Two-thirds of Scots will support England during World Cup in Germany: poll

Scotland's forward Kenny Miller (C) celebrates with teammates David Weir (L) and Darren Fletcher in front of delirious Scotland fans after scoring a goal against Italy during their qualifing football match for the 2006 World Cup at Glasgow's Hampden Park stadium, September 2005. Two-thirds of Scottish football fans will support England at the World Cup finals in Germany, dispelling the stereotype they will cheer on their southern neighbour's opponents, a survey showed.

Two-thirds of Scottish football fans will support England at the World Cup finals in Germany, dispelling the stereotype they will cheer on their southern neighbour's opponents, a survey showed.

Nonetheless, around a quarter of Scots, whose country did not qualify for the tournament, still hope their old rivals, the "Auld Enemy," will lose, according to the survey for the BBC by ICM showed Friday.

Overall, some 67 percent said they wanted coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's England side to triumph, the survey said.

The number of Scots who would back England in a World Cup final varied marginally according to the opponent.

If England played Germany, 69 percent of Scots would cheer for the players south of the border but the number dropped to 65 percent if England faced Brazil in the final stage, the survey showed.

Scots were also pleased that London has been chosen to play host to the 2012 Olympics. Ironically, the number was even higher than that in London itself.

Three out of four Scots were happy that the British capital would stage the event in six years' time, compared with 71 percent of those living in the host city.

But Scottish nationalist sentiments surged again when it came to Scottish Olympic athletes competing for the British team.

More than two fifths -- 43 percent of people north of the border -- wanted separate home nation teams as in the Commonwealth Games, or as in sports like football and rugby.

Across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 74 percent of those surveyed supported a single British team.

ICM interviewed a random sample of 2,367 adults aged over 18 by telephone between March 24 and 28.