The Football Association have denied tabloid media claims that the iconic ‘Three Lions’ song will no longer be played at Wembley Stadium during England matches.
A report in The Sun stated that officials feared it was “arrogant” and offensive to other countries, leading to comments from former England hero Paul Gascoigne that the FA had “lost the plot”.
But a statement from the FA on Thursday morning put paid to any suggestions of the anthem being ditched.
It read: “Contrary to reports this morning, the FA still plays Three Lions at major Wembley matches and has never had any intention of doing otherwise.
“The song belongs to the fans and is about the hope of following the England team.
“It was requested by the FA to be played as one of our team songs at the 2018 World Cup and the Euros last summer, and this is our plan at tournaments going forwards.”
‘Three Lions’ was released by Baddiel & Skinner and the Lightning Seeds in May 1996 ahead of England hosting that year’s European Championships.
It has since remained etched in English fan folklore and featured prominently at last summer’s Euros as Gareth Southgate’s team reached the final, alongside Neil Young’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ hit which was reportedly tipped to replace ‘Three Lions’ as the FA’s song of choice.
