HAMPDEN Park celebrates its 100th anniversary next season and all the talk is of footballing hostilities being renewed between England and Scotland to recognise it.

Celtic and Liverpool's well-spirited (El Hadji Diouf's spit spat apart) Uefa Cup tie proved England and Scotland can pit teams against each other without civil war breaking out.

Nothing has quite taken the place of the old Home International competition since it fell victim to hooliganism 20 odd years ago.

The annual series was the closest you could get to local derbies at international level for passion and rivalry and a return to regular competition between Britain's four nations could not come quickly enough for me.

Realistically, it will never happen because the all powerful clubs say teams already play far too many matches.

They say that, of course, and then when Uefa decide to save them four games a season by abolishing the boring second league phase of the Champions League they moan because it hits them where it really hurts, in the pocket. Money is the source of all evil in football. Leading clubs want to play an extra four games in the Champions League because it makes them richer even though they know it is detrimental to the excitement of the competition.

England against Scotland is great fun at any sport and a regular meeting of the old enemies at football would be far better received by fans than the meaningless friendlies England have now.

But there is no money in it for the domestic clubs so don't hold your breath.