Posted on 22nd March 2010
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
Well, who’d’ve thought it? The free fanzine that has become a staple of England fans at matches both home and abroad is celebrating its 100th birthday. From humble beginnings at the European Championships in Belgium and Holland in 2000, we’ve come a long way.
What started life as ‘The Lowdown’ (a clever play on the advice we were giving, as well as the fact the tournament was being held in ‘the low countries’) has now outlasted four England managers (Keegan, Taylor, Eriksson and McClaren). Free Lions is now a key part of the matchday ritual for thousands of England fans.
By way of marking the occasion, we produced a special celebratory issue for the recent friendly against Egypt at Wembley, although don’t go expecting all those extra pages every time!
Issue 100 features articles from the Sunday Mirror’s Brian McNally, a look ahead to the venues England will be visiting in this summer’s World Cup, and some lovely congratulatory messages, including one from Fabio Capello, no less. There’s also a bumper Free Lions 100 question football quiz, featuring our favourite teasers from each previous issue.
The fanzine is now available through our shop for the bargain price of £1, which is just enough to cover our postage and packaging – the essence of Free Lions; that it’s, er, free, still remains.
You know what else is free? Membership of the FSF, so sign up today!
For almost 25 years now, the Free Lions team have been following England home and away providing England fans with on-the-ground support and information through our Fans’ Embassy service. They’re no strangers to the controversies surrounding the Three Lions’ support and today have issued the following comment on the pre-match booing of the England players before their fixture against Romania…
England are back on the road this week as they head off to the principality of Andorra for their World Cup qualifying campaign – and the Free Lions Fans’ Embassy team will be on hand to help fans making the trip.
England are back on the road this coming weekend as their World Cup qualifying campaign continues – this time against the small nation state of San Marino.
England are back on the road this coming week as their Nations League campaign continues – this time against our old rivals Germany.
