Showing papers in "Soccer & Society in 2011"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the ways gender has been interpreted over time within different feminisms and how this might be of use to a critical football studies, and they use these categories to demonstrate the depth and breadth of feminism and the range of feminist theory available for future research and study of football and its many cultures.
Abstract: In this article, I explore some of the ways gender has been interpreted over time within different feminisms and how this might be of use to a critical football studies. I move between different feminist emphases, which include consideration of the ‘category of woman’, the ‘category of gender’ and the ‘category of femininities’ and specifically in relation to football contexts. This simple model of feminist categories (‘woman’, ‘gender’ and ‘femininities’) intends to capture some of the histories of feminist theoretical development and available modes of feminist analyses. I use these categories to demonstrate the depth and breadth of feminism and the range of feminist theory available for future research and study of football and its many cultures.
75 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the influence of playing football on girls' gender identity construction and found that playing football can assist with reshaping traditional notions of femininity, and that the way girls played was heavily restricted by traditional notio...
Abstract: This article examines the influence participating in football has on girls' gender identity construction. Set within the context of the rapid increase in the number of females playing football and the changing notions of femininity within contemporary girlhood, the article explores whether playing can assist with reshaping traditional notions of femininity. It draws on data collected during a six‐month ethnographic study with a small group of 10‐ and 11‐year‐old girls. Butler's 1 concept of performativity is used to provide a theoretical framework for understanding gender identity construction. Methodologically, the research is underpinned by feminist and childhood sociology epistemological principles. A range of participatory methods have been utilized to assist the girls with communicating their views on the complex and abstract area of gender identity. The research findings indicate that whilst playing football was considered ‘acceptable’ the way girls played was heavily restricted by traditional notio...
59 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored why, and how, these foreign consumers support their chosen team in the English Premier League's Liverpool FC through a mixed methods case study and found that satellite supporters highlighted the importance of seven primary antecedents in their initial identification with the English soccer team: media coverage, style of play, presence of a particular player, team success, history of success, participation in the highest division and stadium.
Abstract: Globalization and advances in communications technology, notably satellite television and broadband Internet, have greatly expanded the potential marketplace for professional sport teams. As a result, many team brands profit from millions of satellite supporters worldwide. This study is the third in a series that explores why, and how, these foreign consumers support their chosen team. Through a mixed methods case study, satellite supporters highlighted the importance of seven primary antecedents in their initial identification with the English Premier League’s Liverpool FC: media coverage, style of play, presence of a particular player(s), team success, history of success, participation in the highest division and stadium. They also actively sought opportunities to support the team (and engage with the club and fellow fans) throughout the year, not solely during football season. Furthermore, satellite supporters expressed intense loyalty for, and appeared to derive psychological benefit from their suppor...
54 citations
TL;DR: Goldblatt's The Ball is Round has set a new standard for the game of the round as mentioned in this paper, and is considered the classic game of all games of the board game.
Abstract: by David Goldblatt, New York, Riverhead Books, 2006, ix + 933 pp., 19 photographs, bibliography, index, $25.00 (pbk). ISBN 9781594482960 David Goldblatt’s The Ball is Round has set a new standard i...
51 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored constructions of gender inequity in coaching and identified the consistent re/production of women as unconfident in their own skills and abilities, and the framing of women themselves as responsible for the gendered inequities in football coaching.
Abstract: Whilst women's participation in sport continues to increase, their presence remains ideologically challenging given the significance of sport for the construction of gendered identities. As a hegmonically masculine institution, leadership roles across sport remain male‐dominated and the entry of women into positions of authority (such as coaching) routinely contested. But in powerful male‐typed sports, like football, women's participation remains particularly challenging. Consequently, constructions of gender inequity in coaching were explored at a regional division of the English Football Association through unstructured interviews and coaching course observation. Using critical discourse analysis we identified the consistent re/production of women as unconfident in their own skills and abilities, and the framing of women themselves as responsible for the gendered inequities in football coaching. Women were thereby strategically positioned as deservedly on the periphery of the football category, whilst t...
51 citations
TL;DR: The Bend It Like Beckham movie as discussed by the authors is about a young Sikh girl, who dreams of playing football for England, and although the film helped to raise the public visibility of British Asian girls who play football in this country, it also reproduced the popular belief that playing sport is seen to be antithetical to British Asian family traditions, culture and religion.
