Flower Of Scotland Back As Anthem

Scotland's football supporters have narrowly backed Flower of Scotland being officially recognised as the country's national anthem.

Fans were asked to vote by the Scottish Football Association (SFA), which received 35,000 responses in 48 hours.

The SFA said 56% were in favour of the Scottish Government officially recognising the tune, with 44% opposed.

The poll was circulated to members of its supporters' club and through the SFA's official Twitter and Facebook accounts.

It comes as a Scottish Parliament committee considers a petition to have the song, written by the late Roy Williamson of The Corries in the 1960s, officially recognised.

An SFA spokeswoman said: The response to the committee's inquiry has been incredible.

The easy option would have been to gauge the Board's view but the wider consultation not only demonstrates the passion and engagement of our 35,000 supporters' club members but also highlights the power of social media.

While the majority of responses were in favour of Flower of Scotland being officially recognised by the Scottish Government, there is also plenty food for thought in the feedback analysis.

There is clearly an appetite among a section of supporters to give consideration to a new anthem. Scotland the Brave retains an affinity among an element of the supporters while the popularity of The Proclaimers' crowd-pleaser endures.''

The SFA said 65% of the 23,000 social media responses were in favour of official recognition, while 60% of the 12,606 supporters' club members who responded were against.

The poll also gave fans the opportunity to suggest alternatives to Flower of Scotland, with popular choices including the Dougie MacLean classic Caledonia and the Proclaimers favourite, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).