Getting into soccer? You’re in the right place.
Welcome to The Tap-Inn. We serve simple, witty, twice-weekly explainers to help you understand soccer, the world’s most popular sport. No assumed knowledge, no PhD-level tactics, no nonsense.
—Joe, your Irish bartender (no, really)
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“Three Lions”
/ˌθri ˈlaɪənz/
phrase · soccer
- Definition:
- England’s national team nickname, taken from the three lions on their badge. You’ll hear it all weekend, as in “the Three Lions host Spain at Wembley.” It’s also a song English fans will not stop singing.
- Origin:
- The lions come from England’s royal coat of arms, which dates back to King Richard the Lionheart in the 1190s. A 1996 song of the same name, recorded for the European Championship in England, turned it into a stadium anthem.
“Spain are world champions, and the Three Lions haven’t won a major trophy since 1966. Every English guy at my bar still thinks Saturday is the start of something.”
ASK THE BARTENDER
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