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Features

Meet Alex Salmond’s secret weapon: the England football team

Nothing makes Scots feel more Scottish than the World Cup – especially when the other lot are playing

31 May 2014

9:00 AM

31 May 2014

9:00 AM

Why did Alex Salmond choose this year to hold the Scottish independence referendum? People have said it is because 2014 is the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn, Scotland’s greatest victory over the English, inspiration for that ridiculous last scene in Braveheart. Others believe it is because in July Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games, after which the Scottish nationalists reckon they will be surfing a wave of yes-we-can enthusiasm.

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Freddy Gray is The Spectator’s managing editor, and writes our monthly betting column, ‘The Speculator’.

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