Abstract: Capturing the football frenzy of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea, the film Bend It Like Beckham hit the British movie screens. The film is about Jess, a young Sikh girl, who dreams of playing football for England. Although the film helped to raise the public visibility of British Asian girls who play football in this country, worryingly, it also reproduced the popular belief that playing sport is seen to be antithetical to British Asian family traditions, culture and religion. This mirrors much of the wider research about British Asian males as it is believed, despite the rich diversity of British Asian leagues, teams and football networks, that playing sport at elite levels is not as important to British Asians as following traditional routes of success through the educational system. In this article, I am critical about the essentialist and stereotypical nature of past research that mostly serves to render invisible the multiplicity of British Asian females' experiences. Adopting...
49 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the player acquisition trends of the ‘big five’ European professional football leagues (English Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga) between the seasons 2004-5 and 2008-9.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the player acquisition trends of the ‘big five’ European professional football leagues (English Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga) between the seasons 2004–5 and 2008–9. Specifically, the study differentiates between the presence and impact of indigenous home-grown players, non-indigenous home-grown players and foreign players within the respective leagues. Official player directories provided information on a number of player and club variables including nationality, FIFA affiliation, league, club, primary playing position and appearances. Data was coded, analysed and presented using descriptive statistics. The results indicate an increasing level of football player migration between nation states located in different confederations. The dominant migrants outside of the UEFA confederation originate from South America and Africa. Although indigenous home-grown player numbers were decreasing (slightly), four of the five leagues remained indige...
46 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors deal with the soundscapes of carsi, the supporter group for the Besiktas Gymnastics Club, and argue that this supporter group functions like an acoustic community, and that the marches, chants and sonic rituals draw the supporters together constructing a sense of a shared space in which there are communally used and interpreted sounds.
Abstract: This article deals with the soundscapes of Carsi, the supporter group for the Besiktas Gymnastics Club. It can be argued that this supporter group functions like an acoustic community. Following the idea of acoustemology (i.e. acoustic epistemology), the article seeks answers to the following questions: What can we know about the group by listening to it? What does chanting and sounding contribute to the group and what does the ways it manifests sonically tell about the community? The marches, chants and sonic rituals draw the supporters together constructing a sense of a shared space in which there are communally used and interpreted sounds. It seems that this acoustic community is also supported by an electro‐acoustic community. There are multiple ways in which the fans not being able to attend the matches or pre‐match gatherings in situ can share and learn about the acoustic atmosphere.
42 citations
TL;DR: This article explored the ways in which self-recognition as a footballer, in terms of ethnicity, along with cultural values and religious adherence have impacted on the identities of members of the British Muslim Women's Football Team and their choice to compete at the Women's Islamic Games (WIG) in Iran in 2005.
Abstract: This research article explores the ways in which self‐recognition as a footballer, in terms of ethnicity, along with cultural values and religious adherence have impacted on the identities of members of the British Muslim Women’s Football Team and their choice to compete at the Women’s Islamic Games (WIG) in Iran in 2005. The article offers new information on an emerging research area, highlighting issues previously missing from accounts of girls and women’s football in the UK. The article adopts a social constructionist framework in unravelling the experiences and perceptions of the British Muslim Women’s Football Team and explores how identities are shaped and reinforced through playing football. The research findings of this study are based on five years of participant observation and 16 semi‐structured interviews with members of the British Muslim Women’s Football Team. Through a focus on interview transcript material this article seeks to entangle the complexity of gender, ethnicity and Islam and the...
41 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the international migration of female footballers; a topic not yet addressed by the literature on globalization and sports labour migration, and uncover the players' motives for playing abroad.
Abstract: This study examines the international migration of female footballers; a topic not yet addressed by the literature on globalization and sports labour migration. The article aims to shed light upon how the movement of female footballers across countries and continents is developing and to uncover the players’ motives for playing abroad. The theoretical underpinning comes from both conventional and alternative critical views of sports as labour. The focus is on immigration into Scandinavian countries and, particularly, on migrant players from North America and Africa with whom interview-based interpretative research was conducted. The results indicate firstly, that the international migration of female footballers is already a well-established and globalized process and that the Scandinavian countries are becoming a centre for migrants. Secondly, players’ motives for moving do not include solely economic incentives but reasons such as football experience, career ambitions, and love and infatuation for the game.
