Border Telegraph | News | England 3 - Germany 1

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Thursday, 1st June, 2006 13:51

England 3 - Germany 1 - Not bovvered 1

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

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PICTURE the scene. Berlin, July 9. The World Cup Final.

After trailing Brazil for most of the game, England have been awarded a penalty in the last minute.

Wayne Rooney, who has recovered from a broken foot in time to hammer a hat-trick past Germany in the semi-finals, steps up to take it.

Millions of eyes are fixed on the young striker. If he scores, England have the chance to repeat their 1966 glory and carry off the ultimate prize in world football. If he misses, it’s all over. A nation holds its breath.

But the nation holding its breath isn’t England. It’s us.

Maybe it’s just as well that Scotland have failed to qualify for this summer’s football festival in Germany. It might have interfered with our real national sporting passion – wanting England to lose.

Scotland’s First Minister, Jack McConnell, nailed his colours firmly to the mast last week when he said he would not be supporting England at the World Cup.

His fellow Scot and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, will be in England’s corner, after announcing his intention to cheer Sven’s boys on to glory.

But what do people in the Borders think?

The Border Telegraph, armed with a St George cross in one hand and a box of mouldy tomatoes in the other, went to find out.

And if the leader of our country isn’t going to support England, where better a place to start than the leader of Scottish Borders Council, David Parker?

He said: “Yes I will be supporting England in the World Cup. It is good to see that they are there and I will definitely be supporting them when they play their games.

“I just enjoy football and I am a football fan. I follow the English Premiership, and at the end of the day they have a good squad and good players.

“They are one of the home nations, and it’s good for the Scottish game at UK level if teams are playing well.

“One thing I will say is that I will probably turn the commentary down on the TV.”

But what do politicians know about football anyway?

Fraser Lothian is a real football man. He has just led Selkirk Football Club into the East of Scotland Premier Division, making them the only Borders team in the top flight next season.

He said: “I am not fussed, but I won’t be supporting them. You know what it is like. It is just the commentators that go on about it.

“To be honest I am not against them, but I am not for them either. I’m not really fussed how they get on.

“I would like to see them get quite far, and we all watch English football, but I am not too fussy, really.

“Having said that, I am a Hibs supporter, and I wouldn’t support Hearts, so you could say the same for Scotland and England.”

Hmmm. Maybe we will get stronger views from a Scot with closer links with England.

Richard Nisbet has been artistic director of Shakespeare at Traquair for the past 11 years.

Involving himself in a lifetime association with England’s greatest ever writer, an internationally recognised symbol of Englishness, surely Richard will be hanging out the bunting if Sven’s men bring home the trophy?

Apparently not.

He said: “First of all I am a great supporter of football, so I want to see great football.

“Yes Shakespeare is known as being English, but he is also respected throughout the world, as Burns is.

“I personally will be supporting good football, but wouldn’t it be nice to see England lose. Hail on Germany and Argentina!

“I can’t speak for my fellow people involved in Shakespeare, and we have Italians, Poles, Dutch and Americans here, so we are fairly worldly. Personally I like a few of the English players, but I can’t stand the media.

“I will probably be supporting Germany because I have a good friend in Berlin.”

Well if England can’t get any charity from a scholar of the Bard, maybe they will have to look to a higher source for compassionate support.

Michael Scouler is minister at Earlston parish church. But would a man of the cloth turn his back on the prayers of millions of English fans?

He said: “I will support England. I am married to an Englishwoman, and that might have something to do with it.

“But I have no great problem with them winning the World Cup. It would be good for British sport and good for the country.

“I don’t think I would feel like an English person if they lose, but I don’t think I would feel the same joy if they win.

“But joy tends to be infectious, and everyone likes to share in a party. It will be good for whoever wins, but I think because England is closer to home we would be able to join in their joy.”

But what about the English themselves. What do they make of all this?

Steve Bates is in a unique position to judge. He is English, and the coach of a top level sports team in the Scottish Borders.

The only problem is, as coach of the Borders Reivers rugby team, the ball he is used to playing with is the wrong shape.

He said: “I will support England at the World Cup to the extent that I will watch the games, but I am not a massive football fan.

“I like watching football, but I won’t be sitting there with a scarf and a flag flying out my window. I will certainly be watching it, but I won’t get terribly upset if they don’t win it.”

But doesn’t he get angry when his adopted homeland is so passionately in favour of defeat for the Three Lions?

He said: “I can sympathise with it. That is what sport is about. It is about competition between your team and the other teams.

“When your team is not playing, you are probably not going to jump behind the team that you are always up against. That is just what sport throws up.”

So there you have it. If a proud Englishman like Bates can extend a little understanding our way, surely we can do the same back.

But then again, with Jimmy Hill, Gary Lineker and John Motson all set to bring their unique brand of fair and unbiased broadcasting to our TV screens this summer, maybe the picture doesn’t look so clear after all.

But wherever your allegiances lie in Germany over the next month or so, remember this – football is only a game.

Just don’t mention that to whoever loses in the final.

To register your vote on whether you will be supporting England in the World Cup, go to www.bordertelegraph.com and log on to the forum.

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