Learn the value of football to American society No sport reflects the American value system like football. Visitors to the United States need only watch a game or two to learn all they need to know about the American way of life and the beliefs, attitudes, and concerns of American society. Football and American Identity examines the social conditions and cultural implications found in the football subculture, represented by core values such as competition, conflict, diversity, power, economic success, fair play, liberty, and patriotism. This unique book goes beyond the standard fare on football strategy and history, or the biographies of famous players and coaches, to analyze the reasons why the game is the essence of the American spirit. Author Gerhard Falk, Professor of Sociology at the State University College of New York at Buffalo, examines football as a game, as a business, and as a reflection of the diversity in American life. Football and American Identity also addresses the relationship between football and the media, with much of the game's income generated by advertising and endorsements, and examines the presence of crime in football culture. The book discusses the development of the gameand those involved in itat the Pop Warner, college, and professional levels, examining the social origin of players, coaches, cheerleaders, and owners. In addition, Football and American Identity analyzes the game's fans and their devotion to their teams, examines why Pennsylvania is considered the mother of American football, and looks at the National Football League and its commissioners. Football and American Identity examines: how individualism and achievement can lead to mythological status why a person's occupation is the most important indicator of prestige in the United States what the consequences are of earning more in a year than most Americans make in a lifetime why equality is vital to the ethnic make-up of American football teams why teamwork is important-in football and in industry how freedom is essential for taking the risks necessary for success and much more! Football and American Identity is an inside look at football as an American cultural phenomenon. Devoted and casual fans of the game, as well as academics working in sociology, will find this unique book interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

What were Darlington FC's most memorable matches of the last 50 years? Paul Hodgson is better placed than most to weigh in on the matter. He's been a regular presence at games for the past half-century. What's more, as a disabled fan attending games in a wheelchair, he offers a unique and fascinating perspective on the matchday experience. The story begins in the 1972/73 season when Paul's mother took him to his first game: Southport at home. The Quakers were soundly thrashed 7-0, yet the seven-year-old Paul was hooked. The book takes us through the 1970s when Darlington had to apply for re-election almost every season, on to the 1980s when their fortunes improved and through to the modern day. Paul hasn't just chosen the 100 best results - some were horrific defeats - but each match made an indelible impression on him. One Hundred of the Best is an interesting mix of match reports and Paul's experiences of not just the games, but his adventures of getting there in his wheelchair. The book is a 'must' for every Darlington fan.

An inspiring graphic memoir from celebrated athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick. High school star athlete Colin Kaepernick is at a crossroads in life. Heavily scouted by colleges and Major League Baseball (MLB) as a baseball pitcher, he has a bright future ahead of him. Everyone from his parents to his teachers and coaches are in agreement on his future. Colin feels differently. Colin isn't excited about baseball. In the words of five-time all-star MLB player Adam Jones, 'Baseball is a white man's game.' Colin looks up to athletes like Allen Iverson: talented, hyper-competitive, unapologetically Black, and dominating their sports while staying true to themselves. College football looks a lot more fun than sleeping on hotel room floors in the minor leagues of baseball. But Colin doesn't have a single offer to play football. Yet. Explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself and never compromise Full-colour illustration A graphic novel memoir for readers 12 and up

Manchester United is a football club like no other. The most popular sports club in history, it has an annual turnover of over pound]130 million and a stock market value that has topped pound]1 billion. Its triumph as an international commercial venture matches its success on the pitch in the UK's Premier League and in stadiums throughout Europe. At this time in late capitalism when the boundaries between cultural and commercial concerns have become increasingly invisible, Manchester United, the football club, provides us with a fascinating study in the evolution of sporting, social, cultural and economic change. In this, the first book to offer a rigorous, theoretically grounded treatment of the Manchester United phenomenon, leading academics from diverse backgrounds have written chapters, each interrogating a particular aspect of our central theme, Manchester United FC. The result is a unique contribution to our understanding of Manchester United in particular, and, perhaps more significantly, of contemporary sporting and popular culture in general.

