Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games have fun the British Empire whereas poking enjoyable at each flip

“It’s just a square.” 

That’s the three-star assessment of Nelson Mandela Place in Glasgow by somebody named Katie Nicholson on Google.

Katie is not fully unsuitable. A statue for the liberty fighter and former South African president is ready to be unveiled in October, however for now there’s not a complete lot to see on the spot, listed as a vacationer attraction on Google Maps.

But the couple of road indicators tacked to buildings on West George Street, not removed from the town centre, sit as a chic and understated center finger to apartheid South Africa.

In 1986, whereas Mandela was nonetheless in jail on Robben Island, the Glasgow City Council modified the identify of St George’s Place to Nelson Mandela Place.

It meant that the South African consulate below the then-ruling National Party was pressured not solely to see the identify of one among their chief antagonists as they entered the Stock Exchange constructing every single day, but in addition ship out correspondence bearing his identify.

They opted to make use of a PO Box handle earlier than transferring from the placement within the early 90s.

After Mandela was launched, he got here to the town to thank the folks for his or her solidarity in 1993.

“While we were physically denied our freedom in the country of our birth, a city 6,000 miles away, and as renowned as Glasgow, refused to accept the legitimacy of the apartheid system, and declared us to be free.”

That cry of freedom is as synonymous with the Scottish as it’s with Mandela himself.

So, how does a celebration of this Commonwealth sit with a metropolis and nation that has at all times had a fraught relationship with oppressors typically and the English particularly?

ABE – Anyone however England

Tennis nice Andy Murray as soon as perplexed some (learn: Americans) much less au fait with the distinctive rivalries throughout the UK when he was requested who he’d be supporting on the 2006 FIFA World Cup and replied: “Anyone but England.”

Scotland is not by itself on this regard.

In the Ashes final summer time, Australia’s injury-plagued males’s Test workforce scored a triumphant skilled 4-1 victory, however extra Australian pleasure was derived from watching one other epic capitulation of an England workforce that had declared itself the saviour of Test cricket, educating us all tips on how to entertain, if not really win a lot of something.

We cheered each humiliating faceplant and fumble a minimum of as a lot as we celebrated the all-time world-class performances of Travis Head and Mitchell Starc.

The lately accomplished World Cup was one other reminder of the collective glee shared by so many in watching England stumble.

There’s simply one thing concerning the schadenfreude for Scots, Aussies and dozens of different nations in watching England lose.

Sure, you’ve got obtained the Parthenon Sculptures and Rosetta Stone, however we have got Ellyse Perry and Steve Smith.

“There is this standard, reflexive idea of that they would prefer almost everybody to win other than England, as the most powerful part of the United Kingdom,” Western Sydney University emeritus professor of tradition and analysis David Rowe informed ABC Sport.

“I think for some people it’s serious, for some people it’s just a bit of fun.”

There are jokes to be made, but in addition reflections on the very actual subjugation that went on for hundreds of years, and arguably solely led to 1997 when Hong Kong gained its independence.

This celebration of empire stays a peculiarity as calls develop to decolonise our language and our lives.

For an ideal instance, the Parthenon Sculptures talked about earlier are extra famously referred to as the Elgin Marbles, named for the lord who nicked them from Greece and introduced them again to Old Blighty at first of the nineteenth century.

“I mean, the Commonwealth of Nations is, let’s face it, anachronistic,” Rowe mentioned.

“There are people who … don’t know much about it or, if they schooled up on it, educated themselves about it, would realise that this is an anachronistic organisation based on an empire that no longer technically exists.”

Although, many within the still-constituent Scotland would let you know the legacy, if not the reality, of the empire stays in some ways.

“There are plenty of people in Scotland, including its leading Scottish National Party, who really would prefer to separate from the United Kingdom and who are mightily displeased by Brexit,” mentioned Rowe, a sports activities sociologist who consulted on the Glasgow Life workforce tasked with serving to enhance the town’s standing on the worldwide sporting stage.

“There are plenty of Scots who felt a greater affinity with the European Union than with England.”

