England’s iconic Football’s Coming Home anthem faces axe as official World Cup song over fears it offends other nations

ENGLAND’S Three Lions anthem is ­facing the axe as the country’s official World Cup song — amid ­concerns that it offends other nations. 

Baddiel and Skinner’s Football’s Coming Home classic has been a fans’ favourite since Euro 96.

Lions legend Paul Gascoigne said: “That song is in our DNA. It helped us in 1996 and it’ll help the boys in Qatar.”

But FA chiefs fear the song is viewed as “arrogant” by other countries.

 Neil Diamond’s singalong Sweet Caroline is the favourite to replace it. 

Critics said the proposal showed footie bosses were way out of touch with England supporters — and Gazza, 54, declared: “The FA have totally lost the plot.”

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The Euro 96 hero added: “You can’t take that song off us. Sweet Caroline doesn’t come close.

“It would be like saying we can’t wave St George’s flags anymore.

“This woke nonsense has no place in football. It’s just a great song. 

Last night TalkTV presenter and Sun writer Piers Morgan blasted the FA’s flaky plan and said: “This is a ridiculous idea.

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“The song is all about wallowing in 30 years of hurt and pain at not winning anything, how can anyone say it is arrogant.

“We should absolutely stick with Three Lions.”

The Sun is now launching a campaign to save the anthem and will petition the FA to stick with “It’s Coming Home”.

All 32 nations at the World Cup in Qatar in November and December must nominate a song to be played in the build-up to kick-off.

Three Lions — by comedy duo David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds — celebrates England’s endless dream of a first tournament triumph since 1966.

But FA chiefs are set to drop it amid fears other nations believe it is “arrogant” to sing about England being the home of football.

Rival teams have also mocked and abused the song’s chant.

Croatia’s players used the classic as a motivational tool ahead of their 2-1 triumph over Gareth Southgate’s battlers at the 2018 World Cup semi-final in Moscow.

Italian fans at Wembley sarcastically sang: “It’s coming to Rome” after the Azzuri’s penalties win over The Three Lions in the Euro 2020 final.

A much-travelled Three Lions supporters’ source told The Sun: “Fans will sing what they like and couldn’t really give a monkey’s what is ‘official’ or not.

“So expect to hear ‘Football’s Coming Home’ sung in Qatar in the stands regardless.

“Other nations might think we’re arrogant when we sing that England is football’s home and they’ve teased us about it in the past but it’s just friendly banter.”

 Neil Diamond’s stadium singalong Sweet Caroline is now favourite to become the official pre-match song.

Three Lions became the official pre-match song in 1996 — when England lost on penalties yet again in the semi-final against Germany.

And it has since become the soundtrack to a string of heroic failures as we failed to lift silverware in every tournament since.

Senior figures at the FA’s Wembley HQ are now arguing that it is time for a forward-looking change — and more positive vibes during the pre-match warm-up.

An England source said: “The FA have always countered the song’s negatives by stressing that it’s all about hope — but there’s a feeling it might be time for a change.

“We have a great squad and a great chance in Qatar so it might be better to look forward from now on rather than back. “Gareth Southgate isn’t involved in the debate but he may well have decidedly mixed memories about 1996 after missing the penalty which knocked us out in the semi.

“Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline was a huge hit with fans singing their hearts out at Euro 2020 and must be a strong contender now.

“It has nothing to do with football but it’s a great feelgood song — and has absolutely no negativity attached to it.”

FA chiefs will not announce their final decision on the song choice until after the summer. But Sun sources revealed internal discussions about a new song are already under way.

David Baddiel revealed last year that he suspected the FA hated his Three Lions anthem – over fears that its lyrics could offend other footballing nations.

He said: “Neil Diamond was set up as a kind of rival during the last Euro competition.

“There was a thing which my manager feels was actually a conspiracy set up by The FA — they don’t really like Three Lions.

“I think it’s the notion — misinterpreted by many people — that football’s coming home means that England owns football and we are the homeland of football. Which historically is the case. We were the first one to ratify the rules of the game.

“But somehow that’s offensive to other FAs – like the Croatian FA or whatever.”

Sweet Caroline came to prominence after England’s epic 2-0 win over Germany at Euro 2020.

Offical Wembley DJ Tony Perry decided the track summed up the mood in the stadium. It was then adopted by the fans and rang out at every game until the final.

The song has long been a favourite with rugby fans.. However, the 1969 hit is most associated with baseball where it’s sung at every home game of the Boston Red Sox.

The tradition of the official England song was spawned at the 1966 World Cup with “World Cup Willie”.’

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Four years later the England squad for Mexico 1970 had a hit with Back Home.

In Italia ‘90 New Order and Keith Allen’s “World in Motion” featured a rap by player John Barnes.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk