British Football & Social Exclusion

Football fandom, social inclusion and learning disability: opportunities and constraints

“…However, despite football's popularity extending to communities less accessible through traditional political means (Wagg, 2004), there is little evidence to substantiate the underpinning assumptions of some football-based inclusion policies (Tacon, 2007). Although positive health and social benefits have been established for playing football (Collins & Buller, 2003), there is little or no evidence of the social-inclusion benefits of being a fan.…”

Sport Spectators and the Social Consequences of Commodification

“…Strikingly, some supporters express their opposition in terms that are closely congruent to the critical analyses of some sociologists (see, for example, Armstrong & Young, 1999;Critcher, 1979;Giulianotti, 1999Giulianotti, , 2002Taylor, 1971b;Wagg, 2004). The most direct and recurring critique concerns the business-focused introduction of the terms "customer"…”

“…The relationship of football's advanced commodification to the possible social exclusion of supporters has generated some strong critical commentaries (Conn, 1998(Conn, , 2004McGill, 2002;Wagg, 2004). Certainly, the financial demands made by clubs on supporters are greater than ever.…”

“…1 See for example Taylor (1971aTaylor ( , 1971bTaylor ( , 1993, Clarke (1978), Critcher (1979), Moorhouse (1986), Armstrong (1998), Giulianotti (1999Giulianotti ( , 2002, Nash (2000), Walsh and Giulianotti (2001), Wagg (2004), andWilliams (1999 Deloitte (2005). For an earlier discussion of these issues, see Giulianotti (2003).…”

Football clubs ownership and management. The fans perspective. [Propiedad y gestión de los clubes de fútbol. La perspectiva de los aficionados].

“…These trends are usually thought to have had a strong influence on the recent evolution of football, giving rise to a redefinition of its competitive structures (Giulianotti, 1999), the clubs' transformation into business organizations (Moor, 2007;Walsh & Giulianotti, 2001), the formation of a global market of hyper-professionalized footballers (Lafranchi & Taylor 2001), and the general commercialization of the ethos that articulated the modern formation of this sport around values of fun, sport sociability and fair play (Andrews, 2004;Sewart, 1987). In this context, various authors have referred to the recent transformations in football as the new football business (Conn, 1997;Finn & Giulianotti, 2000;Garland, Malcolm & Rowe, 2000;Hamil, Michie & Oughton, 1999;Morrow, 1999;Szymanski & Kuypers, 1999;Wagg, 2004). These authors point out that the media have become the main propellers of the new football business, transforming the main clubs into 'televised content businesses' (Boyle & Haynes, 2004).…”