Critical Research in Football
About the Book Series
The Critical Research in Football book series was launched in 2017 to showcase the inter- and multi-disciplinary breadth of debate relating to 'football'. The series defines 'football' as broader than association football, with research on rugby, Gaelic and gridiron codes also featured. Including monographs, edited collections, short books and textbooks, books in the series are written and/or edited by leading experts in the field whilst consciously also affording space to emerging voices in the area, and are designed to appeal to students, postgraduate students and scholars who are interested in the range of disciplines in which critical research in football connects. The series is published in association with the Football Collective, www.footballcollective.org.uk.
Intergroup Contact, Islam and the 2022 FIFA World Cup
1st Edition
By Thomas Taylor
October 26, 2026
This is the first book to critically examine England football fans’ attitudes towards Muslims and Islam through the lens of a sports mega-event, drawing on fan experiences at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the first staged in an Islamic society. Drawing on pre-event interviews, audio-visual diaries...
Antisemitism in Football: International Perspectives
1st Edition
Edited
By Emma Poulton
July 20, 2026
This book investigates the nature and prevalence of expressions of antisemitism within the context of football in Europe and beyond, as well as attempts to challenge and combat this problematic phenomenon. Drawing on empirical research, the book presents a series of case studies of countries in ...
Football Clubs and the Global Transfer Market
1st Edition
By Thijs A. Velema
July 20, 2026
This is the first book to examine labour markets in professional football from the perspective of football clubs rather than players. Drawing on data from the eight biggest European football leagues – the hub of the global player transfer market – the book explores how and why clubs scout the ...
Football, Community and Social Responsibility: Everton’s ‘Blue Family’ and Sport at the Service of Humanity
1st Edition
By Chris Stone
July 20, 2026
This book shines a light on the value and effectiveness of football clubs’ community engagement work, the cultural value of sport and the position sport plays within people’s daily lives. The book considers the deep historical roots that many football clubs have as charitable institutions within ...
Media, Communication and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
1st Edition
Edited
By Molly Yanity, Danielle Sarver Coombs
July 20, 2026
This book takes a close look at the themes of media and communication in the context of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, one of the most attended women’s sporting events in history. Featuring the work of leading researchers from around the world, the book examines how the tournament was ...
Against Modern Football: Understanding Clubs Founded and Operated by Supporters
1st Edition
By Benjamin Perasović, Christian Brandt, Marko Mustapić
May 22, 2026
This is the first book to offer in-depth analysis of the "Against Modern Football" movement through the comparison of two AMF clubs. The movement has emerged in opposition to the rampant commercialisation of football and the lack of supporters’ influence over the governance of the clubs they ...
The Political Economy of European Football: Perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe
1st Edition
Edited
By Dariusz Wojtaszyn, Daniel Fitzpatrick, Roland Benedikter
May 22, 2026
This book explores the contemporary dynamics of European football’s political economy, mapping the various market and regulatory forces that shape its current position and development. Offering a conceptual framework for understanding political economy as applied to the study of football, this book...
Football, Development and Peace: Local Projects in Global Contexts
1st Edition
By Joel Rookwood
December 15, 2025
This book critically examines the intersection of football, development, and peacebuilding through diverse case studies across global contexts. Drawing on the author’s 20 years’ experience of research and practice in sport-for-development across six continents, the book explores the potential of ...
Globalization and Football Fandom: Banal Cosmopolitanism in Postcolonial Hong Kong
1st Edition
By Chun Wing Lee
November 14, 2025
This book uses the case of football fandom in Hong Kong to shine new light on the globalization of sport and culture, and on the intersection of culture and society in a postcolonial territory. Based on in-depth interviews, textual analysis, and survey data, the book explores the lived experience ...
Football, Fandom and Collective Memory: Global Perspectives
1st Edition
Edited
By Przemysław Nosal, Radosław Kossakowski, Wojciech Woźniak
October 27, 2025
This book examines the topic of identity and collective memory in football fandom. Drawing on global research in history, sociology and political science, the book looks at how, where and why football fans and supporters’ groups introduce particular role models into their self-identity and ...
Social Control and Disorder in Football: Responses, Regulation, Rupture
1st Edition
Edited
By Mark Turner, Jan Andre Lee Ludvigsen
September 29, 2025
This is the first book to focus on the interrelated issues of social control and disorder in football. It shows how the ‘beautiful game’ illuminates our understanding of the mechanisms and techniques of social control and regulation in contemporary societies. It explores past, new, and ...
Women's Football, Culture, and Identity
1st Edition
By Kate Themen
September 29, 2025
This book examines the experiences of amateur players in women’s football, challenging conventional discourses that centre male, masculine, and heterosexual identities and offering a new narrative that re-positions women’s voices. Based on original empirical research, including extended interviews ...