Strange, anomalous and anachronistic

At the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, King Charles III and Queen Camilla had been warmly welcomed by the packed crowd at Glasgow’s Hydro, maybe surprisingly contemplating the identical crowd’s hearty refrains of Flower of Scotland barely an hour later.

The Scottish anthem retells Robert the Bruce’s legendary victory over King Edward II of England on the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

The thrust of the rousing choon, and Scotland’s identification extra broadly, is about how this small however mighty land of arduous folks repelled the crown repeatedly on the again of sheer grit and delight.

So ingrained of their identification is sticking it to the English that, as a substitute of tearing down statues of outdated royals and dignitaries just like the Duke of Wellington, they’ve merely given up on eradicating the site visitors cones positioned on his head.

And but, twice prior to now 12 years, Glasgow has gone out of its option to host what’s accurately dubbed the Friendly Games, welcoming dozens of countries whose main unifying theme is that they had been as soon as conquered by the “bastards” from that anthem.

“It does strike me as something of an irony that it’s not that very long ago that Scotland had a referendum to sever its ties with the United Kingdom and the British Crown, and now it’s hosting a Commonwealth Games,” Rowe mentioned.

“I think it’s having a bit of fun, all the kilts and all the Scottish culture, reminding people that Scotland has its own identity and has not just been subsumed by the United Kingdom.”

If you want extra proof of the unusual bedfellows in impact, Rowe mentioned you want solely take a look at the occasion’s authentic identify.

It was known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games till for the following 4 editions, and the British Commonwealth Games till 1972.

“So even more coded British,” Rowe informed ABC Sport.

“And it’s a strange body in some ways, if you consider that it is a monument to colonialism and imperialism. And yet the members, most of whom were formerly under the jurisdiction of the British crown, were colonised, have now voluntarily agreed to join an organisation which was formed out of that imperial arrangement.”

It additionally offers these within the British Isles an opportunity to beat England whereas representing Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

Scottish knights of the British Empire Chris Hoy and Andy Murray have received a mixed 13 Olympic medals for Great Britain. 

Duncan Scott is Team GB’s most adorned Olympic swimmer, Mark Cavendish has received a world championship and Olympic silver with the Union Jack subsequent to his identify, however each circled to beat the English whereas flying the Scottish saltire and Isle of Man’s triskelion in the course of the Commonwealth Games.

So how does the house crowd really feel watching their sporting heroes flying these flags?

“I think it means more to them to compete for Scotland,” one Glasgow native, Peter, informed ABC Sport.

“You can see it in their faces when they do better. It does mean a lot more to them to represent their home country.”

There’s maybe a touch of non-public projection on this fan’s evaluation, as summed up by his mate, Pat.

“I would hope that it does [mean more] for them, because it would for me,” he mentioned.

No quantity of raucous crowd assist or nationwide delight goes to show a 45-year-old bricklayer who’s had a sizzling canine for breakfast right into a 10-flat 100m runner. But on the tippy-top of sport, the place the margins are at their best, it is obtained to be value just a few hundredths of a second.

Angharad Evans swam for Team GB on the 2025 world championships in Singapore, lacking the semifinals and ending a brutal 18th general within the 100m breaststroke as she went virtually two seconds slower than her time on the nationwide trials.

She carried these scars along with her till she exorcised them with a spectacular victory on the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, successful her first worldwide gold medal and thanking the group for getting her to the wall 0.12 of a second forward of Aimee Canny.

“Scotland was there to witness that and that was a very, very special moment for me,” she mentioned.

“I thanked them because leading into competitions it’s so easy for doubts and negative thoughts to play a part in my mindset leading up, and I walk out and they just really uplift me and give me the confidence I need and boost me up.

“They typically speak about how proud they’re of us bringing again gold medals and PBs, however I’m immensely proud to have the Tartan Army supporting me within the crowd.

“Wearing the blue and white, hearing the crowd, being part of Scotland just carries you to the end. I don’t think I would have had the strength and the courage I did in the last 10 metres if I wasn’t in the blue and white and didn’t have that crowd behind me.

“They completely helped me get to the tip and end in first place. So it is a medal for me however it’s additionally a medal for Scotland.”

All that from an English-born 23-year-old who is still learning the words to that famous Scottish anthem.

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