The original lyrics of the legendary football song Three Lions were so “unacceptable” that they were almost banned.

In fact, it could happen on Sunday evening, so it is no surprise that the legendary football song “Three Lions” has been played non-stop over the past few days.

Produced by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner in 1996, the hit is one of the ultimate football anthems and will be played on radio stations across the country during the build-up to Sunday’s Euro 2024 final – England will face Spain in Berlin.

But did you know that the original lyrics of the song were almost banned by the FA back then?

The hit was produced in 1996 by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner (David Davies/Offside via Getty Images)

Just three years ago, England came close to winning the European Championship on home soil in the final against Italy.

The penalty shootout defeat was a bitter blow for the Three Lions, but fans will be desperately hoping the result will be different on Sunday night.

But so far it has certainly been an unpredictable tournament.

After a rocky start in the group stage, England eventually secured a win against Slovakia and a penalty shoot-out victory against Switzerland on 6 July.

And in the semi-final against the Netherlands, an improved performance and a last-minute goal from substitute Ollie Watkins took the team into another major tournament final.

A win on Sunday could even lead to a potential holiday, but this has yet to be confirmed.

As English fans prepare for Sunday’s game, you may have heard the Three Lions anthem on repeat.

But you may not be aware that some of the lyrics were quite different when the song was originally produced.

Steve Double, former head of media relations at the FA, even said the words were “inappropriate”.

He wrote in the Mirror: “I was that faceless FA bureaucrat. Euro 96, which was played in England, was a huge success – an uplifting, almost far-fetched performance by the England team, coupled with a well-organised and smooth tournament.”

However, Steve explained that preparations for the game had been marred by fears of hooliganism.

“These were the original lyrics by Three Lions. Following the success of New Order’s ‘World in Motion’ at the 1990 World Cup, the FA’s support for the official song was highly sought after,” he continued.

“The Lightning Seeds’ record label had spoken to the FA and with Baddiel and Skinner’s TV show Fantasy Football League being so popular, it seemed like a good choice – and a chance for the FA to modernise their image.

“Foreseeing no problems, I read the lyrics. ‘Jules Rimet still shines… 30 years of pain… never stopped me from dreaming.’ Very nice. ‘Bobby hits the ball and Nobby dances…’ That’s good, I thought. ‘…Butcher at war…’ Wait a minute. Terry Butcher was famous as England’s blood-splattered centre-back from the 1990 World Cup season.

“But this is football, not war. Any reference to fighting was unacceptable. I took the red pen and crossed it out. For me it was an easy decision. How can we preach peace to the fans when the team’s official single glorifies war?”

England fans hope it will come home on Sunday night (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

After Steve deemed the lyrics unacceptable, there was an uproar from the record company.

“I was stunned. It was like being hit with Alex Ferguson’s ‘hairdryer’ punch in show business,” he continued.

“I had the strong impression that I was a hate figure. However, I felt that I held all the trump cards.

“The FA had veto power and its approval – along with access to the English players for the video – was a valuable asset. What if the recording had been thrown out?

“…After about a week, the deal seemed to be off. Thanks to the boring old FA, there would be no Three Lions. But as quickly as the argument escalated, the objections disappeared as Euro 96 drew ever closer.”

In the end, the lyrics were changed from “Butcher going to war” to “That tackle by Moore”.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Come on England!