Step up to the plate with baseball’s top players, from mainstays like Mookie Betts and Gerrit Cole to rising stars like Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Young fans will enjoy these lively profiles of the game’s biggest stars, which explore their life stories, their playing styles, and their greatest baseball moments. Stars of Major League Baseball is illustrated with colourful photos and includes key statistics for each player. Athletes included: José Abreu (White Sox); Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves); Sandy Alcantara (Marlins); Pete Alonso (Mets); Yordan �lvarez (Astros); Tim Anderson (White Sox); Nolan Arenado (Cardinals); Mookie Betts (Dodgers); Gerrit Cole (Yankees); Jacob deGrom (Mets); Edwin Díaz (Mets); Freddie Freeman (Dodgers); Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals); Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays); Bryce Harper (Phillies); Aaron Judge (Yankees); Manny Machado (Padres); Shohei Ohtani (Angels); José Ramírez (Guardians); Austin Riley (Braves); Julio Rodríguez (Mariners); Max Scherzer (Mets); Corey Seager (Rangers); Juan Soto (Padres); Fernando Tatís Jr. (Padres); Mike Trout (Angels); Trea Turner (Dodgers); Justin Verlander (Astros).

The Roger Federer Effect tells the story of the world's most famous tennis player in a fresh, innovative way - through the eyes of his friends, rivals, coaches, fans and many others who have been drawn to him as he blazed a trail and transcended the sport. In a glorious career spanning more than two decades, Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles - including eight at Wimbledon - and more than 100 tournaments worldwide, taking the game to a new level and becoming the most popular player the sport has ever seen. As he enters retirement, more than 40 personalities from inside and outside tennis reveal the special place Federer holds in their lives. Through exclusive interviews, they explain the Roger Federer phenomenon. As much as his deeds are important, it is also the intimate details that really make a person who they are. The Roger Federer Effect reveals them in fascinating and often previously untold anecdotes.

The 2003 World Cup was of vital importance to the participating countries. For India, a world cup triumph would make cricket the nation's leading industry; for the host, South Africa, a successful campaign might realize its dream of political unity.
Dealing with themes of racial/political unification, commercialization, the media and globalisation, this book explores the role of cricket and sport in each of the competing nations.
Looking at recent developments such as match-fixing, the abolition of the quota system and the performances of the South African national team, the collection examines the importance of the Cricket World Cup in providing a unified political, social and economic stage from which a united South African identity can finally emerge. The book also explores the role of the Cricket World Cup in relation to West Indian unity, Pakistani economic regeneration, Sri Lankan, Kenyan and Zimbabwean peace.

