THE Tartan Army faces an awful licking at the Euro- pean Championship Finals in June.

On sending postcards home they will find all five Royal Mail commemorative stamps for the event, under the title Football Legends, feature four Englishmen and a former Northern Ireland star.

Scotland is the only British side to qualify for the championships, with England receiving an automatic place as hosts.

But four of the famous five on the stamps are southerners Bobby Moore, Dixie Dean, Billy Wright, Duncan Edwards and Irishman Danny Blanchflower.

Some 41 names were put forward by the home country associations; Scotland's contribution included the late Jock Stein of Celtic, Manchester United's Matt Busby, and Liverpool's Bill Shankly - arguably the greatest soccer managers of all time in Britain.

The SFA also recommended winger Davie Cooper, who died last year; former Scotland manager Willie Ormond, and Alex James, a hero of the 1930s, of Arsenal and Scotland.

Only James made the shortlist of 10, chosen by a 15-strong panel of football experts which included the man Scottish fans love to hate, Jimmy Hill.

Adverts were then placed in newspapers, asking the public to vote for their top five.

With England's population outnumbering Scotland by ten-to-one, it was obvious which way voting would go.

Royal Mail officials, eager to ensure every British side was represented, are privately fuming that the final choice went to a poll - knowing it would guarantee English domination.

The original selection panel contained no Scottish-based journalists. Daily Record sports editor Bill Leckie was invited to London, but did not appear on the day, although his newspaper subsequently carried the advert for readers' votes.

Mr Leckie last night blamed pressure of business for not taking part, and added: ``I do think Davie Cooper should have been on a stamp. It would have been an ideal tribute.''