Broadcaster Mike Parry has sparked widespread outrage after describing Scots as a 'miserable race' with an 'inferiority complex' for not supporting England during the World Cup. The 71-year-old former talkSPORT presenter made the remarks on Monday, June 29, during an appearance on Jeremy Vine on 5, hosted by Good Morning Britain's Charlotte Hawkins.
YouGov Poll Reveals Scottish Sentiment
The discussion was prompted by a YouGov poll showing that 32% of Scots hope England performs poorly in the tournament, while 27% want them to succeed. In contrast, 57% of English respondents said they would support Scotland if England were eliminated. Hawkins presented the statistic, leading Parry to respond: 'It's miserable isn't it, they are a miserable race the Scots when it comes to football. They just want to really put England down because they can't face up to the greatness of the football in England. It's not my fault the Scots have got an inferiority complex.'
Panel and Caller Push Back
Fellow panellist Joanna Jarjue interjected, suggesting the sentiment might stem from feeling 'inferior in every way,' but Parry doubled down. A Scottish caller named Grace from Edinburgh challenged Parry directly, stating: 'Absolutely not. I'm a proud Scots person and I will not be cheering on England. When you get people like Mike who mentions that we are an inferior race, that is completely not true. I am married to an Englishman, he will be supporting England. I won't. I am now going to support France.'
Parry defended his comments, claiming he referred only to the inferior quality of Scottish football, not the people. 'I did not call Scottish inferior, I said the football in Scotland unfortunately in this day and age is inferior to football in England,' he said. Grace countered that Scottish teams lack the financial resources of English clubs, but Parry dismissed the argument, saying: 'It's nothing to do with money. It's to do with whether or not you have great talent and unfortunately Scotland used to have great talent.'
Social Media Reaction
Viewers on social media largely sided with Grace. One commenter noted: 'Didn't they hear the English singing horrible songs about the Scots in the Boston bars but the Scots didn't sing songs about the English.' Another pointed out: 'Mike has to remember we are a smaller nation with less people to pick from but we are good at the inventions you all use daily.' A third urged perspective: 'Get a grip. It's an auld rivalry and good fun, that's aw it is. I love the English people but fitba is fitba enjoy the fun and banter without hatred. Shame on Mike.'
