Academic rhapsody in claret and blue

Forget football chants and terrace anthems, the sound of a symphony will reverberate around the ground of a London football club this season.

One movement of a piece by Shirley Thompson, of Westminster University, has been adopted by West Ham as part of its pre-match music at Upton Park.

The club plays the London Anthem movement of A New Nation Rising: A 21st Century Symphony , which begins with a nod to its fans' favourite, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles .

Ms Thompson - who is thought to be the first black woman in Europe to compose and conduct a symphony - has won awards for her compositions for TV, film, ballet and opera.

She said: "The spirit of the piece is about the history of East London, and the club is a big part of that."