A Big Riddy

A BIG riddy - the ultimate fear of the average West of Scotland male. It might be something to do with Calvinistic condemnation, but opur worst fear is apparently that we sorely embarrass ourselves.

Our national football team has been our surrogate embarrassments for years, but just occasionally, the Tartan Army has to show their hapless heroes how to be embarrassing - as they managed in spades on Tuesday night.

OK, when I was young and stupid, I did occasionally sit down during the playing of God Save the Queen, thinking it an "English" tune - then I read the history and realised the error of my ways.

I suppose I'm a Royalist, preferring HM the Queen to an alternative such as President Blair, President Benn or President Archer or Ashdown, seeing as we've got a Con-Lib British government. Hell, I even like the Duke of Rothesay.

I will stand for GSTQ when a British team is playing, but I sure as hell won't when it is being used as England's anthem. The continued use of GSTQ when it is "England's anthem" gies me the dry boak.

For a start, it's not that great a tune, look at what they might have as an alternative, particularly the tune which is often held up as the "true" English anthem - Jerusalem, marvellous tune with good lyrics.

Also, I think the English still use it because they know it gets up our noses, it's a continued form of English arrogance, keeping the "sweaties" in their place.

For these reasons, I could understand, but not condone, booing GSTQ - if England were playing.

But to boo the tune, when it is clearly being used by another nation, and after the fact the Liechtenstein anthem used that particular tune had been fairly-well flagged-up in the papers pre-match....

How thick can some Tartan Army footsoldiers be?

Big Riddies all round chaps -must do better.

Same message goes to players and management by the way.