1000 Jokes Magazine #44, Fall 1947, p. 48. German football (soccer) player: “We’ve beaten you at your national game!” English player’s response: “That may be. But we’ve beaten you at yours!”
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20210503/282205128750034
Daily Mail, 30 July 1966
We have already twice beaten the Germans at their national game
By Vincent Mulchrone
[“If the Germans beat us at our national game today, we can always console ourselves with the fact that we have twice beaten them at theirs.”]
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/iron-lady-s-joking-aside-2vd3t79ss
The Times [London], 24 August 2019
THE TIMES DIARY
Iron lady’s joking aside
Jack Blackburn
Ken Clarke has the right attitude to funny but dubious stories. The broadcaster Iain Dale once asked him if it was true that, after England’s exit from the 1990 World Cup, Margaret Thatcher wanted to know why her ministers were glum. “The Germans have beaten us at our national sport,” Clarke supposedly replied.
“Don’t worry about that,” she said. “We’ve beaten them twice this century at theirs.” Clarke was disappointed, saying he had no recollection of this. “But,” he said, “it’s so good, I’m going to adopt it.” […]