Oxford may not boast the most successful football club, but Oxford singer songwriters are hoping their World Cup anthem will soar to number one in the charts.

The six-man group, called People United, aims to boost England's chances of winning the World Cup by getting as many people as possible to sing We've Got the World Cup in our Hands.

The tune was recorded at the Warehouse Studios in Kennington, near Oxford, and the band has signed a record deal with Bluecrest Records, based in Witney.

Band member Julian Sharples, who lives on a canal boat by Hythe Bridge Street in Oxford, said: "Our slogan is 'Sing it and we'll win it'.

"We wanted to find a way of helping England win the World Cup, so came up with this song which is to a tune everyone knows. "We've had girl power, so now it's time for people power -- and positive thinking to will our national team on."

The band has been travelling around the country recording people singing the song and adding their voices to an online version of the track.

Mr Sharples said: "We were at a school in Surrey, where we recorded around 1,000 children singing and added their voices to the track.

"We are going to record a whole bunch of policemen from the National Police Choir, and a women's football team from Uxbridge."

People can also download the backing track from the song's website. To date, more than 5,000 voices have been added to what is being called "the true people's anthem".

The band's version of the song is due to be released on Monday, May 27, but People United face stiff competition from television presenters Ant and Dec, who are singing the Football Association's official World Cup song, On the Ball.

Mr Sharples said: "All the other record companies releasing songs for the World Cup are major labels.

"If we got to number one it'd be amazing because Ant and Dec have a multi-million corporation behind them, and we're just six blokes from Oxford who've recorded the song for a laugh." He said the record chain HMV has ordered 5,000 copies of the record and planned to display it in special promotional racks in each of its 200 stores.

He claimed bookmaker William Hill had cut the odds of People United's track reaching number one from 100-1 to 25-1.

To find out more about the band's chart bid, visit www.worldcupinourhands.co.uk