World famous pit band to boycott Wembley soccer final over ‘snub’

MUSICIANS in a world famous colliery band from Yorkshire have blown the whistle on European football chiefs after claiming they were snubbed for the Champions League final at Wembley.

By The Newsroom

Published 13th May 2011, 07:00 BST

Barnsley’s Grimethorpe Colliery band, which featured in the box office smash film Brassed Off, thought they would be playing on the Wembley turf when Manchester United take on Barcelona on May 28.

But anger flared after European football’s governing body told them they had been relegated to play outside the stadium when the two clubs meet.

The band have now said they will not be at Wembley for the big night.

Band manager Nigel Dixon said: “We felt we had been sold a pup, so we’re not playing. When we saw the contract it said we wouldn’t be playing on the pitch.

“Instead it stipulated we would have to set up our instruments on Wembley Way so we would be playing to fans as they walked past and into the stadium.

“We feel that’s a job for an American-style marching band. So we told them they were booking the wrong sort of band, we don’t undertake that kind of work.”