By Dr Paul Geraghty

When I was a young lad growing up in the Midlands of England, people who met me for the first time would usually ask not, as some might expect, “What’s your name?” – “sunny Jim” or “Charlie” or “tubby” would do for that – or “Where are you from?”, “What team do you support?” Meaning what football (soccer) team did I follow, or ‘barrack for’ as some say in the Antipodes (since you ask, the answer is Coventry City, I’m a long-suffering Sky Blue fan). And I don’t think that much has changed over the years – today, for most English kids, and many adults, their football team is one of the main markers of their identity. Ethnicity is also important, but not something you would ask directly.More info here…