Remember when Zinedine Zidane lifted the World Cup in 1998? Kylian Mbappe doesn't. The forward wasn't born when the French team first became world champions. But it was Mbappe's unique talent that helped France reach the summit of world football once again in 2018, erasing years of failure, rancour and shame. For Les Bleus, the road between these two highs was blighted by bitterly painful lows. Zidane's headbutt; a players' strike; infighting and recriminations; even sex scandals and blackmail. Mbappe witnessed it all as he honed his prodigious talent in the banlieues of Paris, and his story embodies France's journey from disaster to triumph. In Sacre Bleu, Matthew Spiro traces the rise, fall and rise again of Les Bleus through the lens of Kylian Mbappe. Featuring a foreword by Arsene Wenger and interviews with leading figures in French football, Spiro asks what went wrong for France and what, ultimately, went right.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 - RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR This is a complete history of the Welsh rugby union team - told by the players themselves. Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the Wales team to interviews with a vast array of Test match players and coaches from the Second World War to the present day, Ross Harries delves to the very heart of what it means to play for Wales, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players' own. Behind the Dragon lifts the lid on what it is to pull on the famous red shirt - the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honour on the field, and the heart-warming tales of friendship and humour off it. Absorbing and illuminating, this is the ultimate history of Welsh rugby - told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Madeleine Blais, the dramatic and colorful story of legendary tennis star and international celebrity, Alice Marble In August 1939, Alice Marble graced the cover of Life magazine, photographed by the famed Alfred Eisenstaedt. She was a glamorous worldwide celebrity, having that year won singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles tennis titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open, then an unprecedented feat. Yet today one of America’s greatest female athletes and most charismatic characters is largely forgotten. Queen of the Court places her back on center stage. Born in 1913, Marble grew up in San Francisco; her favorite sport, baseball. Given a tennis racket at age 13, she took to the sport immediately, rising to the top with a powerful, aggressive serve-and-volley style unseen in women’s tennis. A champion at the height of her fame in the late 1930s, she also designed a clothing line in the off-season and sang as a performer in the Sert Room of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York to rave reviews. World War II derailed her amateur tennis career, but her life off the court was, if anything, even more eventful. She wrote a series of short books about famous women. She turned professional and joined a pro tour during the War, entertaining and inspiring soldiers and civilians alike. Ever glamorous and connected, she had a part in the 1952 Tracy and Hepburn movie Pat and Mike, and she played tennis with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, and her great friends, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. However, perhaps her greatest legacy lies in her successful efforts, working largely alone, to persuade the all-white US Lawn Tennis Association to change its policy and allow African American star Althea Gibson to compete for the US championship in 1950, thereby breaking tennis’s color barrier. In two memoirs, Marble also showed herself to be an at-times unreliable narrator of her own life, which Madeleine Blais navigates skillfully, especially Marble’s dramatic claims of having been a spy during World War II. In Queen of the Court, the author of the bestselling In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle recaptures a glittering life story.

Professional football is one of the most popular television 'genres' worldwide, attracting millions of fans, and the sponsorship of powerful companies. In A Game of Two Halves, Cornel Sandvoss considers football's relationship with television, its links with transnational capitalism, and the importance of football fandom in forming social and cultural identities around the globe presenting the phenomenon of football as a reflection of postmodern culture and globalization.Through a series of case studies, based on ethnographic audience research, Cornel Sandvoss explores the motivations and pleasures of football fans, the intense bond formed between supporters and their clubs, the implications of football consumption on political discourse and citizenship, football as a factor of cultural globalisation, and the pivotal role of football and television in a postmodern cultural order.

Women's soccer is one of the world's fastest-growing sports but has been subjected to little academic scrutiny. This collection considers women's football in a global context and analyses its progress, and the challenges and problems it has faced. It shows how women's football has made a significant contribution to the emancipation of women's football in many countries. It also traces the evolution of women's football in face of resistance, rejection and prejudice and describes women footballer's struggle for equal rights in a male dominated football world.
Published to coincide with the Women's World Cup in the USA, which begins in September 2003 in Atlanta, this is the first in-depth global study of women's football in 15 countries across the world.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 'Engage!' was the last word Matt Hampson heard before dislocating his neck while in rugby training with other young England hopefuls. On a cold, grey, overcast day in 2005, the cream of young English rugby gathered at a Northampton training ground. Matt Hampson, 'Hambo' to his mates, was one of them. He had dreamt of playing rugby for England ever since he had picked up a rugby ball at school. His skill, conviction and dedication had brought him to the cusp of realising that dream, in an England U21 team that included Olly Morgan, Toby Flood, Ben Foden and James Haskell. But as the two sets of forwards engaged for a scrum on the training field, the scrum collapsed and Matt, who played tight-head prop, took the full force of two opposing sides. In that moment his life changed forever. Paul Kimmage went to visit Matt as he recuperated, and wrote a piece for the Sunday Times which won him his third successive SJA sports interviewer of the year award. They struck up a friendship and here, Paul tells Matt's whole story, in all its intimate detail. From the build-up to the dreadful day, to Matt's recuperation, to his struggle to adjust to normal life again, to his family and friends, to other tragic incidents on the rugby field, to the response of the RFU, this is a story of terrible sadness yet unadorned triumph and joy, of anger yet of reconciliation and peace . . . of a boy who became a man.

