Freddie Mercury has helped a Brighton football team in their quest for glory from beyond the grave.

Bevendean Barcelona Reserves listen to Freddie Mercury before their games to psyche themselves up and they are hitting all the right notes on the pitch.

Barca are lying third in Sussex Sunday Division Five after hearing rousing renditions of Mercury's 'Barcelona' song with opera singer Montserrat Cable prior to kick-off.

The team play their home games at County League side Southwick's ground at Old Barn Way where the tune has been banged out on the Tannoy before.

The Brighton parks side have adopted the song as their anthem just as the Spanish Olympic Committee did for the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992.

Manager Mick Nixon said: "I like the song myself because I like Freddie Mercury and I have all his CDs.

"The players listen to the song and some have a sing, but they don't need a lot of psyching up. We are on a bit of a roll at the moment.

"My son Paul plays for the side so he's well aware of my music tastes. He doesn't do much singing though, he is always late.

"Paul and Danford Crowhurst usually turn up a few minutes before kick- off. They just have time to get their kit on and get on the pitch."

Nixon is in his first year of managing the side and is enjoying the experience. He said: "The former manager Dave Crowhurst was ill last season and I said if no one else wanted to take charge of the team then I would do it.

"I am really enjoying it. It is good fun, we have a few comedians in the side, like Paul Roberts who is one of the worst dressed as well.

"Not many of the lads are singers but if we get to a cup final then we'll certainly have something to shout about.

"We are always a terrible cup side. I don't know why. We got to a cup final once but we lost."

With the Reserves flying high in Division Five and the First XI in the higher echelons of the Intermediate League, Bevendean Barcelona FC have plenty to sing about.