Legendary UK pop group the Spice Girls have announced a reunion tour in 2019 – though they are missing one key member.
The iconic British girl group last reunited for the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and they are set to reconvene for some huge summer dates across the UK next year.
We all know about their respective character traits and nicknames, but what about their football allegiances?
Who are the Spice Girls?
The Spice Girls are a pop group who hail from the UK.
The girl group were formed in 1994, consisting of five members who go by their own alias: Melanie Brown ('Scary Spice'), Melanie Chisholm ('Sporty Spice'), Emma Bunton ('Baby Spice'), Geri Halliwell ('Ginger Spice') and Victoria Beckham ('Posh Spice').
They released their debut single 'Wannabe' in 1996 which has gone on to be one of the most commercially successful and popular tracks in modern pop music history, establishing their global success beyond Britain – alongside hits such as 'Say You'll Be There', '2 Become 1' and 'Spice Up Your Life'.
The release of their debut album 'Spice' became the best-selling record by a female group in history, which catapulted their reputation as one of the most successful and influential female acts in pop.
The Spice Girls embraced their image of female solidarity and paved the way for the idea of 'girl power' in pop culture amid growing waves of progressive feminism in and around the UK, and were leading figures of the 'Cool Britannia' scene that emerged during the late '90s.
Following the departure of Halliwell as she sought to pursue her own solo career, however, the Spice Girls went on a hiatus in December 2000 – though were careful to state that the group had never split.
The Spice Girls have reunited in several permutations of the original lineup over the years, most notably when the five members reformed in 2007 for a worldwide concert tour.
The group reunited once again at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where they performed a medley of 'Spice Up Your Life' and 'Wannabe'.
What is the Spice Girls reunion tour?
Six years on from their appearance at the Summer Olympics, the Spice Girls have announced that they will be embarking on an UK and world tour for 2019 with support from Jess Glynne.
Victoria Beckham, however, will be absent from the tour which will see the four members embark on a jaunt around several UK arenas including the Etihad Stadium and Wembley Stadium before journeying overseas.
Mel B did offer hope in an interview, however, when she expressed her optimism of Posh making a cameo at some point: "I hope Victoria will join us at some point. It'd be a shame if she didn't. She's just kind of not committing just yet. I'm hoping it's going to change, but definitely us four."
It's always worth holding out on Posh Spice saying that she'll be there, however...
The Spice World 2019 UK tour will kick off in Manchester next June, and you can view the rest of the tour dates below.
| Tour date | Venue |
|---|---|
| Saturday, June 1 | Etihad Stadium, Manchester |
| Monday, June 3 | Ricoh Arena, Coventry |
| Thursday, June 6 | Stadium of Light, Sunderland |
| Saturday, June 8 | BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |
| Monday, June 10 | Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol |
| Saturday, June 15 | Wembley Stadium, London |
What football teams do the Spice Girls support?
Talismans of not only pop-culture but Britain itself, the Spice Girls support their own football teams – and, like their aliases, are unique in their football fandom.
Mel C, having been dubbed 'Sporty Spice', hails from Whiston, Merseyside (the same area of Liverpool that Steven Gerrard is from) and was raised as a Liverpool supporter. A love for the Anfield club still runs deep in her veins, having grown up in the 1980s and having experienced Liverpool's 'golden generation' of footballers.
The Merseyside native often sports retro Liverpool kits – most notably in the film for 'Wannabe' the cinematic classic that is the film 'Spice World' – and even used to walk around Manchester city centre growing up sporting the iconic red shirt.
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“I remember it was an Adidas one and I used to wear it everywhere,” she told FourFourTwo.
“I looked the business. Normally, I’d never go shopping in Manchester on a Saturday afternoon simply because I was a Liverpool fan.
"And the one time I made the mistake of going, I got spat at. Fair enough though – I suppose I was asking for it, walking around Manchester in a Liverpool coat. But now, with United, it’s pure hatred.”
Once Spice Girls broke though in popularity, Mel C's association with the Reds was amplified across the world – as sales of Liverpool shirts with the word 'Sporty' printed on the back skyrocketed. Around the same time, Liverpool players such as David James, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp were concurrently branded 'The Spice Boys'.
Posh Spice, through her relationship with David Beckham, inevitably swayed her towards supporting Manchester United, something that Mel C had regretted, stating: “Yeah. My hate for Man United subsided a little when Victoria started going out with David. I had to stop and think, ‘Well you know what, I’ll let you off even though you play for Man U’.”
Bunton ('Baby Spice') is a Tottenham Hotspur fan having been raised in Finchley, North London, while Watford-hailing Geri Halliwell supports the Hornets.
Mel B is a keen Leeds supporter having grown up in Harehills, West Yorkshire.