41 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored discourses of gender and sexuality in relation to female football players located within the context of "gay sport" and explored how women resist homophobic and heteronormative discourses present within the broader context of mainstream sport, and how they negotiate their position as women in the world of 'gay football'.
Abstract: This article explores discourses of gender and sexuality in relation to female football players located within the context of ‘gay sport’. The findings presented are taken from my PhD research, and as such form part of a larger study of both male and female footballers who choose to play in gay‐ or lesbian‐identified football clubs. Drawing upon participant observation and interview narratives of five women involved in gay/lesbian‐identified football contexts, this article considers how these women resist homophobic and heteronormative discourses present within the broader context of mainstream sport, and how they negotiate their position as women in the world of ‘gay football’. Engaging with feminist, post‐structuralist and queer theories, it offers a critique of ‘gay sport’, with a particular emphasis on ‘inclusion’. In doing so, it highlights the complex and often paradoxical responses to the homophobic and heteronormative climate of mainstream sport, and illustrates the tensions inherent within this s...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored perspectives of domestic and global football fans from the English Premier League (EPL) from Hong Kong and Liverpool, respectively, and examined definitional issues, the level of fan support of teams, players and leagues, and fan attitudes towards the sociopolitical context and viability of the proposal.
Abstract: Since the inception of the English Premier League (EPL) in 1992, elite clubs have experienced considerable financial expansion. Broadcasting contracts and international markets have reduced the reliance on localized support, and several clubs have sought to promote their ‘brand’ by staging international pre-season tours. In February 2008, the EPL introduced the ‘39th Game’ proposal, whereby clubs would play an extra round of domestic league matches in international cities. The proposition has incurred responses from governing bodies, football clubs and media organizations. Football supporters, however, remain largely unrepresented. This article explores perspectives of ‘domestic’ and ‘global’ fans, from Liverpool and Hong Kong, respectively. Interview data is examined pertaining to definitional issues, the level of fan support of teams, players and leagues, and fan attitudes towards the sociopolitical context and viability of the proposal. This work also examines the extent to which it might threaten and ...
TL;DR: In this article, the applicability of football as a tool to promote peace-building in post-conflict communities is examined, and a football-based NGO programme conducted in Liberia is described.
Abstract: Interpersonal violence such as terrorism, civil war and transnational conflict pose a significant threat to peace in many contemporary societies. Such hostilities frequently produce humanitarian crises that encourage the international community to engage in ‘humanitarian intervention’ in an effort to stabilize/restore social order. This article examines the applicability of football as a tool to promote peace‐building in post‐conflict communities. As a consequence of its simplicity and global popularity, a number of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) have noted the suitability of football as a mechanism to help build peace and promote social development in post‐conflict societies. They regard football as a means of encouraging otherwise segregated groups to congregate in shared space to partake in a collective sporting experience – and see this as a positive thing to do. Consequently, this article examines a football‐based NGO programme conducted in Liberia and, by way of exploring the applicability of...
TL;DR: This paper used the lens provided by the Mitchell et al. framework to identify the most salient stakeholders in Greek professional football that managers should pay attention to, and suggest practices that could or should be adopted for the best possible results.
Abstract: Football is not only the most popular sport in Greece; it is also a sport with remarkable economic and political dimensions. Operating in such a perplexing environment, managers of professional football clubs are often confronted with equally complex tasks. In order to make the best possible decisions, managers need to prioritize these tasks based on identifying the stakeholder who really matters at any given time. This article, hence, uses the lens provided by the Mitchell et al. framework to identify the most salient stakeholders in Greek professional football that managers should pay attention to, and suggests practices that could or should be adopted for the best possible results.
TL;DR: The authors explored the potential of Giddens 'Structuration Theory' (ST) for moving the sociology of sport closer towards meeting this end by conducting qualitative interviews with thirty football fans, and their findings of these and their implications are discussed in relation to the ‘everyday' processes of fandom.
Abstract: Although football fans actively discuss all of the ‘big players’ within their practice, the same cannot be said for sociologists of sport. Anthony Giddens is a world renowned intellectual and author of some of the most predominant sociological texts of the last millennium. He is the most frequently cited contemporary sociologist spanning all aspects of the social sciences, and yet his work is seldom referred to or used within the sociology of sport. In response to this and in reaction to calls from authors such as Williams to re‐think football fandom, this article aims to explore the potential of Giddens ‘Structuration Theory’ (ST) for moving the sociology of sport closer towards meeting this end. It draws on in‐depth qualitative interviews with thirty football fans. The findings of these and their implications are discussed in relation to the ‘everyday’ processes of fandom.
