Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell will be sick as a parrot tonight.
England v Trinidad and Tobago might have been a game of two halves. But Sven's men came out on top - dashing McConnell's hopes that the Auld Enemy would suffer a humiliating defeat.
The First Minister won few friends south of the border by declaring his support for the Caribbean country over his fellow Brits. But McConnell's stance is not unusual. We Celts are tempted to shout for 'anyone but England'. Call it churlishness, call it immaturity if you like. (If we're honest with ourselves, there's some truth in these accusations.)
McConnell's Welsh counterpart, Rhodri Morgan's comment was far more canny. Rhodri's spokesperson said, "The First Minister is a keen football fan and wants to see the best team win. He would be very happy if the best team is England."
Sport is tribal - and the English are as tribal as anyone when it comes to football. Think back just a month, when Arsenal faced Barcelona in the European Cup final. North London was divided, as Spurs fans cheered Spain over England. Perhaps McConnell's honesty reflects the reality of the game...
See Scotsman Magnus Linklater's thoughts at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1062-2224327,00.html
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