Football News

“IT’S coming home” are the words etched into every football fan’s heart, but for Frank Skinner they feel very tired indeed.

The comic has had enough of 1996’s Three Lions anthem and hopes a new group of supporters will take up the mantle and release a fresh England footie song.

“We’ve squeezed all the blood out of that stone now, and we’ve squeezed it hard,” Frank joked. “We’ve had a really good run.

“I feel the song is done really. We did a Christmas version for the last World Cup, and it wasn’t a sizzling Yuletide success.

“It’s time for someone else to come up with a new tune. Surely the FA have got someone else lined up already.”

The Lightning Seeds songwriter Ian Broudie composed the tune for the 1996 UEFA European Championship, which England was hosting.

He asked Frank, 67, and comic partner David Baddiel, 59, to write the lyrics as they were presenters on TV series, Fantasy Football League.

Since the release, it has become a staple for fans and regularly gets sung at games across the globe when the Lions and Lionesses are playing.

The single, which twice topped the UK music charts, has sold over 1.6million since its release, and is certified platinum. It also charted in Europe, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and Scotland.

However, their Christmas version ahead of the 2022 World Cup only reached No20 in the charts, which Frank felt spelled the end of its 24-year reign as the best known footie chant.

Looking back at the initial success, Frank said: “I thought it would go to No1 because it’s a great tune, but I didn’t think it would last as long as it has. Football anthems always did well back then.

“I certainly didn’t expect fans to sing it in the stand and things like that. Or that it would keep coming back every year like a