‘Difference in support has nothing to do with bigotry’

‘For Scotland it’s an achievement, for England it is expected’

AS a good Scottish football fan I support two teams Scotland and whoever is playing England.

Actually, there’s a wee bit more to it than that I was born in England, and could justifiably shout for the land of my birth too, although I have never felt the need. The reason for this has nothing to do with any bigotry despite being a Helensburgh lass, her Ladyship is English, but house trained.

My reason for not shouting for England has nothing to do with nationalism and everything to do with their media, their fans and their management of expectations or lack of it.

For Scotland, reaching a major like this summer’s Euros in Germany is achievement itself. Getting beyond the group stages would be like lifting the cup. For England, qualification is expected, and once that line has been crossed, the usual vapid trope is rolled out that football is coming home and England will win the tournament.

Forgive me if I don’t engage with any of this. And when they do implode, as they invariably do, I fight the schadenfreude and wonder if a little more English humility at the start might have made the whole thing more palatable.

As it is, like most Scotland fans, I enjoy the moment, because we have a side bet on Germany, Italy or France, whose steely determination and professionalism means they don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when it matters most, like the English do.

Which takes me to the sartorial question and the agonies this week over the temerity of Nike, who took it upon themselves to change the colours of the St George’s Cross emblazoned on the back of the collar of the England shirt for the tournament.

Whatever the whys and wherefores of this whole imbroglio are, it has certainly made people talk about it and generate publicity money couldn’t buy. Mind you, with shirts selling at £125 a pop, Nike can well afford to buy anything.

I look forward to Scotland’s participation in the Euros, with the expectation only that we don’t disgrace ourselves and that however far we get, we have achieved something.

When I was a kid, Scotland qualified time and again for the majors. Not so today. I tell anyone who will listen, and many who won’t, that I actually watched Scotland in the flesh at not one but two World Cups.

And I honestly don’t mind if England win the tournament, although I don’t think they will, except that we’ll hear about it for evermore, à la 1966.

And when talking about the kit, given how the England team bottles it at the worst possible moment, I fully expect the new shirt to also have a yellow streak down the back.