GARETH AND HIS BOYS ARE ADMIRABLE, A CREDIT TO THEIR NATION... IT’S JUST A SHAME ABOUT THE PUNDITS!
NOW Scotland’s foray in the Euro 2020 finals is over, the Tartan Army can go back to cheering on their spiritual homeland. The mystical state of ABE (Anyone But England) is football’s very own Brigadoon. You won’t find it anywhere on a map. It’s a state with no King or Queen, no president, no seat at the United Nations and no way of flying there.
It only appears through a mist of green envy every two years when the English national football team make it to the second week of the Euros or the World Cup. Usually when Scotland are long gone.
The population of ABE is a rich multi-cultural group. One minute they’re speaking German and firing penalties past David Seaman in a sudden death shootout.
Other times they’re using the Hand of God to punch the ball into the net in Mexico. In 2016, they even turned up in Iceland strips and inflicted humiliation on the Three Lions.
As the name suggests, it doesn’t especially matter who does the damage; it can be anyone. So long as they’re playing England they can be sure of the support of every touchy Scot with a chip on both shoulders.
None of this is new or out of the ordinary. Football rivalry exists everywhere and fans south of the border are no great lovers of Scotland either.
But here’s the thing. You’d go a long way to find a more engaging group of pros than the men who currently manage or play for England.
They deserve so much better than some of the right-wing thugs who attach themselves to the national team.
Not just because of the way they play football for their club and country. How they conduct themselves off the pitch is a lesson to us all.
Gareth Southgate’s Dear England open letter to the nation before the Euros was an outstanding piece of writing.
His players were reminded of the privilege they enjoy every time they pull the shirt over their head.
He implored them to act with humility and act as role models for the young by speaking out on issues such as equality and racial injustice.
Southgate wants his players to use their profile and voice to educate and connect with supporters and be a force for good.
No one takes that advice to heart more than Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United forward who embarrassed the British government into feeding hungry kids.
Or Raheem Sterling, the 26-year-old winger who launched a foundation aimed at helping disadvantaged young people find university scholarships and work placements. Or Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool captain who led the campaign to raise £4million for the NHS from Premier League Players.
When Scots want England’s national team to fail, then, it has absolutely nothing to do with the management and players representing their country with distinction. The irritation stems from elsewhere. You can only imagine the spike in SNP membership numbers every time Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer wear their ignorance of other nations as a badge of honour. Know absolutely nothing about North Macedonia, lads? Never mind, laugh it off and talk about England.
After finishing a piece on Scotland vs Croatia for this newspaper on Monday night, the TV was switched on just in time to catch some half-time analysis of Belgium playing Finland.
Any hope of a scoreline or some highlights was quashed in the forensic analysis of England’s hopes against the Czech Republic the next night. Scotland were due to play their biggest game in a generation and didn’t merit a mention. Poor Belgium and Finland — the teams actually playing — didn’t get a look in.
When Group F reached a thrilling climax on Wednesday evening, the terrific action served up by Germany, Hungary, France and Portugal only seemed to get in the way of the main issue. What did it all mean for England?
So it is, then, that Euro 2020 has become the usual test of resolve.
Every World Cup and European Championships begins with a vow to resist petty, small-minded thinking and wish England well. Whatever happens, to be the bigger and better man.
And it was all going so well until BBC co-commentator Jermaine Jenas claimed England might have problems beating Germany because they hadn’t played anyone decent yet.
On the evidence of the 0-0 draw against Scotland at Wembley last week, they can count themselves lucky.
With sincere apologies to Gareth Southgate and a terrific group of players, then, the next two weeks could be spent like so many over the last 30 years. Waiting for Anyone But England to win the penalty shootout.