The word disaster is much used in the world of soccer - conceding a penalty, a sending off, an untimely defeat. Comparing these with real life disasters puts things into perspective and the results of the games become insignificant. Soccer is not more important than life or death!
For the first time, real life tragedies in the world of soccer are explored in one volume. From the loss of life of talented young players in the Munich and Zambian air disasters to fatal overcrowding at Hillsborough and Moscow. During the history of the game, fans and players alike have been the victims of negligence, complacency and misfortune. The causes, consequences and legacies of these and other disasters are examined in this book that reveals frightening parallels and important lessons.
A powerful book suitable for students of sociology, sports studies and social history.
This volume was previously published as a special issue of the journal Sport in the Global Society.

The word disaster is much used in the world of soccer - conceding a penalty, a sending off, an untimely defeat. Comparing these with real life disasters puts things into perspective and the results of the games become insignificant. Soccer is not more important than life or death!
For the first time, real life tragedies in the world of soccer are explored in one volume. From the loss of life of talented young players in the Munich and Zambian air disasters to fatal overcrowding at Hillsborough and Moscow. During the history of the game, fans and players alike have been the victims of negligence, complacency and misfortune. The causes, consequences and legacies of these and other disasters are examined in this book that reveals frightening parallels and important lessons.
A powerful book suitable for students of sociology, sports studies and social history.
This volume was previously published as a special issue of the journal Sport in the Global Society.

What does commercialisation mean for the future of sport? Modern sports links to commerce are highly visible. Stadiums and arenas bear the names of businesses, while sponsors' logos appear on athletes' clothing and equipment, on the facilities in which they play, and in the titles of the events in which they compete. Media companies pay vast sums for the rights to broadcast sports events, and advertisers pay a premium to promote products during the screening of these events. Cities invest, at the expense of other social projects, in the staging of major sports events and to attract professional teams to their areas. Star athletes are transferred for multi-million fees and professional sport franchises are sold for sums higher than the gross domestic products of some countries. Even recreational athletes are subject to a constant barrage of commercial pressures to improve their game. Sport's links to commerce have intensified over the past 30 years but have been subjected to little academic analysis. This book represents an attempt to fill that significant gap in the literature by examining five different aspects of the commercialisation of sport: * The sports industry * The public sector * The commercialisation of 'amateur' sport * Sport and television * Sports sponsorship There has been a rapid and widespread commercialisation of sport and it is vital that we now raise critical questions and analyse the changes that have taken place.

First published in 1979, this classic study of the development of rugby from folk game to its modern Union and League forms has become a seminal text in sport history. In a new epilogue the authors provide sociological analysis of the major developments in international ruby that have taken place since 1979, with particular attention to the professionalism that was predicted in the first edition of this text. Sports lovers, rugby fans and students of the history and sociology of sport will find it invaluable. Rugby football is descended from winter 'folk games' which were a deeply rooted tradition in pre-industrial Britain. This was the first book to study the development of Rugby from this folk tradition to the game in its modern forms. The folk forms of football were extremely violent and serious injuries - even death - were a common feature. The game was refined in the public schools who played a crucial role in formulating the rules which required footballers to exercise greater self-control. With the spread of rugby into the wider society, the Rugby Football Union was founded but class tensions led to the split between Rugby Union and Rugby League. The authors examine the changes that led to the professionalisation of Rugby Union as well as the alleged resurgence of violence in the modern game.

The 1930s saw the birth of the football idol - prototype for today's powerful media sport stars.
The players of the 1930s were the first generation of professionals, yet until recently the life and careers of footballers of this generation has been little studied.
In 1930s Britain, football became increasingly commercialized, and the rise and development of both local and national media enabled players to become widely recognized outside of their immediate local context for the first time.
Tracing the origins, playing careers and 'afterlives' of several First Division players of the era, Graham Kelly's revealing history explores the reality of living in Britain between the wars and draws interesting comparisons with lives of the modern football hero today.

Cricket, law and the meaning of life ...

