England have been defeated in their efforts to win the World Cup 2018 by Croatia. Well done to Croatia and well done to the English heroes that got so far and inspired a nation. There were questionable decisions as well as foul play all the way through the tournament to all teams, not just England but the past is the past and I have a point to make so on I go.
The Three Lions, one of the greatest symbols known to the English. A symbol of pride, passion, strength and hope but sadly not of glory.

I don’t see English international football (or any football for that matter) as a game to win, I see it as a time to be a bit tribal and let some primal instincts take over. You stand by your team. Because of Skinner, Baddiel and Lightning Seeds there is even a rallying cry for the Three Lions that every Englishman should know ‘It’s coming home!’. It’s a truthful song singing about how not much is expected of the English team anymore but one line of that song shows what the Three Lions are all about. “Never stopped me dreaming”.

That beautiful line as well as how the people have been acting shows the real meaning of the Three Lions symbol. Hope, dreams and community. England is a divided nation and the world is facing war, disease, famine and Brexit but while all this is going on people could look to the Three Lions and see a better future to come. While England are winning everyone is uplifted by anything to do with the Three Lions and in the time that the World Cup has England in it the country is a better place to live.

Symbols that can hold their meaning for a long time are some of the most important and powerful pieces of art ever. The Three Lions comes all the way from King Richard the Lionheart who fought in The Crusades, even then hope, strength and unity were the ideas that the people rallied behind as they stood by the man who wore the Three Lions.

So the day England lost in the World Cup 2018 was far, far away from being a bad day, it preserves the meaning of the Three Lions, keeps the hope alive. It also teaches us that no matter how well things are going things could still go wrong at any point. England is a nation that often seems to be run on disappointment but the Three Lions give hope of better things.

The legacy of the Three Lions is one of defeat and past glories but also of hope and a better future which is perfect for all of England. The legacy goes on and I don’t know how I’d feel if it has changed. There’s an identity here which was preserved by a great team giving their all and making England a better, more hopeful place.

Whether it’s true or not I can proudly say “It’s coming home!” and I never will stop dreaming (any dream, even if not football related).

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Picture of Three Lions badge found on footiemagic.blogspot.com

Picture of King Richard found on themidievalera.wikispaces.com