The Ashcombe school students lent their voices to a song being recorded to celebrate the 2006 World Cup football tournament.

They joined thousands of pupils across the UK last Thursday in an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the greatest number of participants on a hit single.

An estimated 48,000 young people from more than 120 schools will take part in the giant sing-a-thon.

The song has been recorded by young English pop band RICKY.

The band signed a record contract earlier this year and have since enjoyed top 40 success with their debut single, Stop Knocking The Walls Down.

The football track, titled We Are England, has been co-written by the band's lead singer, Jim Lines, and lead guitarist, Guy Gyngell.

Jim said: "It was really good at Ashcombe because at lots of the schools we go to we get given a year group.

"But what was nice was they gave us pupils from all of the school. It was a nice mix.

"The first kid to walk in had a Portsmouth shirt on and it made us feel at home because we are all Pompey fans."

Students were asked to perform a cult football chant which has been made famous by Sky Sports' football programme Soccer AM.

And Jim explained that this made the process incredibly quick and easy.

He said: "It takes five minutes to record. It is very simple because most of them are big football fans and already know the chant."

Using cutting-edge production techniques, the recordings from each school will be digitally put together to form the sound of a huge crowd.

Jim said: "Once we have recorded all the schools we can put them together to make it sound like a crowd at a football match."

Ashcombe is the last school to be recorded this term but the group will go back on the road in the new school year in September to finish off the recording.

The song is due to be released on June 6 next year in time for the start of the World Cup in Germany on June 9.

Source: Surrey Online