In a readable, informed and absorbing discussion of cricketa (TM)s defining controversies a " bodyline, chucking, ball-tampering, sledging, walking and the use of technology, among many others a " David Fraser explores the ambiguities of law and social order in cricket.

Cricket and the Law charts the interrelationship between cricket and legal theory a " between the law of the game and the law of our lives a " and demonstrates how cricketa (TM)s cultural conventions can escape the confines of the game to carry far broader social meanings.

This engaging study will be enjoyed by lawyers, students of culture and cricket lovers everywhere.

Despite the range of theoretical and methological positions adopted and the wide range of issues and topics related to advertising covered by cultural studies, relationships between sport and advertising have been largely overlooked.
Given its gobal popularity and its prevalence across the spectrum of cultural and commercial life it is not surprising that scholars interrogating the cultural politics of sport have begun to recognise advertising as an important site for the analysis of power relations, cultural politics and cultural repesentation.
Sport, Culture and Advertising presents a first step towards understanding the relationship between advertising and identity with a focus on sport. The book will be useful for scholars across a range of disciplines and will be of interest to students looking for a more critical examination of the commercial realm of sport.

Despite the range of theoretical and methological positions adopted and the wide range of issues and topics related to advertising covered by cultural studies, relationships between sport and advertising have been largely overlooked.
Given its gobal popularity and its prevalence across the spectrum of cultural and commercial life it is not surprising that scholars interrogating the cultural politics of sport have begun to recognise advertising as an important site for the analysis of power relations, cultural politics and cultural repesentation.
Sport, Culture and Advertising presents a first step towards understanding the relationship between advertising and identity with a focus on sport. The book will be useful for scholars across a range of disciplines and will be of interest to students looking for a more critical examination of the commercial realm of sport.

In recent years, football's status as "the world's sport" has shown little sign of waning. From increasing participation at grassroots levels and to the highly lucrative media rights deals secured by the top elite clubs, the game appears to be thriving as it continues to excite and enthral billions of people around the globe. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges and opportunities facing the football industry today that warrant further examination. This book brings together leading international researchers to survey the current state of the global football industry, exploring contemporary themes and issues in the marketing of football around the world. With contributions from Europe, Asia and the Americas, it discusses key topics such as football club management, the economics of the football industry, match-fixing, social media, fan experiences, the globalized marketplace, and the growing popularity of the women's game. Offering insights for researchers, managers, and marketers who are looking to stay ahead of the game, The Global Football Industry: Marketing Perspectives is essential reading for anyone with an interest in international sport business.

This book takes stock of British football at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is written by a range of concerned academics and writers, all of whom have an active relationship with the contemporary football world. The book assesses the changes that have occurred in many areas of football culture and the political and academic debates that have accompanied these changes.
English football in particular, it seems, is 'fat city'. The Premiership, now eight years old, has, via satellite television, become a globalised phenomenon: there are Liverpool supporters in Bangladesh, Chelsea fans in sub-Saharan Africa and Manchester United followers across the globe. Grounds are full. Top class football attracts people to bars and pubs in huge numbers. Hooliganism appears a thing of the past. Everyone seems to love football and/or to support a team. The British football media are generally euphoric in their rendering of contemporary football culture.
However, the contributors to this book argue that the heavily commodified, PR-driven and cartelised British football world, with which so many contemporary politicians and other public figures rush to identify themselves, has either created, exacerbated or continued to ignore serious problems of social exclusion problems of class and community, race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality and age.

This book takes stock of British football at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is written by a range of concerned academics and writers, all of whom have an active relationship with the contemporary football world. The book assesses the changes that have occurred in many areas of football culture and the political and academic debates that have accompanied these changes.
English football in particular, it seems, is 'fat city'. The Premiership, now eight years old, has, via satellite television, become a globalised phenomenon: there are Liverpool supporters in Bangladesh, Chelsea fans in sub-Saharan Africa and Manchester United followers across the globe. Grounds are full. Top class football attracts people to bars and pubs in huge numbers. Hooliganism appears a thing of the past. Everyone seems to love football and/or to support a team. The British football media are generally euphoric in their rendering of contemporary football culture.
However, the contributors to this book argue that the heavily commodified, PR-driven and cartelised British football world, with which so many contemporary politicians and other public figures rush to identify themselves, has either created, exacerbated or continued to ignore serious problems of social exclusion problems of class and community, race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality and age.

