New Statesman Scotland

Not so long ago, it was said that Scottish football fans had two teams - Scotland and whoever was playing England. Not, it seems, any more. The hot news from the terraces is that the Tartan Army is now ready, even eager, to cheer on the white shirts of England. This week, the fans have been getting their chance as England struggle to become the footballing champions of Europe. It may partly be because England is the only "home" country to survive the qualifying rounds. This archi-pelago has no other representatives.

But there may be more to it than that. There is a theory that this benign Scottish view of England's footballers has more to do with politics than with the game itself. The theory runs something like this: with the advent of the Scottish Parliament and a greater say over their own affairs, the Scots are now feeling more confident and relaxed about their national status. It is no longer the case that the nation's only incarnation is on the sports field. Scottish footballers can trot on to the pitch without feeling the burden of our national aspirations on their shoulders. And our football aficionados can see the ball-crossing genius of David Beckham for what it is, rather than a threat to our national survival

Well, there may be something in that. Certainly, this diary heard from one dedicated young soccerista, shortly after the "yes, yes" vote in the 1997 referendum, that he no longer cared quite so much whether the Scottish football team won or not. He still cared, but not so much. All of which suggests that Tom Nairn got his metaphors wrong when he suggested that Scotland will not be itself until the last kirk minister is strangled with the last copy of the Sunday Post. Perhaps Scotland will not be Scotland until there is a crucial World Cup or European Championship game against England at Hampden Park and hardly anybody bothers to turn up.

England, of course, are in the same group as Germany. It struck this diary some time ago that England's tussles with Germany have become the mirror-image of Scotland's matches against England. To the English, the German football team has become the "auld enemy". They are the ones to beat. As a result, victories are few and far between. Usually, the English play against the Germans with fire and passion - and lose the game. Sometimes they are the better team - and the Germans walk away winners. If it comes down to penalties (as per Euro '96), the German keeper makes that crucial save. English fans see the Germans as skilled, efficient, but somewhat soulless automata in white shirts. Which, until recently, was the way Scots fans saw the English. So, for the sake of England's national psyche, has the time come to set up an English Parliament?

Back home (as they say in the football ditty), the Scotsman seems determined to alienate its core readership, the middle classes of Edinburgh and the Lothians. The paper's campaign in support of the Oz carpetbagger and his pals who want to "demutualise" Standard Life is growing ever more strident. The paper is urging Standard Life's 2.3 million policy- holders to take the "windfall" cash and head down the plc route "in the interests of Scotland in general and the capital in particular". We should know the result by the end of June.

But converting to a plc would put Standard Life on the market. And while it would be a fair-sized player, there are much bigger players out there, some of whom could swallow Standard Life whole. Already, one or two are reputed to be sniffing around. If they pounce, we would see control of Scotland's biggest and best insurance company slipping out of Scotland, and with it thousands of well-paid, middle-class jobs. It's a prospect that does not appeal to the citizenry of Edinburgh. Which is why so many of them are wondering just what Andrew Neil is up to.

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