Indy campaigns call truce for charity football match

By Avril la Folle, our Devastation Celebrations correspondent

WW1A charity football match between members of the Yes Scotland and Better Together referendum campaigns will be played in Stirling on Saturday 24th of June as part of the 2014 Armed forces day.

The match, part of the wider celebrations of the start of WW1, is designed to mark the fabled Christmas truce match which took place in the trenches between opposing troops as they created their own temporary and unofficial cease fire.

Late on Christmas Eve 1914, men of the British Expeditionary Force heard the Germans singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches.

Messages began to be shouted between the trenches. The next day, British and German soldiers met in No Man's Land where they exchanged gifts, took photographs and played football.

The 2014 celebration match will be played at Bridgehaugh Park in the centre of Stirling, the home of Stirling County RFC, between two teams chosen from politicians and activists on both sides of the referendum debate.

The Yes team will be coached by Rangers boss Ally McCoist, a recent convert to Yes Scotland. Organisers have chosen Ally's team to represent the German side of 1914, and they will consequently be known as 'the Huns'.

Both Angus MacNeil and Eilidh Whiteford will play up front, with Angus Robertson, the only true German on the park, back in midfield despite being the SNP's expert on defence.

Stuart Hosie will play in goal for the Huns and Pete Wishart will play patriotic songs on the keyboard at half time.

The No team, dubbed UKOK United and representing Blighty, will be coached by ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who will donate his £501 fee to a local charity for distressed campaigners.

The team will feature the winning combination of Jim 'Spud' Murphy up front and Tom Harris in his favourite position on the right. Unusually for a competitive team, there will be no-one on the left.

Perth MP Gordon Banks will be in goal behind the fearsome Ian Davidson in defence, with substitute goalies Jackie Baillie and Blair MacDougall starting on the bench. Davidson was chosen to counter the attacking play of Whiteford and will be joined by his former teammate Eric Joyce who will come out of retirement for this fixture.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie will be sweeper, but will be allowed to watch the match once he has finished clearing up.


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