In a sporting world dominated by media and money, an understanding of sport branding is an essential skill for any sport manager. Success means being able to 'brand' - and therefore differentiate - a sport club, player, code, or event in a highly competitive entertainment market. For anyone seeking to understand or manage sport, this book offers an immediate and salient insight into the complex and dynamic process of creating a powerful sport brand. The book explains how a sport brand goes beyond just an identifying badge, reinforced by a name or a logo that helps sport consumers recognise a product or an organisation. It reveals how a brand becomes linked with consumers' opinions and perceptions of a sport product and the organisation that owns it. Readers will learn how to create a powerful brand that has both recognition in the market and strong associated imagery, by imbuing it with a spirit of the past through appeals to tradition, by endowing it with human qualities of emotionality, thought, and volition, and through the use of characters, colours, texts, and symbols. It also provides a brief guide to the new domains of digital sport branding and social media. Concise, informative, and entertaining, this is an essential resource for anyone exploring or practising the business of sport.

Series Information:
Routledge Critical Studies in Sport Series

The past decade has seen a tremendous growth in the popularity of activities like skateboarding and snowboarding; sports that have been labelled as 'extreme' or 'lifestyle' and which embody 'alternative' sporting values such as anti-competitiveness, anti-regulation, high risk and personal freedom. The popularity of these activities goes beyond the teenage male youth that the media typify as their main consumers. This book examines the popularity, significance and meaning of lifestyle sport, exploring the sociological significance of these activities, particularly as related to their consumption, and the expression of politics of identity and difference. Including much unique ethnographic research work with skaters, surfers, windsurfers, climbers, adventure racers, and ultimate frisbee players., the central themes explored in The Cultural Politics of Lifestyle Sports include: How might we describe lifestyle sports? What influence do commercial forces have on lifestyle sports? Do lifestyle sports challenge the hegemonic masculinities inherent in a traditional sport environment? This book is a compelling exploration of sport as a way of life, and is a vital resource for any lecturer or student interested in Sociology and Cultural Studies in a Sports context.

What does commercialisation mean for the future of sport? Modern sports links to commerce are highly visible. Stadiums and arenas bear the names of businesses, while sponsors' logos appear on athletes' clothing and equipment, on the facilities in which they play, and in the titles of the events in which they compete. Media companies pay vast sums for the rights to broadcast sports events, and advertisers pay a premium to promote products during the screening of these events. Cities invest, at the expense of other social projects, in the staging of major sports events and to attract professional teams to their areas. Star athletes are transferred for multi-million fees and professional sport franchises are sold for sums higher than the gross domestic products of some countries. Even recreational athletes are subject to a constant barrage of commercial pressures to improve their game. Sport's links to commerce have intensified over the past 30 years but have been subjected to little academic analysis. This book represents an attempt to fill that significant gap in the literature by examining five different aspects of the commercialisation of sport: * The sports industry * The public sector * The commercialisation of 'amateur' sport * Sport and television * Sports sponsorship There has been a rapid and widespread commercialisation of sport and it is vital that we now raise critical questions and analyse the changes that have taken place.

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.

Architecture and design have been used to exert control over bodies, across lines of class, gender and race. They regulate access to certain spaces and facilities, impose physical or psychological barriers, and make particular activities possible for specific groups. Built in 1951, the War Memorial Gymnasium at the University of British Columbia is a prize-winning example of modernist architecture. Although conceived to honour the dead of World War II, it was far from being a neutral memorial and gymnasium for everyday athletes. This collection shows what the design, construction and shifting functions and spatial configurations of the building reveal about the values and aspirations of the university in the post-war years. It shows how the building reflected the social and power relations among university administrators, architects and planners, faculty, staff and students, and demonstrates how the culture and structure of the gymnasium responded to changing attitudes to competition, discipline, profession, gender, race and health. As the editors explain, built form has politics, and culture - sporting culture - is just politics by another name.

