bulge the onion bag
A wonderfully evocative piece of British football (soccer) slang for scoring a goal.
Definitions
A wonderfully evocative piece of British football (soccer) slang for scoring a goal. The 'onion bag' is the net of the goal — it looks like a string onion bag — and to 'bulge' it is to hit the back of the net hard enough that it puffs out satisfyingly. The phrase is beloved by football commentators and fans alike for its vivid, almost sensory quality; it captures not just the fact of a goal but the physical thrill of the ball slamming into the back of the net.
He latched onto a through ball in the 89th minute and finally bulged the onion bag to level the scores.
Comments
(UK, soccer, slang) To score a goal.
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Semantically related
- bulge in the onion bag96%
Bulge in the onion bag is a vivid British football expression for scoring a goal — 'the onion bag' being old slang for the net. When a striker smashes the ball into the back of the net and the mesh billows out dramatically, that's the bulge. The phrase is pure football commentator energy: colourful, expressive, and quintessentially British. You're most likely to hear it on a Saturday afternoon sports show or shouted in a pub when the home side finally scores.
- bulge in the onion bag94%
(UK, slang, soccer) A goal (scored).
- onion bag82%
(UK, soccer, slang) The goal net.
- bagsman71%
British football (soccer) slang for a prolific goal scorer — a player who reliably 'bags' goals. The term comes from the verb 'to bag' (to score), and implies consistent, reliable finishing rather than a one-off performance. It's an affectionate, punchy piece of football commentary vocabulary, used by fans, pundits, and journalists alike. A 'bagsman' is someone you count on to put the ball in the net — the kind of striker whose goal tally justifies their transfer fee.