My comment was intended as light-hearted and flippant, I didn't really anticipate the earnest replies and recourse to Wikipedia! Neither do I want to steer the discussion off topic.
So, just to touch on the subject briefly: firstly it depends on what is meant by 'Celtic', which is a rather vague term. But the idea that the English population is Anglo-Saxon and as such are a very separate and distinct people from those in Wales and Scotland is largely myth, seemingly borne out of 19th century national romanticism and the English seeking to justify their feelings of innate superiority. An Oxford University study from some years ago suggested that nearly two-thirds of the English population are descended from Celts, not far off that seen in Scotland and outnumbering those of Anglo-Saxon ancestry three-to-one. The Britons weren't, in fact, driven to the outer reaches of Britain, displaced by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the 5th century onwards, but rather lived alongside the existing populace. And whilst these newcomers brought their cultural influence to bear, certain Brythonic ways of life, for example traditional Celtic farming methods, continued to be used. Cumbric continued to be spoken until the 12th century and Cornish until the 18th.
Also mainly unfounded is the implication that Wales, Scotland and Ireland have a shared common Celtic culture quite different to that of England. After all, we are conducting this exchange in English. And the Welsh language is very different to Irish.
Ireland, though not to the same degree, has a rather more mixed population than is suggested in the above comment. It didn't suffer invasions on the scale that Britain did over the millennia of course, being further away from the continent. But there was a Viking invasion, Norman invasions, large numbers of colonists that arrived under the Anglo-Norman period of the Pale, as well as the Tudor invasion and the subsequent Plantation. And it goes without saying that modern Ireland has undergone significant demographic change in recent decades and this, happily, is reflected increasingly in the Ireland squad in its various age groups.
I'm not sure if I'm missing something but the map that's been posted provides no information on the cultural, ethnic and genetic make-up of modern Britain and simply appears to be a standard map with the various boundaries delineated and the corresponding territories highlighted in their associated colours - red for Wales, white for England etc.
Anyway, it's an interesting subject. Here are some links posters might find worth reading.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31905764
https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cu...r-skin-2480644
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/m...ritishancestry
As far as the Euros bid goes, I agree the Euro 2020 Final fan trouble counts against the FA. Perhaps more significant than that though is UK press' role in exposing of the rampant corruption extant within FIFA and UEFA, leading to the dramatic downfall of Blatter and Platini. This won't be forgiven in a hurry.
Bookmarks