How I got to be England’s one and only
Chesney’s ‘goosebumps’ at whirlwind Qatar visit
SOON there will be talk about how West Ham could potentially win the World Cup again, but first, Chesney Hawkes is coming to terms with being England’s lucky charm.
A week in the life of a pop star rarely follows a conventional schedule, but, as Hawkes tells Sportsmail over Zoom from the back of a taxi in London, this one has even left him pinching himself. Just how did he finish a gig in Edinburgh on Sunday and end up in Doha 48 hours later leading a mass sing-a-long of his classic the One and Only, forming a bond with Declan Rice and rubbing shoulders with Gareth Southgate’s squad, who now want to him to return to perform for them?
‘It’s just total goosebumps,’ he says, with a smile as big and bright as the Wembley Arch. Hawkes had just finished a 32-date tour and was planning a break when his agent came with an offer to play at half-time during England’s game with Wales.
For a genuine England fan, it was too good a chance to turn down and he arrived in Doha at 2am on Tuesday.
There was little opportunity to sleep before going to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, but whatever tiredness he felt was swiftly banished. The joy of performing the song that propelled him to stardom — and the positive reaction it received — left him almost speechless.
‘I was a little apprehensive about playing the song in front of 60,000 football fans,’ he explains. ‘Particularly the part when I had to go quiet and they had to join in. I thought it’d be worth it as there would be a chance to meet “Deckers”.’
Rice was not even a twinkle in his parents’ eyes when Hawkes topped the charts for five weeks in 1991 and was not initially aware who he was.
But England kitmen Pat Frost and Neil Jones certainly did and obligingly provided Hawkes with one of the midfielder’s jerseys. After the match, the gregarious Rice was introduced, and before too long they were chatting like old pals. Hawkes has seen many things through his career but this, truly, was a first.
‘The kitmen were amazing,’ he said, laughing. ‘They were the ones who gave me his shirt — they were all excited because they were all my age and knew about the song. That was when Declan
came in and he had been told who I was.
‘He gave me the nicest, warmest hug. I explained to him I was a lifelong Hammer and I’m sure my youngest son, Indiana, would have swapped places with me in that moment in a heartbeat! He couldn’t have been nicer.
‘But it wasn’t just him. There was Jack Grealish, Phil Foden… I gave Jude Bellingham a high five and I was over the moon until I realised Jude was two years younger than my eldest son, Casey!
‘I didn’t get a chance to speak to Gareth Southgate but I saw him and gave him a nod.
‘He walked past with a smile on his face, everyone was just so happy with the result. I was just this wide-eyed kid in the tunnel, getting an incredible opportunity.’ Rice was so enthused by the meeting that he promised he would do all he can to get the One and Only back to No 1 in the charts for Christmas and, who knows, it might yet take off and become a tournament anthem. There is a possibility that if England progress, Hawkes — who lives in Los Angeles but still finds himself pining to be in a seat at the London Stadium when West Ham are at home — could return to play for the squad at their hotel in Doha. Whatever happens, his ties with Rice are secure.
‘As a West Ham fan, I think we are all realistic that he will go on and play in the Champions League one day — he is a future England captain,’ says Hawkes. ‘We will always love him at West Ham, he’s a legend and wouldn’t it be brilliant if he won the World Cup for us?’