GLASGOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti), Mark Hirst – A former Deputy Prime Minister to Tony Blair, Lord John Prescott, suggested Wednesday that Scotland and England's national football teams should merge if Scotland chooses not to break away from the United Kingdom in the upcoming independence referendum.
“I’ve got a revolutionary thought … Perhaps if England and Scotland together had one team, we could at last beat the Germans - who knows?” Prescott, who is visiting Scotland told reporters.
“These comments from John Prescott are off-the-ball and highlight how out of touch Westminster politicians are about what is happening here,” Michael Stewart, a former Scotland international player, responded to Prescott’s proposal in a statement released by the pro-independence Yes Sport organization on Wednesday.
“I think the average Scottish football fan will hear this and see how totally disconnected the "No" campaign is from mainstream Scottish opinion. On the one hand, Lord Prescott says he wants to give us more powers, and on the other he suggests taking away our football team,” Stewart added.
Late August, a FIFA source told RIA Novosti that senior figures within FIFA are planning to press for the UK to play as one single international side if Scotland decides to remain part of the UK.
On September 18, Scotland is scheduled to hold a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom. The voters will be asked one question, “Should Scotland become an independent country?”
