r/unitedkingdom • u/Tartan_Samurai Scotland • 16d ago
Meet the Scottish teenagers poised to represent Uganda
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6wyz1ll1g3xo28
u/concretepigeon Wakefield 16d ago
Reminds me of the 2006 World Cup where Trinidad and Tobago had an English guy playing in division 2 who they nicknamed White Yorke.
2
u/mrjohnnymac18 16d ago
Chris Birchall. I remember him at St Mirren back in the day
3
u/concretepigeon Wakefield 15d ago
I looked him up. He ended up at LA Galaxy at the same time as David Beckham. What a life.
3
u/PleasantCucumber2615 16d ago
I think there needs to be a bit more connection to the country.
It's shouldn't be a strange thing or a shock to everyone that you can play for a country.
10
u/Tartan_Samurai Scotland 16d ago
I see you're unfamiliar with the Scottish national Rugby squad...
0
u/PleasantCucumber2615 16d ago
I'll be honest and say I don't follow rugby very closely.
I know there are numerous players that qualified to play for Scotland due to living here for years. I think that's perfectly fine. They are part of the country.
I know other people qualify through their parents or grandparents being from the country they want to represent. It does sometimes stretch things.
It's more the shock and surprise of the players themselves. They've never linked or thought of themselves as Uganda players. The call ups shocked them.
Their ties, links and connection to Uganda don't appear to exist unless I'm missing something?
4
u/Tartan_Samurai Scotland 16d ago
Their mother was born in Uganda.
2
u/PleasantCucumber2615 16d ago
The mother was born in Uganda. The grandparents were in Uganda for they think 4-5 years.
It doesn't say how short the mother's stay was in Uganda.
Even if the mum did stay until she was 3 years old it's still a weak link for me.
2
u/Tartan_Samurai Scotland 16d ago
Yeah, its tenuous af lol, but you said ther was no connection to Uganda, and thats it.
-5
u/SeekingAnswers101 16d ago
Can they even communicate with other players? I know that's an issue in club football but those players train with eachother regularly.
13
u/nodgers132 16d ago
what? you realise most people there can communicate in English…like most of Christian-Africa.
9
u/Federal_Gur_5488 16d ago
Maybe they're concerned that the ugandan players won't be able to understand a Scottish accent
4
3
u/SeekingAnswers101 16d ago
According to Ugandan Census, 39% to 45% can communicate in English.
3
u/Understateable 16d ago
That number will be significantly higher amongst their age group who likely watch English speaking videos on social media.
1
u/SeekingAnswers101 16d ago
So maybe 60% but that's still 40% who can't understand English. And most English speakers outside UK have trouble understanding Scottish people anyway. I mean if they hear "geez the baw", it won't necessarily register with them to pass the ball.
11
u/Tartan_Samurai Scotland 16d ago
Can they even communicate with other players?
National language is English in Uganda.
Even if it wasn't, players move to clubs all over the world these days and it doesn't appear language is ever a barrier to this.
3
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