• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
The original lyrics to iconic football song Three Lions were so 'unacceptable' it was almost banned

Home> News> Sport

Published 10:31 14 Jul 2024 GMT+1

The original lyrics to iconic football song Three Lions were so 'unacceptable' it was almost banned

The iconic song was written back in 1996, but it was almost never released

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

It might actually be coming home on Sunday evening, so it's unsurprising that iconic football song 'Three Lions' has been playing non-stop over the last few days.

The hit, produced in 1996 by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, is one of the ultimate football anthems and as we prepare for Sunday's Euro 2024 final - with England taking on Spain in Berlin - it's been playing on radio stations across the country.

But, did you know that the original lyrics to the song were nearly banned by the FA back in the day?

Advert

The hit was produced in 1996 by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner (David Davies/Offside via Getty Images)
The hit was produced in 1996 by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner (David Davies/Offside via Getty Images)

Just three years ago, England came tantalisingly close to securing a Euro win on home soil, as they took on Italy in the final.

It was a devastating blow when the Three Lions lost on penalties, but fans are desperately hoping the outcome will be different on Sunday evening.

But it's certainly been an unpredictable tournament so far.

With a rocky start in the group stages, England went on to secure a win against Slovakia, followed by a penalty shoot-out win against Switzerland on 6 July.

Advert

And in a semi-final against the Netherlands, an improved performance and a last-minute goal from sub Ollie Watkins put the team in another major tournament final.

A win on Sunday could even lead to a potential Bank Holiday, though that has been yet to be confirmed.

As England fans gear up for Sunday's match, you might have heard the Three Lions anthem playing on repeat.

But you may not be aware that when the song was first produced, some of the lyrics were very different.

Advert

In fact, Steve Double, former head of media relations at the FA, said the words weren't 'appropriate'.

He wrote in the Mirror: "I was that faceless FA bureaucrat. Euro 96, which was staged in England, was a huge success – an uplifting so-near-but-so-far performance by the England team coupled with a well-organised and trouble-free tournament."

However, Steve explained that the build-up to the match was marred by the fear of hooliganism.

"It was the original lyrics to Three Lions. After the success of New Order’s World in Motion for the 1990 World Cup, the FA’s endorsement for the official England song had become sought after," he continued.

"The Lightning Seeds’ record label had talked with the FA, and seeing as Baddiel and Skinner’s TV show Fantasy Football League was so popular, it seemed like a good fit – and a chance for the FA to modernise its image.

Advert

"Foreseeing no issues, I read the lyrics. 'Jules Rimet still gleaming... 30 years of hurt... never stopped me dreaming'. Very nice. 'Bobby belting the ball, and Nobby dancing...' This is good, I thought. '…Butcher at war…' Hang on. Terry Butcher was famed as England’s blood-spattered centre back from the 1990 World Cup campaign.

"But this is football, not war. Any references to fighting were unacceptable. I picked up the red pen and struck it out. To me, it was an easy decision. How can we preach peace to fans when the team’s official single was extolling war?"

England fans are hoping it will be coming home on Sunday evening (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
England fans are hoping it will be coming home on Sunday evening (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

After Steve deemed the lyrics as unacceptable, there was an uproar from the record label.

"I was reeling. It was a showbiz equivalent of being on the receiving end of an Alex Ferguson 'hairdryer' blast," he continued.

Advert

"I was left with the firm impression I was a hate figure. I felt I held all the cards, though.

"The FA had power of veto, and its endorsement – together with access to England players for the video – was a valuable asset. If the record was binned, so what?

"... After a week or so, it seemed the deal was off. There would be no Three Lions, thanks to the boring old FA. But as quickly as the row escalated, the objections suddenly slipped away as Euro 96 got ever closer."

In the end, the lyrics were changed from 'butcher going to war', to 'that tackle by Moore'.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Come on, England!

Featured Image Credit: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images / Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images

Topics: Sport, Football, Euro 2024, Music

Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

14 mins ago
21 mins ago
2 hours ago
  • YouTube/doctorsethi
    14 mins ago

    Doctor explains major bodily changes taking little-known 75p superfood can have on both men and women

    The superfood will cost you less than £1 and the benefits seem endless

    News
  • ITV
    21 mins ago

    Martin Lewis explains why 'demon appliance' is 'worst in house' for soaring bills

    The MoneySavingExpert founder has revealed why the 'demon appliance' is the worst energy sucker in the house

    News
  • Pomagan.pl
    2 hours ago

    Skeletal woman, 42, found after 27 years 'locked in room by parents'

    Nobody had seen her since the 1990s

    News
  • NewsX
    2 hours ago

    Woman woke up completely blind morning after going to a bar to celebrate after work

    Radharani Domingos has been blind for 18 days after becoming the latest victim of methanol poisoning

    News
  • England fans have been singing the Three Lions song lyrics wrong for years
  • England fans in Qatar appear to sing iconic Three Lions song wrong
  • England fans notice Three Lions lyric needs to be changed after Euro 2024 final loss
  • Three Lions Song Should Be Retired Following England's Euro 2022 Win, Says David Baddiel