It's time to hoist up the John B's sail

Tony Evans, football editor of The Times highlighted the greatest scourge in modern football – fans using the Beach Boys’ (pictured) “Sloop John B” as the basis for almost all of their chants. (Getty Images)

For some fans, the biggest problem in modern football might be diving, racism, players' salaries and high ticket costs.

Tony Evans, football editor of The Times highlighted the greatest scourge in the game – fans using the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" as the basis for almost all of their chants.

The recycling of songs in football is nothing new. "Guantanamera" has seen more variations than in its original Cuban guise, but it was always countered by a range of others. "Sloop John B" is swiftly becoming the deadly ash virus of football crowds, with its chorus – "We want to go home, we want to go ho-ome, [Town X] is a s***hole, we want to go home" – now joined by endless variations. Whether it's Manchester United fans singing "We do what we want" or Chelsea fans with "We know who we are… champions of Europe," it's beyond tiresome. The campaign starts here: it's time to kick "Sloop John B" out of football.