Global and Local Football: Politics and Europeanization on the Fringes of the EU (Routledge Critical Studies in Sport) - Hardcover

Armstrong, Gary; Mitchell, Jon P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415350174 ISBN 13: 9780415350174

Publisher: Routledge, 2008

Synopsis

What can the history of a nation's football reveal about that nation's wider political and socio-cultural identity? How can the study of local football culture help us to understand the powerful international forces at play within the modern game?

Based on long-term and detailed ethnographic research, this book uses Malta as a critical case study to explore the dynamics of contemporary football. Situated on the fringes of the EU, and with an appalling record in international competition, the Maltese are nevertheless fanatical about the game. This book examines Maltese football in the context of the island's unique politics, culture and national identity, shedding light upon both Maltese society and on broader processes, both local and global, within the international game. The book explores a range of key issues in contemporary football, such as:

the dynamics of international player migration

football corruption and ethics

the politics of sponsorship and TV deals

the global appeal of footballing "brands" such as Manchester United, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

This book is essential reading for students and researchers working in Sports Studies, Sociology of Sport, Football, Globalisation, Politics and Ethnic Studies.

About this title

About the Author

Gary Armstrong is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Brunel University, London. 

Jon P. Mitchell is a Reader in Social Anthropology at the University of Sussex, Brighton. 

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415350174
• ISBN 13: 9780415350174
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Hargreaves Jennifer, McDonald Ian