SCOTTISH Secretary Douglas Alexander has urged Scots to back England against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, saying Scottish fans should be “bigger” than being “anti-English”.
The England-Argentina World Cup semi-final will kick off at 8pm on Wednesday, July 15, with a place against Spain in the final on July 19 on the line.
Scottish Labour’s Western Isles MP Torcuil Crichton raised the game in the Commons, asking if those “on the SNP benches will find it in their hearts to put political division aside at 8 o'clock tonight”.
Referencing the only time England have won the World Cup in 1966, Crichton went on: “I did not come of age in times of the 1960s, 1966 World Cup finals, but the older boys in my primary school were all nicknamed after the England World Cup squad. So we had Nobby Stiles and Charlton in our Scottish playground.
“That's a Hebridean example of respect and rivalry.”
He asked the Scottish Secretary if he agreed that there is “always room for friendly rivalry with neighbouring nations, but [not] bringing politics into football”.
Alexander responded: “There's a serious point to start the answer, which is I've always believed to be pro-Scottish, you don't need to be anti-English. We should be bigger and more generous than that.
“We're all immensely proud of Steve Clarke, of Andy Robertson, and the achievement of getting to the World Cup, but I think we could look across the North Sea to Norway for a demonstration of grace in circumstances in which they left the tournament.
“Be assured, I wish our friends, our neighbours, and our sometimes-rivals well this evening at 8 o'clock.”
SNP MP Pete Wishart responded later: "I think most of us want England knocked out now so that all these absurd and pitiful appeals to support them will finally end...."
The England-Argentina game was frequently mentioned in the Commons on Wednesday, with outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying at the opening of his final PMQs that he had an important appointment "with the television at 8 o'clock".
SNP MP Lara Bird has previously faced abuse from her Westminster colleagues for saying that she would not be supporting England in the World Cup.
