Three Lions In The Sand

‘IT’S been tough but after the hour-long break, the football season is on once again.

‘The Siegfried Lion, The Maginot Lion and the, er, …’

And what better way to celebrate the return of the glory game than with a look at the Mail’s shot of Nancy Dell’Olio wearing an English footy kit with pride.

While on holiday in Sardinia, England coach Sven Goran’s Eriksson’s periodically substituted lover is spotted doing a passable impression of Wayne Rooney – a boy whose taste for older women might see the shot of 43-year-old Nancy stuck in pride of place on his bedroom wall.

And while the Italian lawyer does her best to look like Sporty Spice while dressed like a suburban chav, the Sun says that Germans are also interested in getting the look of the English footballer.

“ACHTUNG!” commands the Sun in that familiar way that heralds any story on Germans and football. “Ze are plotting a dastardly bid to steal England footie anthem Three Lions.”

With the World Cup to be staged in Germany next summer, the Sun says a bunch of Bayern Munich fans are gathering support to make their country’s Football Association record a version of the English terrace hit.

Out will go Bobby Moore’s tackle and Nobby Stiles’s dancing and in come Franz Beckenbauer’s technick and Rudi Voller’s mullett.

“It wasn’t meant for frankfurter-eating, lederhosen-wearing Bavarians,” observes the Sun.

And here we must interject. Surely music is for one and all, an international language that unites. And let’s be honest, Germany isn’t exactly blessed with pop talent, even if you do include David Hasselhoff.

So we say let them have our song. One World up, Two World Wars, Three Lions, what matters more?

With any luck, just like when England’s supporters sang the tune at Euro ’96, the Germans will belt it out as their team impersonates England and loses on penalties in the semi-finals…’

Posted: 17th, August 2005 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink