My only flag’s a Celtic flag

I get that football thrives where it is a manifestation of tribalism. Across Europe and beyond club flags offer people more affinity with than any national emblem.

But, with one or two exceptions, it’s a largely innocuous brand. We get to wear tribal garb and indulge in our rituals without onerous economic consequence. The echo from the Great Recession, which we are still hearing today, has been a lesson in what can happen when a tribe perceives that its relative position has diminished.

That perception often bears absolutely no relation to reality, but widespread economic illiteracy makes us look like a primitive animals.

My only flag’s a Celtic flag.  You are my only tribe.