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Football Euro 2000: The Expats Panel

Nick Harris,Simon Lelic
Saturday 13 November 1999 01:02 GMT
Comments

THE ENGLISH IN SCOTLAND

KEITH BURKINSHAW

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager, now director of football at Aberdeen

THERE'S BEEN a lot of banter. Everyone at Aberdeen has really got into the spirit of it and a good number of people from the club are going down to watch the match. I've been up here for two-and-a-half years and it's always been friendly. Even before the draw for this game, though, there's always been a lot of mickey-taking. We do it all the time.

I've been telling everyone that England are going to win. In return? A load of abuse. Even from the females. You pass people in the corridor and everyone's been talking about it, but then this is the Auld Enemy after all. I think that because the atmosphere up here has been hyped so much it's not going to be easy for England. A 0-0 draw at Hampden would be a great result and then a win at Wembley. I'm not going to the game, but I'll be watching it on television at home.

JOHNNY HAYNES

Former England international now living in Edinburgh

THERE'S BEEN a lot of hype about this, hasn't there? But then they're two important games. In my day they were important, but not like this, with qualifying depending on them. I think it's unfortunate they were drawn together, it would've been nice to see them both have a chance of going through. I've lived in Edinburgh 15 years and never had any difficulty with being English. People have been very good. It might be different after the game, but there you go. I'm not venturing out the door to watch the match, I'm not getting involved in any of that. I'll stay in and watch it on TV. It's a difficult game to give an opinion on. Neither side played that well in qualifying, but I don't think England will get beat. Hampden won't worry them. When I played, they got 134,000 in there, it's 52,000 now. Who will I support? I played 56 times for England. I'm not going to be supporting Scotland, am I?

MARTIN CLARKE

English editor of the `Daily Record'

I'VE BEEN here five years and while I don't feel Scottish, I don't feel particularly English any more. Older people tend to feel British first and English patriotism isn't to the fore. So no one will be shouting for Scotland more loudly than me. I'm not one of those people who go backwards and forwards to London all the time. My paper is the biggest selling tabloid in Scotland, all my friends and family are Scottish. Your first loyalty is to the people who read your paper. I was never really into football before moving, so have no emotional attachment to Kevin Keegan or the England players anyway. When people like Tony Adams say this is just another game, it's nonsense. Everyone expects England to get to Euro 2000. If they don't, it's utter humiliation. The English attitude is very condescending, you can understand why it makes the Scots' blood boil. England, quite frankly, are not looking too tasty at the moment. If Scotland can get their noses ahead today, anything can happen.

THE SCOTS IN ENGLAND

SIR TEDDY TAYLOR

Veteran Scottish politician; Conservative MP for Southend for 19 years

I WENT up to see Scotland play Latvia and it worried me that the crowd were shouting "If you hate the bloody English clap your hands" and everyone stood up and clapped even though England weren't playing. I was sitting next to the Latvian ambassador, who said: "What are they saying?" I said: "They're being disrespectful to the English." He was a bit wary and said: "You sure they not saying bad things about Latvia?" That worries me, that anti-English feeling sweeping Scotland these days. And I find it a problem that there are no Conservative MPs in Scotland, that the Scots are in favour of the European Union, and that they voted for devolution, a terrible, wasteful exercise. In the past I'd have shouted for a Scottish victory but times have changed and now I want a 4-4 draw, preferably ending in a controversial refereeing decision so both sides can say they were robbed. My wife disagrees, of course. She fervently wants Scotland to win.

JIM McCALLIOG

Former Scottish international, now running a pub in Wetherby, Yorkshire

IT'S BEEN unbelievable since the draw. It's been worse than making my debut back in 1967. The press has been everywhere. I've even got the BBC coming round. It's nice to be remembered, but my real priority is my business now. We're going to deck the pub out in tartan - ironic considering it's called the George and Dragon. I'm probably going to be working behind the bar during the games, so I'm expecting a few digs from the locals. We get mostly Yorkshire lads in here, so there's been some good banter. I'm obviously getting a bit of stick already, but as long as they keep drinking, I don't mind taking it. As for the result, England have to be the favourites, especially if they score at Hampden Park. Scotland's lack of flair might let them down, although if it's 0-0 on Saturday, the Wembley game will be a lot more exciting. If England get through, I'll get behind them. Probably a bit unusual for a Scotsman, that.

KELLY DALGLISH

Daughter of the legendary Kenny, currently a presenter on Sky Sports News

I ALMOST knew this game was going to happen and when the draw was made there was an enormous cheer. It's been unbelievable ever since. There have been a few e-mail jokes going around about Scotland, but good natured. There's one where Michael Owen says he can win on his own, so the England team go off and play golf. They hear on the radio after five minutes it's 1-0 to England - Owen. Then after 89 that John Collins has equalised. "What happened?" they ask Owen. "I got sent off after 10 minutes." It's one of those matches you've got to win, in some ways more important than what you're trying to qualify for. I was up in Glasgow interviewing my dad and Andy Goram this week, and I'm working in London this weekend. It's touch and go with timings whether I can get up for the match but I desperately want to. If not, I'll be in a pub in London.

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