what with the world cup, these blasted flags are everywhere.
the flag originated in the first crusade where crusaders of all nationalities wore the cross. in the first crusade all wore a red cross, though in subsequent crusades the colour varied:
In the first crusade all wore red; in the third, the French alone preserved that colour, while green crosses were adopted by the Flemings, and white by the English. Yet in England the red ever appears the favourite, and , as it were, the national colour of our military ensigns and uniforms.
So there you have it from Gibbon (who else). We should be hoisting a white flag. (Though not, perhaps, until we face Germany in the later stages).
