England's Three Lions song was almost banned over 'unacceptable' lyrics

Now Euro 2024 has kicked off, England will be roaring out David Baddiel and Frank Skinner's football anthem Three Lions tune. The 1996 hit will be blaring from pubs and cars, and will be on the radio constantly as fans dare to dream that it might, actually, be coming home.

But the much-loved song was almost banned by the FA due to concerns over its original lyrics.

Steve Double, former head of media relations at the FA, believed that the words weren't appropriate due to concerns of hooliganism ahead of the tournament.

He explained: "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.

"But the build-up was fraught with problems and anxiety behind the scenes.

"The overwhelming fear of the Football Association was that hooliganism so much more prevalent then than now would mar the tournament and ruin the reputation of English football."

So as the event got closer, Steve was tasked with making sure that nothing was said or done that could encourage any sort of bad behaviour.

Everything seemed fine, until two months before the first match when he was handed a piece of paper with the words for a new official song.

In a noted incident, he was asked to vet the lyrics of a song and initially didn't give it much thought. In his explanation, he said: "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 expounded on how The Lightning Seeds' record label had conversed with the FA about having Baddiel and Skinner involved, given their popular television show, Fantasy Football League, stating, '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."

Upon reviewing the lyrics, he explained: "Foreseeing no issues, I read the lyrics. 'Jules Rimet still gleaming... 30 years of hurt... never stopped me dreaming'. Very nice."

The lyrics continued with: "'Bobby belting the ball, and Nobby dancing...' This is good, I thought."

But then he noticed something concerning within the lines, as he recalled:"'...Butcher at war...' Hang on. Terry Butcher was famed as England's blood-spattered centre back from the 1990 World Cup campaign."

Expressing his disapproval of a phrase which was seemingly endorsing fighting, he stated: "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."

Troubled by the message such words could potentially send to fans, he asked: "How can we preach peace to fans when the team's official single was extolling war?"

He relayed a message back stating the contentious statement was "unacceptable", leading to an "uproar" from both the record company and the celebrity agents who demanded a meeting.

Reflecting on the tension-filled encounter thereafter, he recounted: "A few days later, the fearsome Jon Thoday [of Avalon management] arrived at my office at the FA's then-headquarters in Lancaster Gate. He was clearly unhappy. In fact, make that incandescent.

"I received both barrels: I had no right to change his clients' lyrics. I was impugning their artistic integrity. How dare I even consider it the lyrics stay or the deal is off.

"I was reeling. It was a showbiz equivalent of being on the receiving end of an Alex Ferguson 'hairdryer' blast. I recovered from the shock to mount a Tony Adams-style defence.

"This attacker wasn't going to get past. With anti-hooliganism campaigns under way, it would be hypocritical for the official England record to reference war or fighting. The FA would get slaughtered for such an own goal."

No agreement was met during the meeting, which meant there were lots of angry calls in the following days.

"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?

"There were plenty of others in the queue. It didn't occur to me that this particular song was history in the making. Doh.

"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."

The team decided to change 'Butcher going to war' to 'That tackle by Moore'.

He said: "The war reference vanished, and we had peace in our time.

"No thanks to me, the record by Baddiel and Skinner and the Lightning Seeds was a huge commercial success. It was even a hit in Germany."