ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book posits that sport had become increasingly significant in both symbolising English nationalism and illustrating the distinctiveness of the English as a population. On 23 June 2016 the UK population took a momentous decision that is likely to have considerable ramifications for English national identity and intra-British national relations for the foreseeable future. The book demonstrates the fundamental heterogeneity of Englishness as it is expressed in different sporting contexts. It illustrates how this heterogeneity was further complicated by what Susan Birrell (1988) called the 'matrix of social relations of power' which in turn shapes the multiplicity of identities. The book shows some of the problems the English have in constructing an identity which stands in contrast to the diverse amalgam of groups that constitute the 'Celtic fringe'.