The Wolves Annual for 2023 as always looks back on what has gone before but also focuses on the future and the anticipation of what lies ahead for all of a gold and black persuasion. We have a selection of exclusive special features, pictures of all the new signings and so much more... There is a look back on Wolves Women's season, tips from the Wolves Academy, not to mention fantastic photography both from matches and behind the scenes, and all the usual quizzes, puzzles and information to entertain fans of all ages.

Something in the Water explores the inner workings of England's football-talent hotbeds, investigating how these areas so often create elite footballers. For decades working-class northern towns have churned out players like a factory conveyor belt - places like Huyton, a town of just over 33,000 that has produced the likes of Steven Gerrard, Peter Reid, David Nugent, Joey Barton and Tony Hibbert. However, the emergence of south London as the new-school hotbed is exciting. Players produced here are like nothing seen before in England. The concrete Catalonia is home to a new generation of stars such as Jadon Sancho, Wilf Zaha, Joe Gomez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Joe Aribo and others. Bringing together the thoughts and ideas of those involved at every level of the game - from the south London estate cages to the heights of the Premier League and Europe's elite - the book unearths the secrets of two distinct types of hotbed that represent the past, present and possible future of English football.

A study of how cricket in England between the Wars reflected the social relations and cultural values of the time. The authors explore English social and cultural history through the sport by analysing the relationships between classes, Church and society, as well as gender roles. They point out cricket's role as part of the national image and the influence it had on evaluating the 'English character'. They carefully outline how the sport demonstrates the tendencies and morals of the time; for example, in the game of cricket social and economic differences were made obvious. The game was intertwined with the convictions of whether a person's moral fitness for political and social leadership was a shown by prowess in the sport. Examining cricket playing among women and their support for the sport provides an unusual perspective upon gender roles between the Wars. The study the beliefs that cricket sportmanship expressed Christian teachings and how the Church's presence in recreational cricket established the role of Christianity in English social life and ethical values. The images of cricket and how far the world of cricket conformed to these ideas are essential for understanding English culture and society between the Wars.

This book brings together a selection of papers originally presented and discussed at the fourth international restorative justice conference, held at the University of TA1/4bingen. The contributors include many of the leading authorities in the field of restorative justice, and they provide a comprehensive review of the theoretical foundations underlying this rapidly expanding movement. Restorative Justice: Theoretical foundations addresses a wide range of fundamental questions about restorative justice,considering amongst other things ways in which conceptual pitfalls can be avoided, and how traditional models of peacemaking and healing developed in traditional societies can be integrated into the justice systems of late modern societies. Overall it provides an authoritative overview of contemporary thinking about restorative justice and will be essential reading for anybody concerned with the future direction of criminal justice and criminal justice systems. leading world authorities address the theoretical foundations of restorative justicea rapidly expanding area within criminal justiceincludes chapters on restorative justice as applied to corporate crime, family violence and cases of extreme violence

'MASTERFUL' Time Out 'REVELATORY' Scotland on Sunday 'GLORIOUSLY READABLE' Metro 'FASCINATING' Independent 'EXCELLENT' Telegraph 'ABSORBING' Guardian Winner of the British Sports Book Awards Football Book of the Year The fifteenth anniversary edition, fully revised and updated, of Jonathan Wilson's modern classic. In the modern classic, Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world's game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, when chaos reigned. Along the way, he looks at the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport, and probes why the English, in particular, have proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract. Fully revised and updated, this fifteenth-anniversary edition analyses the evolution of modern international football, including the 2022 World Cup, charting the influence of the great Spanish, German and Portuguese tacticians of the last decade, whilst pondering the effects of footballs increased globalisation and commercialisation.