Running is one of the world's most widely practiced sports and recreations but until now it has intended to elude serious study outside of the natural sciences. John Bale brings the sport into the realm of the humanities by drawing on sources including literature, poetry, film, art and sculpture as well as statistics and training manuals to highlight the tensions, ambiguities and complexities that lie hidden beneath the commonplace notion of running. The text explores both local and personal, as well as communal and global aspects of running and its practitioners. It examines the streets, tracks and stadiums where athletes run, the races in which they compete, and the running relationships such as exist between the athlete and the coach, between runners and between the athlete and spectator. It discusses the importance of speed and records, how running has been used to symbolise resistance and transgression, and the extent to which it can be associated with a healthy lifestyle. Running Cultures provides new ways of seeing a familiar sporting phenomenon. it will appeal to both students and researchers with an interest in running in particular, and sport and leisure cultures more generally.

Providing a different type of vehicle for communicating with consumers that does not necessarily follow all of the rules of other types of marketing communication, sports marketing is one of the fastest growing areas of marketing communication. The purpose of this book is to advance understanding in this area. It presents chapters that deal with topics in sports marketing in a scholarly and comprehensive way, covering major topics of discussion in sports marketing and the psychology of communication. Several new, innovative topics are introduced, such as SportNEST and consumption communities, and many classic topics are brought up to date, including sponsorship, ambush marketing, identification, endorsements, basking in reflected glory, and licensing. Many of the topics that seem to center around sports show up as well, such as sneakers, ethics, risky behavior, and even investments. Utilizing a psychological approach to understanding sports marketing, first-rate authors discuss the most important topics. The book covers all major topics of sports marketing, including: sponsorship from several different perspectives--the major force in sports marketing; ambush marketing--how non-spo

Sweating Together: How Peloton Built a Billion Dollar Venture and Created Community in a Digital World by David J. Miller, PhD (#ChicagoBorn) The ultimate front row look at the meteoric rise of Peloton, one of the hottest consumer and fitness brands in the world. In Sweating Together Miller brings readers directly into the center of the sweat soaked, adrenaline fueled, NYC phenomena that is Peloton and provides a first-hand account of the rise of one of the most important ventures of tomorrow's economy. In 2012 John Foley and a group of co-founders launched Peloton, an interactive fitness and media company. In less than 10 years the company would be worth billions, disrupt the fitness industry and create a rabid, life changing community of members using sweat to span the digital and physical worlds. Join Peloton fanatic and George Mason University entrepreneurship professor David J. Miller (#ChicagoBorn on the Peloton platform) as he dives deep into the people, business models and stories behind the ascent of Peloton. From well-being, social media and gamification to the role of physical space in a digital world, talent retention and community building, there is no better venture for understanding our ever-expanding innovation fueled, well-being economy than Peloton. Miller unwittingly became a Peloton addict and spent thousands of hours sweating and growing relationships with Peloton members; he interviewed founders John Foley and Tom Cortese as well as other senior Peloton leaders, and Peloton celebrity instructors Robin Arzon, Matt Wilpers, Jenn Sherman and Jess King. Join Miller and race into the future with Peloton

The public sector is the largest provider of sport and leisure facilities and the biggest employer of leisure management graduates - the last decade has seen enormous changes in this sector. In this significant new student textbook - the first to investigate leisure management in a public sector context - Leigh Robinson examines the unique issues facing public sector managers and analyzes the application of contemporary management strategies and techniques to public sector leisure. It provides thorough coverage of the work and skills required in addition to the challenges and issues facing leisure managers. This book also challenges the perceptions and negative comparisons with the private sector. Written using a clear and user-friendly style, this textbook will be core reading for students of sport, leisure and recreation management, and makes an accessible reference for practicing managers working across the spectrum of leisure provision, from sport facilities through to parks, arts and heritage.

