The Global Football League: Transnational Networks, Social Movements And Sport In The New Media Age (global Culture And Sport Series)

This book tackles issues of globalization in the English Premier League and unpicks what this means to fan groups around the world, drawing upon a range of sociological theories to tell the story of the local and global repertoires of action emanating from the popular protests at Liverpool and Manchester United football clubs. This pioneering book critically addresses the themes that have come to define the global flow of images, capital and people that exist in contemporary football today. In doing so, this text tackles issues of globalization in the English Premier League and unpicks what this means to fan groups in the UK, U.S.A, Scandinavia and East Asia. The text also explores issues connected to the growing trend of overseas ownership in the English Premier League and by doing so, the book draws upon a range of sociological theories to tell the story of the local and global repertoires of action emanating from the popular protests at Liverpool and Manchester United football clubs Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction: The Global Football League....Pages 1-17 The Network League: Global Brand Clubs, ‘Game 39’ and Transnational Spaces....Pages 18-38 Overseas Ownership: Mobile Capital and the EPL....Pages 39-57 ‘Traditional’ Fandom: ‘Signs’, Identities and Disillusionment....Pages 58-75 Transnational Fandom: Supporters in Scandinavia, East Asia and the United States of America....Pages 76-93 Love United, Hate Glazer: F.C. United of Manchester, Red Knights and ‘Green and Gold’....Pages 94-115 ‘Debt, Lies, Cowboys’: Custodians, Protests and ‘Epic Swindles’ at Liverpool F.C.....Pages 116-144 The City Is Ours? Thaksin Shinawatra, ADUG and a ‘Billion in the Bank’....Pages 145-161 Supporter Mobilisation: Social Movements, Football Fandom and Popular Protest....Pages 162-180 Conclusions....Pages 181-188 Back Matter....Pages 189-220 "This pioneering book critically addresses the themes that have come to define the global flow of images, capital and people that exist in contemporary football today. In doing so, this text tackles issues of globalization in the English Premier League and unpicks what this means to fan groups in the UK, U.S.A, Scandinavia and East Asia. The text also explores issues connected to the growing trend of overseas ownership in the English Premier League and by doing so, the book draws upon a range of sociological theories to tell the story of the local and global repertoires of action emanating from the popular protests at Liverpool and Manchester United football clubs"--Provided by publisher