England accused of 'stealing' St George's flag and 'owing millions in unpaid fines'
England have been accused of “stealing” the St George’s flag from an Italian city.
Last week the St George’s Cross design on the new England kit was criticised by both the prime minister, Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer.
In the new design, worn by both the men's and women’s teams, Nike takes creative licence with the cross by adding light blue, navy and purple to the traditional red.
Of course, it is by no means the first ‘flag row’ England have been involved in in recent years.
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Back in 2018, the city of Genoa demanded that England pay back centuries of unpaid fees for stealing its famous St George's flag.
Civic leaders of the Italian city even thought of writing to the Queen at the time to ensure the country paid off its outstanding 250-year-old debt, believed to run into the millions.
Genoa first adopted the flag and St George as its patron saint in 1190 during the Crusades, with the city then a fearsome maritime republic.
The red and white cross was then adopted by the English at the back end of the 13th century, to be flown by its navy to deter enemies from attacking and to scare off pirates.
The English agreed to pay a "substantial" annual fee to Genoa’s rules for the right to fly the flag and trade at their ports. However, payment stopped when the republic collapsed years later.
England went on to adopt the cross as its national flag and it has since become synonymous with the country.
However, the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci said in 2018, via the Sun: “We believe the English paid up until 1746, when the Austrians attacked Genoa and the republic faded. That means we are owed over 250 years of back payments.”
“We are scouring the city archives to find the bills. Instead of cash, we could ask England to restore one of our old palaces or make a donation to charity.”
Bucci later admitted that he was only half serious, adding: "Let’s say it would be a great marketing exercise for the city.”
Chris Byfield