Scotland’s soccer fans are not enamored with the former captain of England’s national team David Beckham, who is urging the Scots to vote against independence.
“As much as David Beckham is respected by football fans in Scotland, any intervention by him into the debate is irrelevant, ” Hamish Husband, a spokesman for the West of Scotland Tartan Army, an Association that represents Scotland soccer fans told RIA Novosti.
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On Monday, Beckham (whose maternal grandfather was Jewish) called for Scots to vote No in the Thursday independence referendum.
“We want to let you know how very much we value our relationship and friendship. Of course, regardless of your decision, that will never change; however, my sincere hope is that you will vote to renew our historic bond which has been such a success over the centuries and the envy of the entire world, ” Beckham said in a statement.
A whole lot of celebrities have been enlisted in an effort to convince the Scots to vote No, including Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger.
“The love-bombing that is going on just now is overwhelming, ” Husband quipped. “The discussion that is now taking place in England about Scottish independence is about a year too late. They should have been involved in the discussion and the thoughts going on before now, but they were hidden from it.”
If anything, it’s Scottish soccer fans who should support independence, since a number of FIFA members have objected to the UK’s special status which allows the four parts of the UK—England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—to compete as separate countries in international competitions, despite the UK being a single unitary political state.
It’s as if the state of New York and the state of North Carolina ( to name but two) were to register their national teams for the next world cup.
“Obviously, Scotland and England are already independent in footballing terms. I think you’d have to be pretty sad to cast your vote based on football, but if we decide not to have independence, and then we lose the national football team, then hell mend us, ” Husband said.