World Cup focus, page 22