Meeting of the Parliament 15 January 2026
I am sure that, just recently, I noticed a picture on social media of our Deputy Presiding Officer in a Scotland top. I am disappointed that he is not wearing it for the debate, but perhaps that would not have been appropriate. I know that he is a fan, and it is good to have him chairing the proceedings as we discuss the men’s football team.
I commend the comments that have been made about the women’s football team and the rise that it has experienced in recent years. Looking forward to major events, let us not forget that Scotland is part of a joint bid for the 2035 FIFA women’s world cup.
The debate follows hot on the heels of a couple of related events. Most importantly, last night, we had George Adam’s debate on football. Many members from across the chamber spoke about the value of football to Scotland. Members spoke about how it brings local communities together. Alex Rowley used the opportunity to talk about the value of football to our communities, how it is part of our national culture and important to our economy, and how it supports mental health and many other good causes the length and breadth of Scotland.
In today’s debate, there has been quite a lot of nostalgia among members. I was raised a 45-minute walk away from Hampden park, so I went to a lot of home matches for Scotland throughout the 1980s. I saw some of Scotland’s heroes, such as Kenny Dalglish, Gordon Strachan, Davie Cooper, Charlie Nicholas and too many others to mention. Obviously, I am not as old as Stephen Kerr, so I did not have the opportunity to see Jim Baxter, although I have, of course, seen the video many times of his keepie-ups during Scotland’s famous 1967 victory over the world champions.
This is an opportunity for me to thank others. I thank members for their thoughtful contributions and their constructive approach to the debate. I could not agree more with Alex Rowley about how good it is to have consensus. When something is in the national interest and all the parties come together, it is very powerful, and issues such as this set a good example. Given all the challenges that Scotland and our country face, as well as all the global challenges, perhaps it is more important than ever that we come together when there is opportunity for consensus and to work together in the national interest. We have certainly done that for Euro 2028.