WHAT'S happened to traditional soccer rivalry?

A Scottish MP is calling on all Scots to support England in the World Cup Finals. Whatever next?

I'll tell you what next. Tuesday night's Manchester United programme (I didn't go, honest) carried an article saying United fans will be rooting for Man City to win promotion so they can have one last derby game at Maine Road.

Feedback from our man at Old Trafford last Saturday suggests that might be because United fans are desperate to sample an atmosphere or maybe they just want their customary three points, I don't know.

The point is that Scottish people love to see England lose and the same is true about United fans relishing City's failures.

If those two traditional rivals go all soppy who knows where such sporting bonhonie could spread to.

Maybe Bolton fans will get behind United's bid to win the Champions League and complete the heart-rendering story of that nice Alex Ferguson winning the greatest prize in his home city, maybe Leeds and Cardiff fans will agree to meet for a tea dance or maybe Teddy Sherringham will tell Sven Goran Erickson to give his England place to Andy Cole.