Scotland's Drinking Problem

The idea of Scotland having a drinking problem is like saying the Spanish are racists. This is not news to anyone. However, and I'm pretty sure that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor have got this message now, the reaction has not been about their impromptu all night (and most of the morning) drinking session, but of their reaction when on the bench for the Iceland match. To put it simply, the two players are complete idiots. What on earth was going through their head to decide to put two fingers up, and to whom?

The paths of professional football and alcohol have crossed several times. The most prominent of all the professional footballers to have a drinking problem must be Paul Gascoigne. Gazza was notoriously the joker in the pack, and his lust for life was to be his inevitable downfall, even after coming back from a very serious self-inflicted knee injury. But Gazza was a drunk with a bit of class, and an unrivalled jovial side.

When England were snapped and shamed across the tabloids for their drinking chair shenanigans, Gazza's reaction was to score a screamer against Scotland, and to mimic the whole event with a water bottle.

It is understandable that players will occasionally slip from their role model lifestyles, it's acceptable that, on occasion they will have one too many to drink. That is why we can laugh at Paul Merson for his drinking celebrations, why we can laugh at Gazza pulling down Paul Ince's shorts, why we all laughed incredibly when Tony Adams dropped Steve Morrow and broke his arm (granted he probably wasn't drunk at the time but he was also an alcoholic). But pretty much no-one laughs when instead of representing your country, you're acting like a child on the substitute's bench giving two fingers to the rest of your international career.