Scotland’s shame – again

It’s now getting to the point where the toxicity of the national team’s fans has gone beyond a joke and into surrealism. I mean, it’s hardly new to see Rangers players booed playing for Scotland these days, frankly it happens every time.

Remember at Pittodrie some SPL fans spun the hogwash line that it was the Aberdeen fans at their home stadium the reason Ryan Jack was being booed? Wonder what their spin for Friday night’s episode at Hampden was.

Let’s face it – Rangers are comically seen as toxic by most of this country’s game. There are some decent fans, yes, and we credit that – we got some fair and supportive responses from general SPL fans to our artificial turf piece and we wouldn’t tar all non-Rangers fans with the same brush.

But if the crowd at Hampden, Easter Road, Pittodrie yadda yadda is anything to go by when Scotland play, this country’s supporters are too petty to let 2012 stay in the past, whoever’s side you take.

Allan McGregor is likely to start in goal tonight – will home fans shame themselves yet again by booing him when he receives the ball? He’s a Rangers man through and through – never got booed on NT duty as a Hull player – but back at Ibrox, there’s every chance he will.

It is, absolutely, unthinkably, unfathomably pathetic to see grown men booing their own team’s players just because they dislike the club that player earns his corn at.

We dislike Celtic. Intensely. But back in the day we sure as heck did not boo their players for the national team (in the days we actually supported the damn thing) despite what happened in 1994. Why would we? That would be petty, small and weak. No one does that. NO ONE.

The climate of the world today appears full of hate, whereas back in the day there was simply more tolerance. Thanks to social media stirring it up, whatever the topic, the hate festers and grows, until we have a point where we’re booing players playing for our country.

A sad, sad reflection of the psyche of modern society.

Only in Scotland.