Why proud Scots should now support England

Is it coming home? If it is, don’t expect all the home nations to welcome it. In Scotland, the dismal grunt of ‘Anyone but England’ (ABE) is the balm that soothes our aggrieved wee souls. It’s never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman watching England do well and even the most fleeting flicker of sunshine. Every four years — in fact, anytime England steps onto turf for an international — the worst kind of Scot is to be found cheering on the other side, whomever that happens to be. If the Three Lions drew Hannibal Lecter FC, chianti and fava beans would outsell Tennent’s and square sausages overnight.

These bitter bouts of Wee Man Syndrome might seem connected to the ascendancy of political nationalism north of the border. It’s safe to assume that most Scottish Nationalists will back Croatia next Wednesday. They would have been just as happy to cheer on a Russian victory; after all, they’ve been doing it in Syria for some time now.