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For the Scots, England-Scotland has never been just a football match. Since 1872, beating the Auld enemy was a way to reverse power dynamics.

Moreover, football was, like the church or military regiments, one of the few institutions where Scottish identity could be distinguished from English identity. However, until the 1960s, despite being intense, the rivalry rarely escalated beyond the realm of sports.

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England-Scotland: politics and football hand in hand

During the 1970s, however, football also became a vehicle for the rise of Scottish political nationalism. Furthermore, the growth of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in British politics went hand in hand with the emergence of a golden generation, featuring champions like Law and Dalglish.

In 1974, the chant “we hate the English,” belted out at Hampden Park, almost foreshadowed the electoral triumph of the SNP. The party secured eleven MPs in Westminster. In the following years, in a growing climax, the British anthem “God Save the Queen” was often targeted, while “Flower of Scotland” became the unofficial anthem sung by fans before and during matches.

However, the peak of sporting nationalism was reached on June 4, 1977, during England-Scotland. The match was part of the Home Championship, an annual tournament where the four British federations competed. London was literally invaded by a sea of Scottish fans. Armed with beers and flags, they joyfully took over Trafalgar Square before occupying a good part of Wembley Stadium.

Chronicle of an unexpected result

Boosted by the crowd and thanks to goals from McQueen and Dalglish, the Scots returned to win in England after a ten-year drought. At the final whistle, thousands invaded the pitch celebrating the feat. Due to the high alcohol content and despite the non-violent nature, the celebrations escalated.

The pitch was plundered by many who wanted to take home a memento of the achievement. Even a crossbar collapsed under the weight of the most fervent fans. The next day, the British newspapers glossed over the political claims. Only the hooligan behavior was severely criticized. At the end of the match, a slogan shouted by the Scots on the Wembley pitch was heard: “Give us the Parliament and we’ll give you back Wembley.”

This statement, halfway between nationalism and jest, helped convince the Labour Party to hold a referendum for greater autonomy for Scotland as a deterrent against extremist groups.

Some observers even went so far as to argue that Scotland’s disappointing performance at the 1978 World Cup contributed to the defeat in the 1979 referendum. Nevertheless, despite the decline of Scottish football, the ball has continued to have an ambivalent political-identity character to this day.

On one hand, it has helped strengthen the identity of a Nation without a State. However, on the other hand, it has also acted as a surrogate for nationalism. So much so that in 1992, after an electoral defeat, the then leader of the SNP, Jim Sillars, coined the apt expression “90 minutes patriots.” With this phrase, he accused his compatriots of being patriots only during national team matches.