"It's a very important part of this equation that a few survivors exist in this peculiar relationship with government, having to kowtow to government, make relationships with regulators, " says Mr. Singer.
He reckons that the peculiar fanaticism of local football fans and the interest in local historic symbols are part of the same thing: a deep-rooted desire for a cultural identity which reaches back to a time when the region was great and powerful, coupled with a certain resentment towards the south.