Forget the independence debate, the real Scottish question at a sports history conference at Senate House on Monday was “Who introduced football to the Brazilians?”
It had been believed that that Englishman Charles Miller was responsible — arriving in Brazil with two footballs in the early 1900s. But new research by the University of Bristol’s Dr Matthew Brown now suggests that Scotsman Thomas Donohue can claim credit for teaching Brazil to love the beautiful game. Will Alex Salmond leap on this news with the customary saltire enthusiasm with which he greeted Andy Murray’s Wimbledon triumph?
The Londoner called the Scottish National Party’s Westminster office to ask if the First Minister might be squeezing into a replica Seleção shirt for the summer in light of the news. “I feel like I’ve heard this one before,” said a guarded press officer, “but if England get knocked out by them, feel free to blame us.”
