Scottishness and success…

The current debacle surrounding Rangers and the Scottish Premier League highlights a typically Scottish thing.  For non-football fans, Rangers have had a remarkable run in the UEFA Cup, beating some top European sides, and have reached the UEFA Cup Final where they will face the Russian team Zenit St. Petersburg.

Due to various games being called off earlier in the season (due the exceptionally wet winter constantly waterlogging Fir Park, where both Motherwell and Gretna play their home games), the SPL have rescheduled Rangers’ games so they had a game (against Hibs) on Sunday, then against Motherwell tonight, then against Dundee United on Saturday, then the UEFA Cup Final next Wednesday.  After that, they have to play four games (including a domestic cup final) within a week.

Rangers have appealed to the SPL for the season to be extended, in order for their congested schedule to be less tightly packed.  The SPL said no.  Then Rangers asked for the game this weekend to be moved back, specifically to give them a greater chance at winning the UEFA Cup (which would be a massive boon for Scottish football generally).  Again, the SPL said no.

Zenit St. Petersburg, on the other hand, received quite different treatment from the Russian League.  The four games they had scheduled before the UEFA Cup Final have all been postponed until after the final, in order to give their team the maximum time to prepare, and to ensure no key players are injured before the Final.

Why did the Russian League act so differently to the SPL?  I’m sure there are various reasons, but the one I want to write about is this: in Scotland, we have a love/hate relationship with other people’s success. 

Generally speaking, we have little expectation that Scots will succeed.  For example, last year this story was on the BBC.  A girl from Glasgow who did well in her exams received a letter from Harvard.  Harvard were not offering her a place but rather they were encouraging her to apply.  This girl has obviously done very well and I congratulate her for that.  I hope she continues to work hard and realises her dream of studying at Harvard.  However, it was so profoundly depressing regarding the intellectual state of Scotland that when one Scottish schoolgirl getting gets a letter from (and not a place at) Harvard, it makes the national news.  How little expectation do we have that ordinary Scots will succeed?  If it is national news that one of our schoolgirls get a letter from an Ivy League University, does that make  us the Thick Man of Europe? 

Anyway, we have little expectation that our people will succeed.  However, when a bright, talented Scot or Scottish team is making great progress towards success, we pat him on the back and tell him how well he is doing.  However, should he actually attain that success and stand out in any way, we think, “Who does he think he is?  He is getting to big for their boots.”  With great relish, we tear him right back down to the ground - his crime; achieving that for which we previously praised him.

Within the Scottish psyche Rangers have committed the unforgivable sin - they have become internationally successful.  Sadly, you also see this attitude in the Scottish church.

Woe betide the Scot who succeeds at anything!