Scotland ‘saved from an England win’; that’s not racist, it’s rational

Ahead of the Euro 2024 final the Scottish National newspaper came out – much to the predictable outrage of many – in support of Spain in a rather clumsy, mocking way: ‘Save us from an England win’ with a graphic conflating a typical sort of bloated England fan with a football.

It was easily ignored as cartoonish; it was crude in a typical tabloid way and played to the paper’s independence audience and I’m guessing was supposed to be taken as half a crap joke, albeit one rooted in general sentiment. It should have been easily ignored.

But it was taken seriously as a racist diatribe. Cue predictable English outrage. What is this ignorant xenophobia? How dare you not support England? And how dare you take the pish out of the English?

Some from England don’t realise how awfully England, the country, is regarded and how arrogant it’s often perceived to be. The whole of Europe apparently wanted Spain to win. Seriously, many regard England as a third-rate bully of a nation who pathetically has sold off most of its natural assets for the profit of a few, on the back of popular ignorance, instead of investing in them for the future, wedded to being servile and cap-doffing to an undeserving aristocracy. Stupid enough to vote to impose economic sanctions on itself. Safe to say others just feel sorry for the people and its well-documented flirtations with fascism and neo-liberal conservatism.

The way many football fans treat Gareth Southgate, a man of great reservoirs of decency and forbearance, only proves people’s negative perceptions of the football culture. Critics appear adrift from reality to neutral observers.

As most of you know, I am from Teesside but have lived in Scotland for many years and love it. I have to tell you, this Scottish antipathy to England’s team is not a rare thing. Most people wanted England to lose. But not with the bitterness and animosity often assumed in England.

In case you don’t know, Scotland has been ruled from England since the 18th century. It’s been systematically drained of its resources and its population abused and displaced. This isn’t opinion, it’s the history of oil, industry and the clearances. If you see 7/84’s play, ‘The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil’ played out in village halls all across the country 50 years ago, you will already understand this.

These things go DNA deep. Scots feel bullied or disrespected by England on a micro and macro level and you can bet if history was reversed the English would feel equally bitter. It isn’t xenophobic bigotry, or racist, though Scotland suffers from both and has its fair share of sectarianism; that would suggest the attitude has no root in reality, when it absolutely does. To know your history is to know about Scottish exploitation and English neglect. This gears the attitude when it comes to football.

MORE ON ENGLAND IN EURO 2024 FINAL FROM F365

👉 16 Conclusions on England losing the Euro 2024 final: Southgate out, Kane abysmal, Rice poor, drop Walker

👉 England player ratings: Kane anonymous and still trophyless, Rice exposed, Pickford brilliant

👉 Southgate sack looms as Spain and ineffective Kane prevent ‘joke’ England Euro 2024 win

Only those with the most extreme levels of English exceptionalism demand that a foreign nation supports them and that is exactly why Spain were supported in that dumb front page, albeit via various crude English tourist cliches which, let’s be honest, are often grounded in truth, though it’s true of some Scots too.

I don’t know if it was a sensible thing to put on your front page, but it was a pish-take as much as anything. It did feel old-fashioned and unnecessary but dislike of England, though not the English as individuals (whose press is guilty of similar front pages) is endemic, so it wasn’t totally out of touch with common opinion.

Tomorrow’s front page 🗞️

Our message to Spain ahead of Euro 2024 final 👀👇 pic.twitter.com/8M3RFiypjk

— The National (@ScotNational) July 12, 2024

Also, Scots fear England banging on about winning something forever, as they have done since 1966, despite volubly hating and even booing some players, or throwing cups at the manager, as well as hurling unparalleled levels of vitriol, which is ironic to say the least. England needs to take a telling. English football is in no position to take any high ground.

Even endlessly bleating ‘it’s coming home’ feels oppressive and misplaced, a total cliche as you might say ‘home’ is actually Scotland, where football didn’t originate, but the early days of the passing game were developed and Scotland was where the first cup games were played. You’d never know that now as England parks its tent on football’s lawn. It feels like England just swamps and occupies everything, to this day, to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.

Add in the boorish xenophobic behaviour of some fans and England are often easy to dislike. In fact many English people would actually agree. It’s also the case that Scotland has a vibrant football culture of its own with an attendance which is the highest per capita in Europe. No matter that internationally they are some shade of hopeless. That makes it all the more remarkable that the leagues are so popular. So a foreign league endlessly flattered by a supine media, with a ridiculously monied model, trying to tell Scots to support them or at least not mock them, is a hopeless cause.

The idea, which some England fans profess, that they support Scotland, so it should be reciprocated, is just stupid, as it ignores the geo-political situation and power structures. It feels like a misogynist complaining that women don’t like him.

This is an actual country. Half of the nation craves to be independent of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and considers that to be an unexceptional demand, entirely normal and democratic, and are oppressed by not being granted a referendum again and having to ask ‘permission’ to have one at all. In a situation like that, expecting anything other than a degree of hostility when it comes to something as trivial as football is natural.

If you’re English, you don’t ask a foreign power to support the football team and feel aggrieved if they don’t, do you? Maybe you do. Well don’t expect Scotland to, pal. All these people professing love for everyone, well done, but it sure doesn’t feel like it from here, as much as you like coming to Scotland on holiday, to buy your second homes and send media professionals to the Edinburgh fringe.

Of course there are Scots who do support England out of loyalty to the UK. Some would have you believe most are Rangers supporters, I don’t really know. But most people’s hostility to England is quietly held and not shouted about. It’s important to realise it isn’t a hatred of the English as individuals, but the state. Opposition is held proudly, a badge of identity. If you don’t care or agree, fair enough, but you can’t deny it exists.

It would be nice to think that some who are resident in England completely understand the Scottish position and appreciate the power imbalance, but don’t forget some loved Scotland so much and had such concerns for its welfare, that they imposed Brexit on us, when we didn’t vote for it. Imagine how that feels. Powerless. Our vote meant nothing. That makes many feel bitter and illustrates a broader situation. A foreign government imposing a decision on this nation. That’s more concerning than a stupid, cliched front page, taking the pish.

If anyone can be excused for having a chip on their shoulder, it’s the people who live here. So routinely ignored and exploited, imposed upon and experimented on by governments for hundreds of years, who all the while tell the country it has its best interests at heart and co-opts locals to their oppressive ways. You think the people should be grateful?

Scotland isn’t without its serious problems and flaws, no one would deny that, and England’s implicated – at least to some degree – in those. So don’t expect Scotland to generally feel affection for a foreign country when it’s shown them disrespect so many times.

You wouldn’t expect Roy Keane to celebrate an England win or goal and he’s not criticised for not doing so, so don’t expect Scotland to.

Anyone but England. That shouldn’t be so hard to grasp, should it? Some hate the English per se, but not many. We are welcomed here. More hate English football culture and how it arrogantly dominates and shouts about itself loudly, like it’s more important than anyone and anything. And so do many English people too, by the way. It’s the oldest national sporting rivalry in the world for feck’s sake, so stop your sobbing.

MORE ON ENGLAND IN EURO 2024 FINAL FROM F365

👉 16 Conclusions on England losing the Euro 2024 final: Southgate out, Kane abysmal, Rice poor, drop Walker

👉 England player ratings: Kane anonymous and still trophyless, Rice exposed, Pickford brilliant

👉 Southgate sack looms as Spain and ineffective Kane prevent ‘joke’ England Euro 2024 win