TL;DR: A sociological analysis of the different processes involved in turning one from a mere spectator of sport to becoming a fan is presented in this article, where the authors argue that the process is rarely an overnight event, but rather a lengthy one.
Abstract: This article seeks to analyse the process of becoming a football fan within a Zimbabwean context. It is based on the study of fandom, on fans of a team called Dynamos Football Club based in Zimbabwe. It seeks to analyse the process of becoming a fan, noting the different reasons why people become attached to football teams. It provides a sociological analysis of the different processes involved in turning one from a mere spectator of sport to becoming a fan. The article argues that becoming a fan is complex process which often includes various processes. Whilst fans often highlight significant events that made them decide to become a fan, the process is rarely an overnight event, but rather a lengthy one. Studies on fandom have tended to concentrate on Western nations. There is thus a huge gap in understanding fan processes in Africa with only limited studies in big footballing nations such as Nigeria and South Africa. This article tries to redress this imbalance as well.
TL;DR: The authors found that the relationship between English national identity and support for the national team is more complex than the increased display of the St George Cross suggests, and English articulations of identi...
Abstract: The English St George Cross has recently become more prominent than the British Union Jack among English football fans. Some authors assume this to be evidence that a specifically English national consciousness is arising. However, the ways in which English fans describe their own national identity and their feelings towards the national football team have not been the primary focus of previous research. In order to explore this area further, online questionnaires were disseminated among various fan groups during the 2006 World Cup, the 2008 European Championships and the summer of 2009, gleaning a total of 1355 valid responses. Frequencies were calculated for answers to multiple-choice items and answers to open response items were categorized using a qualitative coding approach. Findings indicate that the relationship between English national identity and support for the national team is more complex than the increased display of the St George Cross suggests. Specifically, English articulations of identi...
TL;DR: In this article, a wider study examines how women understand and perceive their position in support roles, which are usually maledominated, and the implications of these findings for both women's current position in football and the wider gendered structures of the sport ar...
Abstract: This article discusses findings from a wider study examining the experiences of women in football in the UK. Official figures have demonstrated that the number of females playing football has risen significantly in the last 20 years; to support this growth, large numbers of women are now involved ‘behind the scenes’ in a variety of different roles, particularly at the grassroots. This study examines how women understand and perceive their position in support roles, which are usually male‐dominated. Adapting Walsh's proposed model of strategies used by women in traditionally male‐dominated organizations, 1 the discussion is framed by the four ‘techniques’ utilized by the women to understand and manage their roles in football: (1) accommodating masculine norms, (2) constructing women's work as inferior, (3) emphasizing female superiority and (4) creating female‐dominated spaces. The implications of these findings for both women's current position in football and the wider gendered structures of the sport ar...
TL;DR: The role of the football chant as an exercise in historicity, fan diaspora, mediations of space and place, migrations across mono-and multicultural affiliations, big business against and/or in tandem with locality, differing (even competing) engagements of national and international fan associations, and the creation, appropriation, and reinterpretation of chants impacting on issues of personal, group and cultural representation and identity/identities as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In trying to find positives from Europe's golfing demise in the 2008 Ryder Cup, British journalist Owen Slot reported that ‘if there is one department in which Europeans remain superior here, it is in their mastery of football chants. Americans, it turns out, cannot even fathom the basic rhythms’. In this article, I will seek to challenge the assumptions behind such statements and investigate the role of the football chant as an exercise in historicity, fan diaspora, mediations of space and place, migrations across mono‐ and multicultural affiliations, big business against and/or in tandem with locality, differing (even competing) engagements of national and international fan associations, and the creation, appropriation, and reinterpretation of chants impacting on issues of personal, group and cultural representation and identity/identities. Moreover, in reviewing these areas, I will be presenting a multidimensional reading of the fan chant, over and above melodic analysis and socio‐cultural examinations...
TL;DR: The militiamen had to be kept out of the riding school while the women were drilling there because they laughed at the women and put them off as discussed by the authors, and no one would have seen anything c...
Abstract: The militiamen had to be kept out of the riding‐school while the women were drilling there because they laughed at the women and put them off. A few months earlier no one would have seen anything c...
