Loyal to what? FC United's ‘shaping walk’ through football's ‘muck of ages’

Porter, Chris

doi:10.1080/17430437.2015.929316

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…In 2015, Deloitte stated in the Revolution Annual Review of Football Finance that of the 30 football clubs that generate the most money globally, 14 were members of the EPL. Investors in English football have many different reasons for their interest, including sporting success (Millward, 2013), prestige and social status (Giulianotti and Robertson, 2009), the desire to promote an existing business (Millward, 2013) and, despite the difficulties involved in so doing, the desire to make a financial profit (Hayton et al, 2017; Millward, 2012, 2013; Porter, 2015). As will be explored, Carson Yeung’s decision to invest in BCFC was motivated by a mixture of all of these factors, leading to a somewhat confused business model.…”

Section: English Football In the Era Of Global Flows And Global Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to works on football and globalisation referenced above, the topic of foreign ownership in English football has been examined by scholars including Kiernan and Porter (2014), Millward and Poulton (2014), Porter (2015) and Jones and Cook (2015) amongst others. In the cases of Chelsea and Manchester City, the status of clubs has been transformed by the financial power of their owners (Ludvigsen, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the cases of Chelsea and Manchester City, the status of clubs has been transformed by the financial power of their owners (Ludvigsen, 2017). Other clubs, notably Manchester United, have been targeted by leveraged buyouts and the aims of the owners have been unpopular to the extent that breakaway clubs have been formed to which some fans have transferred allegiance (Kiernan and Porter, 2014; Millward and Poulton, 2014; Porter, 2015). While many fans have embraced the influx of wealth from globalised investment (notably when it has improved the on-field performance of the club they support), others have expressed feelings of disenfranchisement from ‘a game now dominated by transnational financial interests’ (Webber, 2017: 12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This stems from a sense that clubs are no longer rooted in local communities, and are now global business concerns whose everyday decision-making processes are not bound to the local roots of clubs (Webber, 2017). Episodes of ‘mismanagement’ also cause fans to express displeasure, particularly when the on-field fortunes of clubs suffer as a consequence of financial problems, perceived excessive commercialisation and/or cultural misunderstanding (Hayton et al, 2017; Millward, 2012, 2013; Porter, 2015; Webber, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Football and the ‘mysterious nature of global capital’: A case study of Birmingham City FC and Birmingham International Holdings

May

2018

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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This article utilises English professional football club Birmingham City FC as a case study to examine the place of football within the globalised economy. In October 2009, the Hong Kong based businessman Carson Yeung led a takeover of Birmingham City (BCFC). The Birmingham International Holdings (BIH) group that he led aimed to develop the club’s business profile and support in China by importing Chinese players to BCFC and signing deals with Chinese companies. Yeung was arrested and charged with money laundering in 2011, and was unable to directly fund the club he bought. BCFC were negatively affected by many of the decisions made during Yeung’s reign. The case study analyses the consequences of poor planning for a football club in the globalised economy. It utilises the ideas of Appadurai on globalisation, and examines how the business of football exemplifies what Appadurai terms the mysterious and complex nature of global capital.

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Section: English Football In the Era Of Global Flows And Global Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Football and the ‘mysterious nature of global capital’: A case study of Birmingham City FC and Birmingham International Holdings

May

2018

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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“…Notwithstanding the antipathy of much of the U.S. populace and media to soccer (Szymanski & Zimbalist, 2006), Manchester United F.C. is one of sport’s most recognizable clubs, a global and highly valued brand, and subject to extensive academic attention by those researching the consequences of English football’s economic neoliberalization (Andrews, 2004; Millward & Poulton, 2014; Porter, 2015; Rofe, 2014; Szymanski, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Perfect Script? Manchester United’sClass of ’92

Dart

McDonald²

2016

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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The Class of '92 is a documentary film which features six Manchester United F.C. players who recount their time during a pivotal period for the club, English football and English society. The documentary claims to offer a commentary of Britain in the 1990s, but appears, without acknowledging the fact, to be a promotional vehicle to establish the six men as a brand labelled the Class of '92. Creating this brand necessarily involved presenting a selective account of their time and place with the film being little more than an advertisement, masquerading as an observational documentary. The film draws freely upon the symbolic capital held by the club and the city of Manchester and uses the Busby Babes/Munich chapter and the more recent 'Madchester scene' to forge a Class of '92 brand by editing out those elements that did not accord with this project. The paper argues that a more complete representation of '90s Britain, whilst disrupting the intended narrative, would acknowledge the significant structural and commercial changes experienced by the club, the sport and the city in the last decade of the twentieth century. We suggest that the Class of '92 invites the viewer to consider how the documentary film genre can contribute to brand development and promotion. IntroductionIn this paper we focus on The Class of '92, a British documentary released in 2013, which features six Manchester United F.C. players during the mid-1990s. We discuss specific themes within, and missing from, the film and locate it in a broader sociocultural context and identify those factors which are inextricably linked to the club, English football and the city of Manchester. Notwithstanding the antipathy of much of the United States populace and media to soccer (Szymanski and Zimbalist, 2006), Manchester United F.C. is one of sport's most recognisable clubs, a global and highly valued brand and subject to extensive academic attention by those researching the consequences of English football's economic neoliberalisation (Andrews, 2004;Millward and Poulton, 2014;Porter, 2015;Rofe, 2014;Szymanski, 1998).The Class of '92 (hereafter CO92) documentary is built around key moments, a tactic common to the sport documentary genre. It begins in 1992 and closes in 1999 when Manchester United F.C. (hereafter MUFC) won 'the treble' comprising the FA Cup, the Premier League title and UEFA's European Champions League. The documentary purports to offer a sociocultural commentary on Britain in the 1990s orientated around six individuals: David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes. This paper examines the representation of these six players and film's links with the iconic 'Busby Babes'. We contend that the film exploits the Busby Babes/Munich tragedy and the more recent 'Madchester scene' in an attempt to forge a Class of '92 brand by editing out those elements in the history of the club and city that did not accord with CO92 project. We consider the aesthetic style found in specific segments, identify what was ...

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Rip It Up and Start Again: Locality, Loyalty and Culture Wars

Porter

2019

Supporter Ownership in English Football

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Loyal to what? FC United's ‘shaping walk’ through football's ‘muck of ages’

Cited by 13 publications

References 8 publications

Football and the ‘mysterious nature of global capital’: A case study of Birmingham City FC and Birmingham International Holdings

Football and the ‘mysterious nature of global capital’: A case study of Birmingham City FC and Birmingham International Holdings

A Perfect Script? Manchester United’sClass of ’92

Rip It Up and Start Again: Locality, Loyalty and Culture Wars

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