Football continues to be the nation’s favourite sport and
2014 has given fans plenty of highs and lows to enjoy. The culmination of
mostly competitive leagues across Europe, a Brazilian World Cup, the start of
new league campaigns and the qualifying rounds of European club and
international competitions to mention a few. However, over the last few weeks football has appeared
almost as much on the front pages of newspapers as much as the back. It seems
that what happens in football (in this country at least) shines a light or
holds a mirror up to many wider social issues and provides opportunities for
very public debate. Not a bad thing for a sociologist to consider.
The following, in no particular order, is just a very
brief litany of recent football stories that has elicited interventions,
comments and generated much heated debate and which can be interpreted as
reflecting ongoing arguments and analyses in a broader social context
concerning amongst other things discrimination and governance.
1) Ched Evans – The
professional footballer convicted of rape has expressed little contrition since
his release from prison. The decision by the club that he was contracted to at
the time of his offence, Sheffield United, to allow him initially to train at
the club following a request from the Professional Footballers Association raised
the prospect of him being resigned as a player for the club with a view to him
resuming his career.
The club has since come
under intense pressure from patrons (including Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill
and musicians), Rape Crisis
England & Wales and the End Violence Against Women Coalition and
more than 165,000 members of the public who signed a
petition rejecting the clubs move. The club has now revoked the offer of training
facilities for the player as a response
to such opposition.
Amongst
the many issues this case raises is the impact that high profile footballers
have as role models, the seriousness and pervasiveness of violence against
women, what is appropriate employment for the rehabilitation of sex offenders,
how can public opinion be organised to enact change.
2) Malkay McKay/ Dave Whelan/Wigan: The appointment of Malky McKay as Wigan manager despite being investigated by the
Football Association for offensive texts (of a sexist, racist and homophobic
nature) raised many eyebrows not just in football but in wider society. Dave
Whelan the owner of Wigan FC in an interview attempted to justify the signing
of McKay but expressed views and used language that has led him also now to be accused and investigated
for racism and anti-Semitism.
Is this just another example
of ‘Banal’ sexism, racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism to be found in everyday
workplaces as ‘banter’?
Is it representative of the
unreconstructed nature of some/many areas of society?
Should we be optimistic by
the strong reactions it has invoked?
3) The
appointment of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on 13th November as manager of League 2
Burton Albion highlighted that there are now only 3 black and ethnic minority (BME) people in top management roles in the
Football League and that there are only
19 (BME) coaches in the 552
'top' coaching positions at professional English clubs.
Does this suggest, given the number
of BME players in clubs in all divisions that there is a form of institutional
racism at play in English football that stops players becoming coaches and
managers. If not, what other factors can account for this disparity in
opportunity? Is there a level playing field when it comes to appointments in
top jobs (and not only in football) or is there a need for legislative action
to ensure it?
4) The Report of the Investigation into the Bidding Process and Competition for Fifa’s World Cups in 2018 and 2022 has been published. This resulted in something of a farce when the independent investigator, US attorney Michael Garcia, contradicted the findings of the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber, German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, just 4 hours after the report was released.
Whilst accusations
and counter accusations have been levied against the English FA, a failed
bidder, and FIFA about the probity of the bidding process and the
accuracy of the findings, what remains is a sense of distrust and lack of
transparency in the organisation of world football itself and in particular it’s
President, Sepp Blatter.
Given that the chief whistle-blower
now fears for her and her family’s safety what can we believe or trust can we
have in those who have organised and participated in this process?
Does this sorry state of affairs in footballs
world governing body tell us something about corruption, governance and
transparency in similar global corporations?
Is it indicative, given the levels of proven
misdeeds among many global financial institutions and banks, of operating
procedures and practices that appear intrinsically unsound, dishonest, sleazy and
fraudulent?
5) The
first Scotland - England match to be
played north of the border since 1989 and certainly since the recent
Independence Referendum saw some good football and goals and relatively
speaking a fine England performance.
However, the reporting of
the match also focussed on a small section of England fans who thought it
appropriate to use the England
supporters' band as background music for sectarian anti-IRA chants and songs.
Whilst
much has been done in Scotland to try to address sectarianism in football and
in wider society in recent year it appears that such mindless, tasteless and offensive chanting is sadly still too familiar for a section of England
fans.
Does
this reflect an inability for some people within Britain to move forward or
does historical and religious conflicts live on?
What
will be the result if present conflicts continue to fester and inflame
centuries after they have taken place?
Are
divisions and differences in society appropriate fodder for football terrace
rivalry?
6) Last week saw the publication of the annual ‘state
of the game’ report in which amongst other factors the
number of English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh players contracted to and given playing time on the pitch was analysed
for clubs in leagues across the UK.
Whilst there was much hand-wringing and
soul-searching following England’s early exit from the world cup in the summer
(mirrored in Scotland by the inability to qualify for such major tournaments) some
of the focus and suggestions for improving ‘the national game’ has centred on
the number of ‘foreign’ players who populate British clubs team sheets and
squads versus other successful leagues in Europe.
This has led to some to call for a ‘quotas’
of home-grown players and the restriction of EU and Overseas
players registered and playing for UK clubs
This reflects perhaps the financial
success, power and popularity of English Premier League football but it also
mirrors current public debates and political party posturing over immigration,
multi-culturalism and the future of the UK.
7) The
financial success of the English Premier League and its knock-on consequences
for the game throughout the UK is based on the huge revenues that are generated
by the televising of the sport. Whilst some may argue this has been a good
thing and brought many positive changes to the game there is a sense of unease
about the costs to fans of the TV packages that provide the basis for the
revenues that Premier League clubs benefit from. The price for the latest rights
deal
- covering 2013-16 - rose by 70% to £3bn when it was announced in 2012.
Last week saw the
launch of an investigation by the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom into the process
by which the Premier League sells its live TV media rights to matches in the
UK. Virgin Media has lodged a complaint that more matches should be available
for live broadcast.
Whilst it could be argued
that Virgin want a piece of the lucrative pie that SKY and BT have the role of
pay-tv in the organisation, scheduling and financing of football reflects the
fundamental importance of media organisations in the promotion and consumption
of the not only football as a commodity but in wider debates about the power
and influence of media corporations in the global fields of the communication
and production of information, knowledge, leisure, culture and politics.
As a fan of football at times I find it difficult to
juggle my love of the game with the way in which it is organised, presented and
consumed as a commodity. Whilst I may not go as far as Bill Shankly in stating
that "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am
very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more
important than that" I would say that football matters because it reflects
and illuminates important issues in society.
Thus the tropism that sport and politics don’t mix has I
think been well and truly laid to rest by such recent examples (I haven’t
touched on gender and homophobia here I have only focussed on stories/events
that have been reported in the last two weeks).
However, my argument here is not that football should be
made a scapegoat for the ills of society not that by fixing football we will
solve social problems. It’s only a game after all.
What I would argue is that football, as the most popular
spectator sport in the country, as a mass participation sport, with a very high
media visibility and with the ability to engender intense emotions, loyalty and
commitment can provide a mirror or window into social issues and problems (and
perhaps also suggest solutions) that reflect wider society.
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