TL;DR: The inaugural Homeless World Cup was held in July 2003 in Graz, Austria with 18 teams competing as mentioned in this paper, which aimed to encourage disengaged and demotivated people to participate in the sporting environment, to provide an inclusive football opportunity to raise personal dignity and self-esteem, and to use football as a social inclusion tool to challenge stereotypical views of homeless people.
Abstract: The inaugural Homeless World Cup was held in July 2003 in Graz, Austria with 18 teams competing. Organized by the International Network of Street Papers, the tournament's aims were to encourage disengaged and de‐motivated people to participate in the sporting environment, to provide an inclusive football opportunity to raise personal dignity and self‐esteem, and to use football as a social inclusion tool to challenge stereotypical views, especially in the media, of homeless people. The researcher was coach to the Welsh squad and this article reflectively reports the experiences of the Welsh squad in relation to the tournament's three objectives of: encouraging disengaged and de‐motivated people, raising personal dignity and self‐esteem, and challenging stereotypical views.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the process of gender socialization in girls' and boys' football teams in Swedish children's football and drew on data gathered from ethnographic fieldwork over two years.
Abstract: This article examines the process of gender socialization in girls’ and boys’ football teams in Swedish children’s football. The article draws on data gathered from ethnographic fieldwork over two ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reveal the impact of Mussolini's nationalistic strategies on the development of the beautiful game in Italy, assesses the degree of football's political manipulation during the country's more turbulent years until now, and consequently address the disturbing, yet overlooked, issue of racism in Italian football.
Abstract: The game of football is known as much for its mass appeal as for its nation-building properties. In the case of Italy, just as dictator Benito Mussolini employed the game to promote a distinct sense of national identity, contemporary extreme right-wing parties have proved determined to exploit the popularity of football in order to support their inherently xenophobic views. Hence, this essay reveals the impact of Mussolini’s nationalistic strategies on the development of the beautiful game in Italy, assesses the degree of football’s political manipulation during the country’s more turbulent years until now, and consequently addresses the disturbing, yet overlooked, issue of racism in Italian football.
TL;DR: This article explored notions of nationalism and racism within Britain, examined racism within contemporary domestic football, and present interview material with half of the professional British-Asian demographic in England to gauge an insight into what barriers they may have faced, whether racism is still a prominent threat and reasons behind the poor participation levels.
Abstract: Racism within professional English football is said to have diminished in recent years as football has evolved since the days of the 1970s when monkey chants, thus overt racism, were commonly witnessed in the stands. However, although overt racism within the game has perhaps reduced, other forms of racism still exist and may have contributed to the lack of professional British-Asian football players. This essay will (a) explore notions of nationalism and racisms within Britain; (b) examine racism within contemporary domestic football; and (c) present interview material with half of the professional British-Asian demographic in England to gauge an insight into what barriers they may have faced, whether racism is still a prominent threat and reasons behind the poor participation levels. By focusing on these areas in detail, the essay intends to explore the British-Asian demographic and makes an attempt to theorize the future of British-Asians within professional English football.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how often Swedish women's football players failed in their "actions" in the Women's World Cup of 2003 and 2007, and the men's national team's performance has correspondingly been analysed in the Men's World Cups of 2002 and 2006.
Abstract: According to many Swedish football experts, journalists and others, women's football players at an elite level are not even close to male football players as regards ball technique and game perception. To all appearances, there are similar views in many other countries where women's football has been established. This article aims to examine the accuracy of this opinion, that is, is it correct that Swedish women's football players at an elite level often fail to perform when ball technique and game perception are put to the test. The article analyses how often the Swedish national team's players failed in their ‘actions’ in the Women's World Cups of 2003 and 2007. ‘Actions’ refer to passes, ball receptions, dribbles, final shots and fixed situations. The men's national team's performance has correspondingly been analysed in the men's World Cups of 2002 and 2006. The matches were analysed by means of video. Analysis of almost 10,000 actions shows that there are differences, but that these are relatively sm...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the process of doing qualitative research in such settings and report and reflect on the ethical and methodological challenges associated with comparative research into inter-group conflicts in the football context.
