The England men’s football team are playing in their first tournament final since 1966 tomorrow night, with the nation urging the squad to – you’ve guessed it – bring it home.
However, it appears some of those north of the border are less than enthusiastic about a potentially historic win for England against Italy.
Step forward pro-Scottish independence newspaper The National, which made their feelings abundantly clear with a very cheeky front page for Saturday’s issue.
The Glasgow-based paper used an image of Italian manager Roberto Mancini superimposed onto William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the1995 film, Braveheart. Wallace triumphed over the English in the late-13th century.
Today's front page: Save us Roberto, you're our final hope! pic.twitter.com/fezSta4ohE
— The National (@ScotNational) July 10, 2021
“Save us Roberto, you’re our final hope,” the headline read. At the bottom in brackets, the paper referenced England’s last final win at the 1966 World Cup: “We can’t take another 55 years of them banging on about this.”
Even the “O” in The National at the top is filled in green, white and red – the colours of the Italian flag.
Of course, the bold front page caused a stir on Twitter.
Some England fans were less than impressed, with some even branding it as “bigotry.”
God the National are so bitter aren’t they? https://t.co/AbFDl2wqYD
— Mohammed Shafiq (@mshafiquk) July 9, 2021
Wow. Scot Nats hatred of the English laid bare. Is this anti English bigotry the official position of the @theSNP, @NicolaSturgeon? https://t.co/lrPeBCsmgH
— Gary Rumbell (@GaryRumbell) July 10, 2021
This kind of crap is why we bang on about our successes, guys.
— Ashley 🏴 (@AshTreees) July 9, 2021
So embarrassing 🤦🏽♀️ English football living in the Scots heads rent free. https://t.co/rSJDN8VdDf
— Caroline Driscoll🤍 (@CDriscoll99) July 10, 2021
This is beyond embarrassing 🙄🤦🏽♂️ England should win just to stick it to Scotland. Honestly. https://t.co/34NMEkvyl2
— s 🏴🏴 (@sgrover99) July 9, 2021
Sad. If this is what Scottish nationalism is really about I feel really sorry for you. https://t.co/aKhC3nouaA
— Prof Colin Talbot (@colinrtalbot) July 9, 2021
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray slammed the newspaper, describing the front page as “blatant anti Englishness” and “totally embarrassing.”
This isn’t harmless football rivalry but blatant anti Englishness. Totally embarrassing. To all my English family and friends - This isn’t Scotland. https://t.co/0ovvbJfONQ
— Ian Murray MP (@IanMurrayMP) July 9, 2021
Though others – even some English fans – were able to find the humour in them wanting England to lose, with some describing it as “tongue in cheek”.
I think it’s tongue in cheek very funny 😄
— John the Baptist (@JerryMu11944843) July 9, 2021
— Jack 🏴 (@jack_mase95) July 9, 2021
This is very funny and people shouldn't take offence, it's football, it's pantomime, get over it. https://t.co/lwZhQy2XGA
— Marlon Solomon (@supergutman) July 9, 2021
Personally, I think this "Save Us Roberto" National front-page is funny & could be taken as tongue-in-cheek and self-aware (I think) https://t.co/dl2EwkcTr2
— Sunder Katwala (@sundersays) July 9, 2021
this is quite funny and ironic, but It’s Coming Home is also quite funny and ironic - we have to accept that England football does crazy things to English media - but also to Scottish media, it’s a Ying/yang thing. https://t.co/8YqCT7ekGT
— Timothy Wild (@WildTimothy) July 10, 2021
I absolutely, unapologetically love all this shit. Not just from Scotland but from everybody else. The levels of pettiness are off the charts and I cannot blame them at all. I would be all over it if the roles were reversed. It’s just great fun 😂 https://t.co/PgEvjFNhgj
— Matt Eddy (@matteddy04) July 9, 2021
Italians also shared their appreciation for the Scottish support ahead of the match.
We’ll be coming down the road 🇮🇹 #Wembley https://t.co/jLTF9ocaWm
— Fabio Tumminello (@TumminelloFabio) July 10, 2021
It was a joke lads https://t.co/4YYjUldlWo
— Tam sellic son (@TamsellicsonIII) July 9, 2021
Giornale scozzese: #Mancini come William Wallace
— Simone Fausti (@Simofausti) July 10, 2021
Amazing 🏴🇮🇹#Scotland #ItaliaInghilterra #ita #ITAENG #Italy #ItalyEngland #EuroFinal #EURO2020 https://t.co/kE1MKhfjSW
Scotland support a Italy! 🏴🇮🇹#ITAENG #Azzurri #Mancini #EuroFinal #ITA #EURO2020 #VivoAzzurro #Euro2020Final #Scotland #Italy #England pic.twitter.com/RnzBBeu17m
— Baronpower (@Baronpower3) July 10, 2021
But, some Scots also criticised The National’s spread, noting that it doesn’t reflect the views of the whole nation.
As a massive Scotland fan I’m not keen on the idea of England winning as it’s a football rivalry and my mates down south will never let me hear the end of it!
— Ryan Capperauld (@ryancapperauld) July 9, 2021
This, however, is a categoric complete and utter bitter embarrassment to be a front cover of a national newspaper. https://t.co/V1bhiLsaxG
This is pathetic. For football rivalry, I usually want England to be beaten Band get why people won't won't supporting #ENG🏴 tomorrow. Though, this front page shows the level of maturity a lot of Scottish Nationalists have. I get its probably a joke but it's pretty low brow. https://t.co/SR7idxn3t4
— Gary Miller (@garymiller_85) July 10, 2021
caricature Scotland at its finest, slap a haggis and some shortbread on that front cover then you’ve nailed what the world thinks of us https://t.co/aPmHK0ND8z
— James Donaldson (@thejamesdon) July 9, 2021
I was born in Scotland. I was brought up in Northern Ireland. I will be supporting Italy. But this is a really embarrassing front page. https://t.co/hqXcoP9sac
— Neil Morrow (@mrneilmorrow) July 10, 2021
Elsewhere, others pointed out the irony of the paper moaning about still having to listen to England’s 1966 win when the front page is of Wallace – who died a very long time ago.
The National: “really wish they’d stop banging on about something that happened in 1966”
— Madeline Grant 🇭🇰 (@Madz_Grant) July 10, 2021
Also The National: “have some of that 1290s energy, you bastards!” https://t.co/Kt5KDEmvsV
Ironic that the paper claims we have been banging on about winning the World Cup for 55 years whilst depicting a bloke who won a battle in a war 725 years ago. https://t.co/09m098YEMg
— Stephen Clark (@clarkyboy72) July 10, 2021
There are people alive in England who remember 1966. You’re still going on about Braveheart and that happened in 1995, 7 Scottish generations ago.
— (((Sara Gee)))⁷ ✡️ #FBPAZ (@saralikeclara) July 9, 2021
New from the people that banged on about the glorious victory of a 0-0 draw for almost as long as they’ve banged on about the Battle of Bannockburn https://t.co/QLfQTlxYOv
— Alex Bradbury (@AlexJBradbury17) July 9, 2021
The irony of complaining about England mentioning the 66 world cup when Flower of Scotland was written in the 50s about a battle that took place over 700 years ago, while you cover the front page in iconography from that time. https://t.co/AihX4U00dw
— Darran (@DStuck3y) July 10, 2021
Either way, it’s a good publicity stunt – and will no doubt have people talking about it for some time to come.