Organization Behaviour for Leisure Services discusses and questions a number of key elements, including: * The individual and the organization * Groups in the organization * Organizational structures and behaviour * Management within the organization * Commercial hospitality, leisure and tourism in a service context Taking the view that leisure services involve an array of industry sectors - they are related, for instance, to work-time spent eating, drinking and staying away from home, as well as the more obvious recreational pursuits - the text uses examples and case studies from a wide range of international businesses such as hotels, restaurants, museums, shopping malls and sports stadia. Specific examples used are from Marriotts, McDonald's, Trafford Centre and many more. With a user-friendly structure and style, the text is an ideal introduction to the fundamental issues invovled - perfect for students and managers alike. * Provides conceptual basis for the study of organizational behaviour in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry. * Includes special focus on the leisure industry, with material on 'emotional labour', 'empowerment' and 'managing diversity'. * Contains a wide range of international case examples. Using a wide variety of international examples, this book provides the reader with the conceptual tools necessary for analyzing organizational behaviour in the context of hospitality and leisure and tourism provision so that they can take appropriate management action.

Virtually everywhere, directly or indirectly, modern men are prepared for war through sport. It has been no different in the past. Throughout history a constant imperative has been a moral commitment to defend the society. Sport has played its part in the inculcation of this commitment. However, sport has also been considered both a substitute for war and an antidote to war. This collection of essays explores the relationship between sport and war, bringing together established authors that include Peter Beck, Hans Bonde, Vassil Girginov, Donald Kyle, J.A. Mangan, John McClelland and Gertrud Pfister, and emerging authors such as Penelope Kissoudi, Orestis Kustrin, Callum McKenzie, Alethea Melling, Hamad Ndee and Roberta Vescovi.

The study of sport in the economy presents a rich arena for the application of sharply focused microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics to both team and individual outcomes. This unique book offers a survey of recent research that follows the tradition of empirical and theoretical analysis of sport economics and econometrics. Including contributions by many of the leading experts in the field, the authors address four central branches, namely: competitive balance, labor relations, attendance and demand, and the economic impact of sport in communities. A wide range of topics is explored within these themes, including: the effect of uncertainty of outcome on attendance players' labor markets, wages and team performance variations in fan loyalty between teams and through time the determinants of soccer match attendance. Case studies of Major League Baseball, the National Football League (NFL) and college athletics in the US, the English Premier League, the Spanish football league and other (major and minor) European football leagues underpin the discussion. This important book will prove to be a fascinating and stimulating read for academics, researchers and students interested in the econometric analysis of sport. Contributors: G.M. Ahlfeldt, J. Banos, R. Baumann, D.J. Berri, R. Fort, B. Frick, J. Garcia, W. Greene, B.R. Humphreys, L. Kahane, G. Kavetsos, S. Kesenne, Y.H. Lee, N. Longley, V.A. Matheson, R.G. Noll, P. Rodriguez, R. Simmons, S. Szymanski, J. Vrooman

Dark Tourism, as well as other terms such as Thanatourism and Grief Tourism, has been much discussed in the past two decades. This volume provides a comprehensive exploration of the subject from the point of view of both practice - how Dark Tourism is performed, what practical and physical considerations exist on site - and interpretation - how Dark Tourism is understood, including issues pertaining to ethics, community involvement and motivation. It showcases a wide range of examples, drawing on the expertise of academics with management and consultancy experience, as well as those from within the social sciences and humanities. Contributors discuss the historical development of Dark Tourism, including its earlier incarnations across Europe, but they also consider its future as a strand within academic discourse, as well as its role within tourism development. Case studies include holocaust sites in Germany, as well as analysis of the legacy of war in places such as the Channel Islands and Malta. Ethical and myriad marketing considerations are also discussed in relation to Ireland, Brazil, Rwanda, Romania, U.K., Nepal and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This book covers issues that are of interest to students and staff across a spectrum of disciplines, from management to the arts and humanities, including conservation and heritage, site management, marketing and community participation.