FOOTBALL’S coming home, it’s coming home … I remember it echoing around the ground like it was yesterday. Sitting in a scorching Wembley stadium as McAllister missed the penalty and Gascoigne scored his wonder goal, I felt like the chant was targeted directly at me and I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried in disappointment and frustration at losing to THEM. I was 35 years old.

Fast forward 22 years and we’re hearing it again, soundtracked of course by the English-based media’s ridiculous hype. Except this time it’s different. I have no affinity with the racist anti-English banners and chants in pubs during the games. People who think it’s an excuse to promote their tiresome independence referendum agenda.

No, this proud Scot and veteran of a 100 Scotland games is now backing England to win. I’ll hate the media coverage but do you know what? I wish it was us.

It’s coming home…

Guy Robertson,

Julian Avenue, Glasgow.

THREE Lions and 10 red roses feature on this summer's England World Cup strip, along with a star representing the 1966 win on home turf because England are representatives of the Football Association – and therefore use their emblem on their shirts.That happens to be the Three Lions crest and was first used in 1872 when England played Scotland in the first ever international. The lion is a huge part of English history and can be traced back to the time of King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror; and Richard the Lionheart. Banners sporting three golden lions were ridden into battle by Richard and every monarch following him has them on their Royal Coat of Arms. When the FA was formed, the crest was designed to show that heritage – and has been a feature of England jerseys ever since. As for the 10 red roses? Some believe that they hark back to the 15th century War of the Roses between Yorkshire and Lancashire. So far, so fair enough, one might say.

On Sunday's 6.35pm main national news, over a background shot of a happy, smiling England manager, the BBC presenter's voice talked of "a chorus of approval for Gareth Southgate as the three lions relax after mauling Sweden". The Sunday Mirror carried the banner headline "Semi Gods". And, of course, the name England as representative of a national football team has now been virtually usurped in favour of the aforementioned Three Lions from the egregious Skinner and Baddiel's arrogant ditty penned for the 1996 European Championships, with its Football's Coming Home verbal hook. And it was always a given that bookies took bets on how long it would take English footballing pundits to mention 1966 in commentary whenever a World Cup came along.

History is one thing, subjective tabloid melodrama is quite another and while it is easy to remind the English media of the Book of Proverbs' injunction that "pride comes before a fall", the very essence of hubris contains the seeds of its own myopia. I wish the England team as much good fortune as I, a Scot, authentically can muster, but the English media, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, would do well to reflect on the notion of Macbeth's issue with "vaulting ambition".

Gerard McCulloch,

47 Moffat Wynd, Saltcoats.

IN today's World Cup semi final round, isn't it time Scotland got over the ABE (Anyone But England) mindset? With SNP (Scotland's Not Playing) the regrettable reality, surely everyone across the UK should now be singing Football's Coming Home?

Martin Redfern,

Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh.

Whilst I do support England in their attempt to win the World Cup, I must confess that it rankles with me every time they usurp the National Anthem as theirs. Why do they not choose something else which is exclusively English?

Alan Fitzpatrick,

10 Solomon’s View, Dunlop.