While football does not generate discriminatory behaviour, it often replicates the very same social issues that concern any given society. Evidently, football has witnessed an alarming increase in the number of disturbing incidents on the grounds of racism, ethnocentrism, sectarianism, homophobia, and sexism. Given the variety of forms that discrimination can take, it is imperative that football addresses with effect all such anti-social phenomena in order to continue to promote notions pertaining to social inclusion, equality, and cultural diversity – all central to the game’s philosophy and overall popularity. Assessing the nature and causes of discrimination in football is key to identifying the much-needed remedies, but also because discrimination poses a serious challenge to long-established practices deeply rooted in democracy. Discrimination in Football provides a comprehensive and in-depth investigation into these key issues affecting football today. This new book will appeal to academics and students with an interest in social science, law, sport, and humanities as well as football fans and professionals in the football industry.

This book takes a close look at discrimination in football in order to illuminate our understanding of the interaction between sport and wider society, politics and culture, particularly in terms of the (re)production of identity. It presents insightful and diverse international case studies, including the shadow of fascism in Italian football; fan activism against racism, sexism, and homophobia in US soccer; migrant football clubs in Germany, and the use of football club history in the teaching of antisemitism. Together they demonstrate the damaging societal consequences of unchecked resentment and discrimination in football fan cultures but also the potential for fan activism as a socio-positive force. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in football or fandom, the sociology of sport, cultural studies, or political science.

The importance of gender and gender-based categorizations cling to the world of sport like no other realm of culture or society in the twenty-first century. While presented as natural, logical, and innate, the differential treatment of men and women and boys and girls in the world of sport is largely the product of over a century of global socialization intent on preserving sport as a male-dominated pastime, lifestyle, and avenue of opportunity. As the most popular sport worldwide, football (or soccer) may be the poster child for lingering gender disparities in sport. Despite women’s presence on the pitch since the turn of the twentieth century, governments and football associations have proactively suppressed their ability to participate in the game through gender stereotypes, underinvestment, precarious professional opportunities, and disrespect. This report describes the various manifestations of gender-based discrimination that shape the game of football today, the role the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) plays in perpetuating this discrimination, and existing avenues for remedy (or lack thereof). The report concludes with key takeaways from the fight for gender equality to date, with an eye toward building a more just world of sport in the years to come.

European societies have long been tarnished by racial discrimination, and the game of football is no exception. With immigrants arriving from former colonies, European Union member-states, and third-world countries, integration in these two societies has been ascribed significance across the continent. Considering that the conduct of football fans in stadiums reflects_to a certain extent_society as a whole, this book examines the impact of racism upon the popular game. Anti-Racism in European Football provides a critical assessment of the campaigns and related policies of organizations that work to understand racism in football. It explores what has been achieved by the organizations' campaigns, the problems they encountered, and how these were overcome. In its focus on the work that anti-racism organizations carry out, this book's original contributions should appeal to professionals in football-related NGOs, and students and scholars working in social science fields related to racism and sport.

The atmosphere experienced by those attending football matches has changed hugely since the 1970s and 80s when racial and other forms of abuse were common. Match attendance has become much more of a family-friendly activity and clubs continue to introduce measures to try to improve the standards of behaviour at matches. However, there remain significant problems ranging from homophobic abuse to what is often described as "laddish behaviour" on the terraces. Transparent and consistent methods for reporting criminal behaviour including racism are still lacking, in particular at grass roots level. The Committee recommends: it should be a priority for the FA to develop procedures for stewards to follow and regular training opportunities to ensure that all relevant staff at club grounds are capable of reacting swiftly and consistently to incidents of abuse; the efforts being made at league and club level to ensure successful prosecutions in cases of racial abuse are extremely welcome; however, it is important that similar efforts are applied to the grassroots game; all appointments should be based on merit alone irrespective of the candidates' race; candidates from ethnic minorities to train as coaches and referees, to ensure that clubs and boards can select from a more diverse pool of recruits

Rates of hate crime within football have been increasing, despite the visibility of anti-racist actions such as ‘taking the knee’. With a unique collection of testimonies, this book shows that hostility is a daily occurrence for some professional football players, ranging from online threats to physical intimidation and violence at football matches. Bringing a range of perspectives to this widespread problem, leading academics, practitioners and policy makers shed light on the best strategies to tackle racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny in football.

As the first edited collection dedicated specifically to race, ethnicity and British football, this book brings together a range of academics, comprising both established commentators and up-and-coming voices. Combining theoretical and empirical contributions, the volume addresses a wide variety of topics such as the experiences of Muslims, the recruitment of African players, devolution and national identities, case studies of minority ethnic clubs, "mixed-race" players, multiculturalism and anti-racism, sectarianism, education, and covering the amateur and professional spheres, and focusing on both players and supporters, the book elucidates the linkages between race, ethnicity, gender and masculinity.

European Football is Black and White offers an engaging interpretation of a disturbing phenomenon in Europe's favorite sport: football violence fueled by racism. While many fans across Europe have used football to further destructive, ethnocentric agendas, there are also Europe-wide initiatives in the football stadium to combat the almost endemic problem. Christos Kassimeris analyses political ideologies that have influenced football supporters, drawing attention to the increasing politicization of football and the footballization of politics. He also considers the contributions of nationalism, social class, and media coverage before assessing attempts by various groups, from the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network to the European Union itself, to rectify the problem. Ultimately, football needs to be dissociated from both racism and politics for the sport to flourish. Unlike more traditional attempts to explain the football violence and racism, this book seeks to establish a Europe-wide as well as national explanatory framework for this racism from a political perspective. This study will draw the interest not only of scholars across the Humanities and Social Sciences, but also of ordinary football supporters.

This first book in the Journalism Insights series examines the major practical and ethical challenges confronting contemporary sports journalists which have emerged from, or been exacerbated by, the use of digital and social media. Combining both quantitative and qualitative research and contributions from industry experts in sports reporting across Europe, America and Australia, the collection offers a valuable look at the digital sports reporting industry today. Issues discussed in the text include the ethical questions created by social media abuse received by sports journalists, the impact of social media on narratives about gender and race, and the ‘silencing’ of journalists over the issue of trans athletes, as well as the impact on ‘traditional’ aspects of sports journalism, such as the match report. The book features first-hand accounts from leading sports reporters and scholars about how these changes have affected the industry and sets out what ‘best practice’ looks like in this field today. This book will be a useful resource for scholars and students working in the fields of journalism, media, sports and communication, as well as for current sports journalism practitioners interested in the future of a changing industry.

Football is the biggest game in the world and the richest. This has contributed to the growth of legal issues and disputes in football and to an increasingly specialised legal services market in football. Since 2002, approximately half of all sports disputes before the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) have been in football. Football and the Law provided the first comprehensive review of the law relating to all aspects of football in the world, including all the main regulatory and commercial aspects of the sport. With contributions from 67 of the leading experts in the field, it is a valuable resource to lawyers and others active in the football industry, as well as a vital source of material to students, legal practitioners and others who wish to learn more about the area. The work includes reference to the key legal principles, cases and regulatory materials relevant to football. The key developments for the 2nd Edition include: - Refiguration of European football/ ESL breakaway / new international structures - Independent regulation of football - Impact of Brexit Safeguarding – child abuse in football - Growth of racism and regulatory responses - FIFA banning 'bridge loans' (relevant to third party ownership) - FIFA's new plans to regulates agents and cap fees - Emergence of salary caps in football and legal challenges to them - Various high profile Financial Fair Play cases Class action in football re head injuries - Challenges to Owners and Directors test – calls for independent regulator - New chapter covering developments in CAS cases This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's Sports Law online service.