English RoseFootball Supporters' Federation

It began in 1872, on a cold field in Glasgow — the first international football match the world had ever seen. On that day, the England team took to the pitch wearing an emblem that would come to define generations: three lions within a shield, a reflection of England’s ancient coat of arms. The lions were navy blue, their eyes and mouths marked in red — small sparks of life in a symbol of quiet strength.

Decades later, in 1949, the emblem was given new form. The College of Arms redesigned it, scattering ten Tudor Roses around the lions — perhaps a nod to the ten regional divisions of the Football Association, each a voice in the game’s growing chorus. It was a simple change, yet it transformed the badge. The lions stood for courage and tradition; the roses, for unity and renewal. Together, they became something greater — a crest that held both history and hope.

Since that day, the emblem has remained a constant — worn by those who carry England’s story with every match played and every anthem sung. Now, as the team once again takes its place on Europe’s stage, we offer The English Rose: our reimagining of that enduring mark. It is a tribute to belonging, to the quiet power of roots, and to the idea that no matter how far one travels, the heart remembers where it began.

“No matter where I roam,
I will return to my English rose.
For no bonds can ever tempt me from she.”
— The Jam