Punk star records World Cup song

Sham 69's hits in the late 1970s included Angels with Dirty Faces

Punk singer Jimmy Pursey, formerly of Sham 69, is to record an alternative England World Cup song.

Hurry Up England, a reworking of his band's 1978 hit Hurry Up Harry, was chosen by Virgin Radio listeners as the station's rival to the official song.

All proceeds from sales of the single, chosen following a competition, will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Rock band Embrace have been chosen to record England's official World Cup song, World At Your Feet.

The station's breakfast DJ Christian O'Connell, who organised the competition, said: "Unlike other football songs, this will truly be a single made by the fans, for the fans."

The single's B-side will be the runner-up in the competition, Howling At The Moon, entered by a group of under-eights from Dorchester Raiders football team.

Conference hit

Former England footballer John Barnes, who appeared on New Order's 1990 official song World in Motion, will rap on one of the tracks.

Sham 69's 1978 song If The Kids Are United was Tony Blair's surprise choice of walk-on music for his appearance at last year's Labour Party conference.

The World Cup contest begins in Germany on 9 June.

Singer Joe Fagin is reworking his 1984 hit That's Livin' Alright, the theme tune to TV show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, as another alternative World Cup football anthem.