From football scarves to Three Lions symbol… the 11 secret stories behind the game’s weird traditions

ENGLAND fans were clutching their heads in despair until midfielder Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time goal in the Euros on Sunday.

But did you know the gesture that has become all too familiar among football supporters actually goes back thousands of years?

i-ImagesFans putting their hands to their heads comes from a Celtic tradition that is two millennia old[/caption]

PAFootball fans have a French opera from 1880 to thank for mascots[/caption]

From why we wear football scarves to the Three Lions symbol, Alex Lloyd reveals the secret stories behind 11 of the game’s wonderful traditions . . . 

1. Our Celtic ancestors were a fearsome bunch. But while they didn’t shy away from Romans, they did worry that the sky might fall down when anything bad happened.

For this reason they began putting their hands to their heads to protect themselves in times of worry. 

Two millennia later we’re still doing it at the footie.

Body language experts say the  reaction is an attempt to make ourselves feel safer, smaller and hidden.

2. The red card is a universal symbol of foul play, first used in the 1970 Mexico World Cup thanks to English referee Ken Aston.

He was inspired by traffic lights, and  introduced colours to communicate decisions between teams who speak different languages.

3. Football chants have their roots in traditional folk songs and story-telling. Experts cite them as a modern example of “blason populaire”, where humorous stereotypes about rivals are invoked to create social cohesion in a group. 

The oldest football song in the world still in use is believed to be On The Ball City, sung by Norwich City fans.

4. Mascots such as Arsenal’s Gunnersaurus owe their existence to a much more highbrow pastime. 

The Oxford English Dictionary lists the first recorded use of “mascotte” in 1880 in a French opera of the same name, about a person being a symbol of good fortune or  “lucky charm”.

5. Playing in a game can be likened to going into battle, so it’s no wonder the Three Lions crest has military roots. English soldiers in the 12th century would carry flags with three gold lions on a red background to inspire them to be brave.

The emblem was adopted by the FA in 1863.

6. In the 19th century  brass bands were hired to entertain crowds during breaks in matches and boost their spirits.

Many stadiums still keep  drums beating in games to this day.

7. It is believed striped scarves started appearing around the 1930s. Traditionally, winter coats were made of dark material, so  fans wore the  accessories in their team’s colours as  a more  practical symbol of support than a rosette or rattle in the colder months. 

GettyTrophies being lifted above players’ heads comes from a photographer asking for a better view of the trophy[/caption]

Hulton Archive – GettyReferees have traffic lights to thank for the colour of red and yellow cards[/caption]

8. Wearing football shirts was the preserve of the players until the 1973-74 season, when the brand Admiral sold the first replica shirt, for Leeds United.

Teams such as  Liverpool today make £113million  a year from kit and merchandise sales.

9. Numbers from one to 11 were first added to the backs of shirts to identify players’ positions when Arsenal played Sheffield Wednesday at home in 1928.

Since the 1954 World Cup they have gradually  evolved so players have their own  numbers which often have no bearing on their position. Some are  a “lucky” or significant number.

10. Singing Abide With Me before the FA Cup Final dates back to  1927, when Cardiff beat Arsenal 1-0.

The hymn, written in 1847 by Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte as he was dying of TB, reminds the two sides to stay united, even in defeat.

11. Whoever wins the 2024 Euros, you can guarantee the captain will celebrate by lifting the silverware in the air.

This triumphant gesture began by accident at the 1958 World Cup, when Brazil skipper Hilder-aldo Bellini heard photographers call for a better view of the Jules Rimet Trophy and held it up.

AlamyThe three lions on the England shirt have a military origin[/caption]