Three Lions... the answer....

The short answer is that England footballer wear the three lions on their shirts - as they have done ever since the first international against Scotland in 1872 - because, as representatives of the Football Association, they're simply sporting the logo of the FA.

However where that logo comes from is a much longer story. The lions have a history going back to the 12th century, when a standard with three gold lions on a red field was carried into battle to inspire the troops.

The first one came from Henry I - known as the lion of England - who had a lion on his standard on taking power in 1100. Shortly afterwards he married Adeliza, whose father also had a lion on his shield, and to commemorate the event he added a second lion to his standard. In 1154, two lions became three when Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, who - yes, you've guessed it - also had a lion her family crest.

Later that century, Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199) used the three golden lions on a scarlet background as a symbol of the English throne and, after that, it appeared on the Royal Arms of every succeeding monarch.

So when the FA was formed in 1863, it seemed natural enough to base their logo on this stirring royal shield. Since then, the design has only been changed once, in 1949 - when the crown that was on top of the lions was removed to differentiate the badge from that of the English cricket team.

Posted By: Pixelman, Jul 21, 17:01:36