Devolved powers should extend to writing an anthem without anti-English sentiments

FLOWER of Scotland was adopted at a time when much of the Scottish population was behind the idea of devolution and it became an anthem for that desire, but we now have devolution and the time has come to adopt a more positive, confident and forward- looking anthem.

It is also tragic that we are defined internationally as being anti-English - extracting the Michael from the English should continue to be a national hobby but it should no longer define us. I say let's have a re-worded Scotland the Brave or write a brand new song to be our anthem, like the Irish did with Ireland's Call.

Additionally, Flower of Scotland reminds me of that Billy Connolly sketch in which he derides God Save The Queen because it is slow and boring and, as a result, we are lapped during the opening ceremony of the Olympics!

RODDY SCOTT

Gillespie Crescent

Edinburgh

The musical scale of the highland bagpipe does not include all the notes required to play Flower of Scotland. It is unthinkable that any national anthem for Scotland could not be played properly on the pipes.

What happened to the debate a couple of years ago that proposed a competition to compose an anthem?

BRIAN BROTHERSTON

Links Road

Longniddry

Surely the answer is for the Scottish Parliament to organise an open competition to compose a suitable and appropriate modern anthem.

There are many world-class Scottish composers, particularly in the classical field, who could come up with a stirring tune. We also have excellent poets for the words.

ERNEST WALL

Kingsmuir Drive

Peebles

Many possibles have been listed but one excellent song is never mentioned, namely Hail Caledonia. Written in perhaps the 1950s, or earlier, it was famously sung by the likes of Kenneth McKellar and Robert Wilson to considerable acclaim. The final line "Scotland, dear old Scotland for ever" is as thrilling a piece of music as you can hear. Get out your old gramophone records and listen to this exciting song.

J.R. HALL

Colinton Grove

Edinburgh

Flower of Scotland, enough to make ye greet. Why not something lively, like Stop Yer Tickling, Jock!

GORDON DEAN

Belgrave Road

Edinburgh

Why bother having a national anthem at all? I think it is a gimmick to get the crowd involved and let the players get used to the crowd noise prior to kick off. Besides, most people go to see a game and not for a sing-song, although if they played Three Blind Mice people would still join in.

Some would say the anthem is being patriotic or showing respect. Okay. Play it at the end of the game and see how many people are still in the ground before the end of the first verse.

GEORGE LUNN

Haddington

East Lothian

Far too much 'jostling'

A PHOTOGRAPH published in the sports pages of The Scotsman recently showed Jiri Jarosik of Celtic and Brahim Hemdani "jostling for the ball" in an Old Firm match.

I know pictures can be deceiving but this one surely shows much of what is wrong with the game today. Football was and is a man's game but this is not football. This is a cross between boxing and wrestling, with the ball they are "jostling for" shown some yards away.

Players nowadays too often go down for no reason other than plain cheating, and the "handbags at two paces" scenario is far too prevalent. The referees often cop it, and I would hate to be a referee today with a lack of proper backing from lily-livered authorities. Most football fans I speak to agree.

GEORGE ARCHIBALD

Lasswade

Midlothian

Diving deserves yellow card

FOR far too long the game of football has been plagued by cheats who go to ground after minimal contact with an opponent or no contact at all.

A player's body movement will give it away if he has fallen unnaturally, yet referees persist in rewarding their theatrics with free-kicks and penalties. On the occasions when a foul is not given, instead of waving the divers back on their feet, the referees should wave a yellow card in their faces - every time.

Players rarely kick the ball away during a game now because they know they will receive a yellow card, and the same punishment should be handed out next season for diving. If the referees get the odd decision wrong, so be it, but players should try to stay on their feet and not pull up just because an opponent has brushed against them.

FIFA promotes the slogan "Fair Play Please" - it is about time it did something to encourage it.

FRANK GRAY

Edinburgh

Sick of Saltires flagging

IT'S time Scotland's cricketers stopped talking the talk and started walking the walk - although not to the pavilion with a duck to their name.

Pre-Derbyshire's visit I read the Phantoms had no bowlers to concern the Scots' batsmen - really? So why was it when I reached The Grange, hopefully to see the tail end of the Scots' innings due to setting out late from Glasgow, I discovered Derby batting with a paltry 102 on the board?

What sort of score is that for bowlers to try to aim for, with the visitors having the luxury of a full innings to reach the Scots' low total?

In my previous visits this season, 52 runs were given to Notts due to abject bowling in two overs. Against Yorkshire four totally needless run-outs contributed to the Scots not reaching an eminently gettable total.

Okay, against Derby losing the toss in the conditions was unfortunate but over the last few years of watching Scotland at The Grange I've seen little sign of overall improvement.

Sure, they made the World Cup in the West Indies and the forthcoming Twenty20 series but Ireland out-performed them results-wise in the Caribbean.

Perhaps in the Twenty20 they might come up to the mark as they've done better, relatively speaking, in rainaffected shortened innings.

I'm due to travel to New Road this week where the Saltires tend to do reasonably well against Worcester.

On another tack, when will the Saltires be appearing at Titwood or Stirling County's ground, as both can provide as good facilities as The Grange excluding an electric scoreboard?

Plastic seats and a burger van and mobile bar which doesn't always show can be replicated at both venues mentioned.

JOHN CREIGHTON

Muirskeith Road

Glasgow

No More controversy

I REFER to the report by William Dick on the SNCL, published 21 May, in particular the match between Heriot's and Greenock, and Sean Weeraratna, the bowler, claiming "the important wicket of Rob More in controversial circumstances, the bowler appealing for lbw with the umpire awarding a caught behind verdict".

There was no controversy. The bowler and fielders all appealed for the catch behind and that appeal was upheld.

If Mr Dick was unsure, could he not have checked with the umpires or the fielding side at the tea interval? Was Mr Dick at the game, or relying on second-hand information?

BRIAN ANDERSON

Whitehouse Loan

Edinburgh