Digital Football Cultures: Fandom, Identities and Resistance (Advances in Leisure Studies)

As the digital revolution continues apace, emergent technologies and means of communication present new challenges and opportunities for the football industry. This is the first book to bring together key contemporary debates at the intersection of football studies, leisure studies, and digital cultural studies. It presents cutting edge theoretical and empirical work based around four key themes: theorizing digital football cultures; digital football fandom; football and social media; and football (sub)cybercultures. Covering topics such as transnational digital fandom, online abuse, and gender, Digital Football Cultures argues that we are witnessing the hyperdigitalization of the world's most popular sport. This book is a valuable resource for students and researchers working in leisure studies, sports studies, football studies, and critical media studies, as well as geography, anthropology, criminology, and sociology. It is also fascinating reading for anybody working in sport, media, and culture As The Digital Revolution Continues Apace, Emergent Technologies And Means Of Communication Present New Challenges And Opportunities For The Football Industry. This Is The First Book To Bring Together Key Contemporary Debates At The Intersection Of Football Studies, Leisure Studies And Digital Cultural Studies. It Presents Cutting Edge Theoretical And Empirical Work Based Around Four Key Themes: Theorising Digital Football Cultures; Digital Football Fandom; Football And Social Media; And Football (sub)cybercultures. Covering Topics Such As Transnational Digital Fandom, Online Abuse And Gender, Digital Football Cultures Argues That We Are Witnessing The Hyper-digitalization Of The World's Most Popular Sport. This Book Is A Valuable Resource For Students And Researchers Working In Leisure Studies, Sports Studies, Football Studies And Critical Media Studies, As Well As Geography, Anthropology, Criminology And Sociology. It Is Also Fascinating Reading For Anybody Working In Sport, Media And Culture-- The Hyperdigitalization Of Football Cultures -- Feel It Closing In : Digital Football Cultures In A Claustropolitan Age -- Transnational Digital Fandom : Club Media, Place And (networked) Space -- Between Old And New Traditions : Transnational Solidarities And The Love For Liverpool Fc -- From Backstage To Frontstage : Exploring Football And The Growing Problem Of Online Abuse -- Gender Trouble In Digital Football Fandom : A Swedish Perspective -- Shifting Patterns Of Football Fandom And Digital Media Cultures : Youtube, Fifa Videogames, And Afc Wimbledon -- Exploring The Digitalization Of Football Violence : Ultras, Disembodiment And The Internet -- Football Videogames : Re-shaping Football And Re-defining Fandom In A Postmodern Era -- Restoring The Football Kingdom Of The Far East : The Limited Potential Of Videogames For The Development And Promotion Of Hong Kong Football -- Good Morning Beautiful People...i Love You But I'll Beat Your Arse In Fifa 17 : The Negotiation Of Social Capital And Fifa17 Match-making Of Chad Ochocinco Johnson Twitter -- Football 2.0? The (un)changing Nature Of Football And Its Possible Futures. Edited By Stefan Lawrence And Garry Crawford. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of figures 10 List of contributors 11 Acknowledgements 14 1 The hyperdigitalization of football cultures 16 Part 1 Theorizing digital football cultures and fandom 32 2 “Feel it closing in”: digital football cultures in a claustropolitan age 34 3 Transnational digital fandom: club media, place, and (networked) space 45 4 Between old and new traditions: transnational solidarities and the love for Liverpool FC 62 Part 2 Football and social media 82 5 From backstage to frontstage: exploring football and the growing problem of online abuse 84 6 Gender trouble in digital football fandom: a Swedish perspective 101 7 Shifting patterns of football fandom and digital media cultures: YouTube, Fifa videogames, and AFC Wimbledon 119 Part 3 Football (sub)cybercultures 138 8 Exploring the digitalization of football violence: ultras, disembodiment, and the Internet 140 9 Football videogames: re-shaping football and re-defining fandom in a postmodern era 154 10 Restoring “the Football Kingdom of the Far East”: the limited potential of videogames for the development and promotion of Hong Kong football 169 11 “Good morning beautiful people . . . I love you but I’ll beat your arse in Fifa 17”: the negotiation of social capital and Fifa 17 match-making of Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson Twitter 185 12 Football 2.0? the (un)changing nature of football and its possible futures 201 Index 220 This is the first book to bring together key contemporary debates at the intersection of football studies, leisure studies and digital cultural studies. Presenting cutting edge theoretical and empirical work, Digital Football Cultures argues that we are witnessing the hyper-digitalization of the world’s most popular sport.