“What’s the difference between England and a tea bag? (soccer joke)

A popular joke at the 2010 World Cup, after England’s football (called “soccer” in the United States) team lost, was:
   
“What’s the difference between the England team and a tea bag? The tea bag stays in the cup longer.”
 
The joke originally appeared many years earlier and has been told about many football clubs. “Q. What’s the difference between tha [sic] Australian Cricket team and a teabag? A. A teabag stays in the Cup longer” was cited in print in 1992. “Q: What’s the difference between a teabag and Everton? A: A teabag stays in the cup” was cited in 1996. “What is the difference between an English tea bag and the English football team?? The tea bag stays in the cup longer!” was cited in 1998.
 
     
Google Groups: aus.jokes
REQUEST: People group acronyms (eg. yuppie)
Gareth Davies
3/29/92
World Cup…
Q. What’s the difference between tha Australian Cricket team and a teabag?
A. A teabag stays in the Cup longer.
 
Google Books
Principle & Practice in Applied Linguistics:
Studies in honour of H.G. Widdowson
Edited by Guy Cook
Oxford: Oxford University Press
1996
Pg. 314:
Q: What’s the difference between a teabag and Everton?
A: A teabag stays in the cup.
   
alt.tasteless.jokes
Loads of David Beckham Jokes
Mr Funny Bone
7/19/98
(...)
What is the difference between an English tea bag and the English football team??
The tea bag stays in the cup longer!
 
RangersFansvCelticFans.com
Joke [sent in by Telf 14 by email on 04/10/02]
Question: What’s the difference between Rangers and a teabag?
Answer: A teabag can stay in the cup longer!
 
BBC
March 2003
Forest: the big joke?
(...)
Q:whats the difference between forest and a teabag A:a teabag stays in the cup
anon
 
Euro 2004 jokes
Q: What’s the difference between the England team and a tea-bag?
A: The tea-bag stays in the cup longer.
   
Google Books
You Certainly Couldn’t Make It Up:
Yet More Bizarre-but-True Stories from Around Britain
By Jack Crossley
London: John Blake
2007
Pg. 300:
What’s the difference between the England football team and a tea bag? A tea bag stays in the cup longer.
 
Not PC
MONDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2007
RWC: A few jokes ...
A few jokes to keep you going.
 
Q: What’s the difference between the All Blacks and a teabag?
A: A teabag stays in the cup longer.
 
Twitter
The Joka
‏@thejoka
Q: What’s the difference between England and a tea bag?
A: The tea bag stays in the cup longer.
4:39 AM - 23 Apr 2009
 
Twitter
AD
‏@anaggh
Q: What’s the difference between the England team and a tea-bag?A: The tea-bag stays in the cup longer.
3:01 AM - 8 Sep 2009
 
Twitter
Jeremy Sharpe
‏@Jersha
what’s the difference between England and a teabag? A teabag stays in the cup longer. #hateenglandweek
10:29 AM - 10 Jun 2010
 
The Telegraph (UK)
World Cup 2010: woeful England butt of jokes
England’s woeful performance against Algeria has become the butt of jokes on the internet. Here is a selection of those currently doing the rounds online.
By Patrick Sawer
6:10PM BST 19 Jun 2010
.  What’s the difference between the England team and a tea bag? The tea bag stays in the cup longer.
   
machinequilter
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
British Summer Time
(...)
Speaking of tea, my kids told me this joke this morning; 
“What’s the difference between England and a teabag?”
“A tea bag stays in the cup longer!”
 
Facebook
ENGLAND WORLD CUP JOKES
June 7, 2014 at 3:11am
(...)
8. Q: What’s the difference between England and a tea bag?  A: The tea bag stays in the cup longer.
   
South China Morning Post
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 10 July, 2014, 4:55am UPDATED : Thursday, 10 July, 2014, 6:31am
Solution found for US chicken and egg problem
Howard Winn
(...)
And while we’re on this topic, What’s the difference between England and a teabag? A teabag stays in the cup for longer.