Scots Police Crack Down on Offensive World Cup T-Shirts

Hard on the heels of the story about Scotsmen and women supporting England at the World Cup comes another twist in the debate – only this one will have everyone rolling their eyes in dismay.

An Aberdeen shop owner has caught the eye of the local police, according to the Daily Record. His crime? Selling World Cup T-shirts with "Anyone But England" on the front.

The offending items of clothing could apparently spark racial conflict, Slanj of Scotland was told.

T-shirts reading “Algeria, USA and Slovenia Supporters Club” were also highlighted, the police insisting they had to warn Slanj “of the potential for disturbance such a window display could cause”.

Here’s the full report and comments from readers. At least they seem to have a sense of humour.

Incidentally, Metro and the BBC picked up on the same story, adding an interesting detail: no member of the public complained. The warning was given by a PC “acting on his own initiative.”

I also commend the sub-editor of one “related story” on the Daily Record page.  “England replace love cheat captain John Terry with drug test dodger Rio Ferdinand” sums up the futility of looking for a squeaky clean England captain in a mere 13 words.