Abstract: Previous research on football (soccer) fan cultures has documented the lived experiences of devoted football supporters. Few studies, however, have used participant observation and intensive interviewing to examine the deep-rooted inter-group oppositions that characterize avid football rivalries. Even fewer have done this involving both sides of a rivalry and in countries and cultures unknown or unfamiliar to the researcher. This essay examines the process of doing qualitative research in such settings. Fieldwork experiences in Italy, Spain, England and the Netherlands are used to report and reflect on the ethical and methodological challenges associated with comparative research into inter-group conflicts in the football context. There are specific dilemmas that relate directly to the task of studying multiple sides of a football rivalry. Accusations of partiality and ethical criticisms of the researcher’s betrayal of one side against the other are rife, particularly in situations where intra-group cleavages and a strong distrust of the police exist.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors expose the practices that form gender identity among female football players in the Israeli context, with a focus on the relation between gender and nationalism, and analyze the ways in which women organize bases of power and rewards in the face of the sports establishments and organizations in Israel and within of the private sector.
Abstract: This article attempts to expose the practices that form gender identity among female football players in the Israeli context, with a focus on the relation between gender and nationalism. This exposure will concentrate on the processes shaping gender identity from the beginning of the female football player's career as a professional athlete, and on the significance female football players attribute to their occupation in a field of sports that is perceived as masculine. In this context, the encounter of women in (and on) the field will be examined in terms of how it is conducted and experienced. Moreover, the article also analyses the ways in which women organize bases of power and rewards in the face of the sports establishments and organizations in Israel and within of the private sector.
TL;DR: This paper analyzed selected English newspapers' gendered narratives about the English soccer team's star player, Wayne Rooney, and the captain, David Beckham, comparing with those devoted to Rooney's fiancee, Coleen McLoughlin, and Beckham's wife, Victoria, who with other players' wives and girlfriends (WAGS) travelled to Germany to support England during the 2006 World Cup.
Abstract: This essay analyses selected English newspapers’ gendered narratives about the English soccer team’s star player, Wayne Rooney, and the captain, David Beckham. Narratives are compared with those devoted to Rooney’s fiancee, Coleen McLoughlin, and Beckham’s wife, Victoria, who with other players’ wives and girlfriends (WAGS) travelled to Germany to support England during the 2006 World Cup. It uses textual analysis to examine how the newspapers’ gendered narratives intersected with nationalistic discourses. Theoretical insight is drawn from Connell’s theory of gender power relations. Narratives about Rooney emphasize his northern working-class roots in the construction of his hegemonic hypermasculinity and role as a ‘patriot at play,’ while narratives about McLoughlin illustrate her subordinate role. More fluid and contradictory narratives are reserved for Beckham, who is known for his more androgynous image, and his wife Victoria, whose strong influence over ‘the skipper’ challenged the traditional gender...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the footballing experiences of girls with learning disabilities within an after-school football initiative that sought to forge a partnership between Bryant Park Special School and Liberty High Specialist Sports College, both based in different suburbs within one city in the north of England.
Abstract: In this article, we explore the footballing experiences of girls with learning disabilities. We situate our article within an after‐school football initiative that sought to forge a partnership between Bryant Park Special School and Liberty High Specialist Sports College, both based in different suburbs within one city in the north of England. We ask the following question: How are after‐school football initiatives, designed to enhance football opportunities and links between special and mainstream schools, being experienced by a range of stakeholders? In seeking to explore this question, we offer a series of critical non‐fiction narratives that capture the different ways in which a number of girls with learning disabilities, a male football coach and the male head teacher of a special school experience the realities of the football initiative. These tales illustrate not only the practical challenges of attempting to enhance football opportunities but also the theoretical challenges of exploring intersect...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the rationale of the home-grown player rule and its legality under European Union (EU) law in the wake of the Bosman ruling and argued that it is in the interest of footballers and fans to have full international freedom of movement and that protectionist measures such as playing quotas are an anathema to the good of the game.
Abstract: Over the last few years, football and other European team sports have sought to reintroduce measures that can be identified as being in the guise of nationality quotas and are protectionist in nature. In football, UEFA has introduced the ‘home-grown player rule’; FIFA initially promoted and then recently decided to apply a moratorium on introducing the so-called ‘6 + 5 rule’. Both of these measures will be examined as to their rationale in sporting terms and their legality under European Union (EU) law in the wake of the Bosman ruling. There also appears to be a ‘turf war’ between UEFA and FIFA as to the right to govern football with regards to this measure. The authors have always argued that it is in the interest of footballers and fans to have full international freedom of movement and that protectionist measures such as playing quotas are an anathema to the good of the game.