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.

This book explores the role of FIFA in brokering the development of football in Africa and its relationship with that continent's football associations and regional governing body. Africa is no longer on the periphery of world football but the economic disparities between the first and the third worlds hinder the development of the game. The author shows convincingly how Africa's advance within world football is tied to its national political economy and how the balance of power within FIFA still clearly favours its European members.

This book explores the role of FIFA in brokering the development of football in Africa and its relationship with that continent's football associations and regional governing body. Africa is no longer on the periphery of world football but the economic disparities between the first and the third worlds hinder the development of the game. The author shows convincingly how Africa's advance within world football is tied to its national political economy and how the balance of power within FIFA still clearly favours its European members.

Ireland and its inhabitants have often been described as being 'sports mad'. As a relatively small geographical entity, Ireland, north and south, has produced a disproportionately high number of world class sports men and women who have excelled at the highest levels of their chosen sport. The significance of sport in Ireland though extends far beyond the achievements of such individuals. Sport has historically assumed a centrality in the lives of the island's inhabitants, a fact that can be measured by the numbers and commitment of participants as well as the emotional and financial investment of fans. This book seeks to address the ways in which Irish aptitude and ebullience for sport has manifested itself in those parts of the world that have or have had relatively large Irish communities. The first part of the book explores the diffusion of Gaelic games to a number of centres of Irish immigration and examines the social, economic, political and psychological impact that these games had in helping the Diaspora adjust to life in what were often inhospitable environs. The second part of the book extends the analysis by examining the contribution of Irish sports men and women to the sports culture that they encountered in their new homes and assessing the ways in which their involvement in these sports allowed them to come to terms with and make their way in their new locales. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal, Sport in Society

Ireland and its inhabitants have often been described as being 'sports mad'. As a relatively small geographical entity, Ireland, north and south, has produced a disproportionately high number of world class sports men and women who have excelled at the highest levels of their chosen sport. The significance of sport in Ireland though extends far beyond the achievements of such individuals. Sport has historically assumed a centrality in the lives of the island's inhabitants, a fact that can be measured by the numbers and commitment of participants as well as the emotional and financial investment of fans. This book seeks to address the ways in which Irish aptitude and ebullience for sport has manifested itself in those parts of the world that have or have had relatively large Irish communities. The first part of the book explores the diffusion of Gaelic games to a number of centres of Irish immigration and examines the social, economic, political and psychological impact that these games had in helping the Diaspora adjust to life in what were often inhospitable environs. The second part of the book extends the analysis by examining the contribution of Irish sports men and women to the sports culture that they encountered in their new homes and assessing the ways in which their involvement in these sports allowed them to come to terms with and make their way in their new locales. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal, Sport in Society

The global success of football icons like Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah has fuelled the migratory projects of countless young men across the African continent who dream of following in their footsteps. Drawing on over a decade of ethnographic research, the book chronicles the experiences and trajectories of those pursuing this highly prized form of transnational migration. This book uncovers and traces the myriad actors, networks and institutions that affect the ability of young people across the continent to realise social mobility through football’s global production network. The book sheds critical light on the barriers to social mobility erected by neoliberal capitalism, and how these are negotiated. It also generates original interdisciplinary perspectives on the complex interplay between structural forces and human agency, as young players navigate an industry rife with commercial speculation. -- .

The global success of football icons like Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah has fuelled the migratory projects of countless young men across the African continent who dream of following - literally and figuratively - in their footsteps. Drawing on over a decade of ethnographic research, African football migration captures and chronicles the aspirations, experiences and trajectories of those pursuing this highly prized form of transnational migration. In doing so, the book uncovers and traces the myriad actors, networks and institutions that affect the ability of young people across the continent to realise social mobility through football's global production network. The book sheds critical light on the barriers to social mobility erected by neoliberal capitalism, and how these are negotiated by aspiring African footballers. It also generates original interdisciplinary perspectives on the complex interplay between structural forces and human agency, as young players navigate an industry rife with commercial speculation. While a select few reach the elite levels of the game and build a successful career overseas, the book vividly illustrates how for the vast majority, 'trying their luck' through football results in involuntary immobility in post-colonial Africa. These findings are complemented by rare empirical insights from transnational African migrants at the margins of the global football industry and those navigating precarious retirement from careers as players. African football migration offers essential coverage of why and how African youth and young men have become actors in the global football industry, revealing the complex implications of transnational mobility, both imagined and enacted. -- .

Bringing ancient wisdom into 21st-century lives, this is the ultimate easy-to-follow handbook on Feng Shui. Packed with practical advice, creative solutions and inventive suggestions for every sized budget. Discover how to declutter and cleanse your home through reordering and designing the space along the principles of chi (the subtle spiritual energy that flows through everything in the universe). The Energizing Art of Feng Shui is designed to help you work with what you already have. You don't need to take extreme measures like moving entrance ways or knocking down walls. Covering every room in your home or apartment, this book will teach you how to boost beneficial chi and control harmful chi through rearranging objects and clearing clutter. You can improve chi through small changes such as removing mirrors or TVs from the bedroom, or maybe you'll try a bigger project like rearranging your living room to avoid the "poison arrows" of sharp corners that can create tension in a room. This invaluable guide will help you bring real balance and happiness into your home.

Gaelic sports have been played for over a century in America, and provide a revealing window into the lives and culture of the Irish community there. Much has been written about the ways that the successes of their politicians, the efforts of the Catholic Church and the solace, identity and friendships offered by a whole range of their social, political and charitable organisations helped the Irish adapt to life in urban America. Far less has been said though about the role of sport, let alone Gaelic games, in allowing them to make sense of their new surroundings and deal with the rigours of adjusting to and progressing in the New World. "Gaelic Games, Nationalism and the Irish Diaspora in the United States" redresses this neglect by uncovering the origins and development of Gaelic sport and by exploring the political, economic and social impact that the GAA has had on Irish communities in America. New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, cities that were not only focal points of Irish immigration but were also the main centres of GAA activity in the US, are taken as case studies. The book draws on detailed archival research, interviews with leading figures in the GAA in America and contains a selection of rare photographs of clubs, teams and players of significance which help to bring to life a remarkable story of cultural preservation, persistence and passion for Gaelic games.

The relationship between Ireland and the diversity of its diasporas has always been complex and multi-layered, but it is not until recently that this reality has really been acknowledged in the public sphere and indeed, amongst the scholarly community generally. This reality is partly a consequence of both "push-and-pull" factors and the relatively late arrival of globalization trends to the island of Ireland itself, situated as it is on the Atlantic seaboard between Europe and the US. Ireland is changing however, some would say at an unprecedented speed as compared with many of its neighbours, and the sense of Irish identity and connection to the home country is changing too. What is the relationship of Ireland and the Irish with its diaspora communities and how is this articulated? The voices who speak in New Perspectives on the Irish Abroad: The Silent People?, edited by Micheal O hAodha and Mairtin O Cathain, "talk back" to Ireland and Ireland talks to them, and it is in telling that we see a new story, an emerging discourse-the narratives of the "hidden" Irish, the migrant Irish, the diaspora whose voices and refrains were hitherto neglected or subject to silence.