Whether it's for a die-hard booster from the days of Dick Lane or a new supporter of Matthew Stafford, the top facts and activities concerning the Detroit Lions that all fans need to know and do in their lifetime can be found here. Culled by an area journalist of team history from eight decades, the book collects every essential piece of Lions knowledge and trivia, including must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100. Topics cover everything from who scored the first touchdown in franchise history to the members of the Lions Hall of Fame, and even includes the best place to grab a bite in Detroit before the game. This is a treasury of information that true fans might know about their beloved Lions but will love to reminisce over and a guide that will help new fans get up to snuff.

1992 to 2022 was a period like no other for West Ham United. Taking in the rise of the Premier League, promotion, relegation, European nights and so much more, Daniel Hurley looks at key moments in West Ham's recent history from a fan's perspective, remembering joy and despair in equal measure along his journey as a football supporter from child to adult. The Games That Made Us is the story of an unforgettable period in West Ham's history told through the club's 50 most important matches over the past 30 years, with each game put into context and the consequences examined. From Dicks to Di Canio, Harewood to Antonio, Redknapp to Allardyce, The Games That Made Us tells tales of last-minute winners and last-second heartbreak, of trips to Cardiff, 5-4 victories and 4-2 defeats, plus more matches against Wimbledon than you would expect. Find out how a former manager once gave Daniel a transfer exclusive, why his son's first game was possibly the worst debut in history and why John Hartson ruined his 14th birthday.

The Immortals is a passionate love letter to Celtic FC, by turns ecstatic and distressed, angry and joyous, but always obsessed. After the disappointment in 2021 of failing to complete the fabled ten-in-a-row league titles, the author took solace in researching causes for celebration from Celtic's proud past. His starting point was the rallying cry that 'two nines are better than one', and the book's centrepieces are stories of both of Celtic's nine-in-a-row triumphs. On his journey he discovered darkness and despair as well as derring-do and delight, the extremes of emotion inevitable in all love affairs. He uncovered the evils of the Irish Holocaust and the poverty of Glasgow's East End that preceded Celtic's foundation, the dubious conduct of Celtic's money-men, as well as the 'miracles' of the immortals among the club's founding fathers, its dynasties, managers and players. The book takes us on a pilgrimage through time with faithful hope for the future.

The fourth World Scientific Congress of Golf, to be held in St Andrews in July 2002, will bring together all of the world's leading golf researchers. Science and Golf IV will present 90 or so of the best research papers delivered at the Congress, and represents the latest volume in a unique and essential series of scientific studies in golf.
The book is organised into four thematic sections, looking at the golfer, golf equipment, the golf course, and the social and economic impact of golf respectively, and addresses key topics such as:
* the psychology of golf
* biometrics of the swing
* new developments in clubs, balls and teaching aids
* golf agronomy, irrigation and drainage
* the impact of golf on the community
* representing the most up-to-date collection of research available.
Science and Golf IV is essential reading for all sport scientists and researchers with an interest in golf, all club professionals, and all those working in technical aspects of the golf industry.

The Beautiful Badge tells the fascinating story behind the UK's football club badges, from 1860s hand-embroidered symbols on home-knitted jerseys to today's multi-million pound brands. The book not only covers hammers, cannon and Liver birds but also reveals the link between Peterhead FC and Viz comic; which TV celebrity designed Aldershot Town FC's badge; and whose GBP10 doodle became the opposition's badge. Some clubs have sported ten or more different badges over the decades, ranging from their town's coat of arms to cartoon insects and initials. Promotion, moving to a new stadium or an owner with controversial views often results in a new badge. The book plots the influence of fashion, technology and fans, and investigates the tensions between clubs and supporters over changes to their beloved badge. Do you know why your club's badge looks the way it does? The Beautiful Badge is essential reading for football enthusiasts, historians, designers and anyone who enjoys putting their feet up in the boot room.