Flying the flag

I was at Hampden on Thursday night. I went half- expecting to see Scotland batter Slovakia for 89 minutes then lose

their chance of qualification to a sucker last-minute goal as so often happens, most recently against Poland and Italy.

Instead, we saw a team of disciplined, determined Scots wear down an excellent Slovak side with skill, energy, aggression, pride and a professionalism that was rewarded by an 89th-minute goal. The Hampden Roar was back, louder even, it seemed, than the 137,438 crowd at the Scotland-england game I saw as a boy in 1970.

It was fantastic, and many of the crowd stayed cheering long after the end.

This was the real Scotland, and yet paradoxically there were hardly any Saltires or Lions Rampant being waved, unlike the sea of flags in the glory days. It’s almost as if the supporters do not want to be associated by regalia that has been hijacked by the nationalists.

Instead, I actually saw a Catalan flag being waved. A metaphor for the decline of the SNP, I hope.

See you at the final in Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow! ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven

The SNP are falling over themselves to express solidarity with those in Catalonia – probably not the majority – who support separation from Spain.

The crass actions of the Spanish state, of course, are a total own-goal against those who support the unity of the Spanish state.

Those readers of a leftward persuasion may be interested to note that the Catalan Socialist Party are opposed to separation.

Those readers who were not aware of it previously will know from Willy Maley’s excellent article about his father’s participation in the Spanish Civil War, on the side of the Republicans, that the International Brigade members who took up arms against Franco’s Fascist forces were largely socialists and the large Scottish contingent comprised many supporters of the Labour Party as well as some Communists.

Franco’s lot were, of course, known as Nationalists.

HENRY KINLOCH Campbell Park Crescent, Edinburgh