Emma Poulton – Författare

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 which both football and antisemitism have been prominent, including England, Italy, Germany, Holland, Poland, Argentina and Hungary. Each chapter explains the historical context of why antisemitism prevails in their country and their country’s football culture; considers those football clubs with a ‘Jewish’ heritage and identity (which tend to be the catalyst for antisemitic abuse); and critically examines the measures being taken in that country to tackle antisemitism in football by organisations including governing bodies, campaign groups, supporter groups and football clubs themselves. No other book has looked as deeply into this highly topical issue which continues to blight contemporary football. Antisemitism in Football is important reading for anybody with an interest in football, fan cultures, the sociology of sport, Jewish studies, antisemitism and other forms of racism and discrimination in society.

Sport offers everything a good story should have: heroes and villains, triumph and disaster, achievement and despair, tension and drama. Consequently, sport makes for a compelling film narrative and films, in turn, are a vivid medium for sport.Yet despite its regularity as a central theme in motion pictures, constructions and representations of sport and athletes have been marginalised in terms of serious analysis within the longstanding academic study of films and documentaries.In this collection, it is the critical study of film and its connections to sport that are examined.The collection is one of the first of its kind to examine the ways in which sport has been used in films as a metaphor for other areas of social life.Among the themes and issues explored by the contributors are:Morality tales in which good triumphs over evilThe representation and ideological framing of social identities, including class, gender, race and nationalityThe representation of key issues pertinent to sport, including globalization, politics, commodification, consumerism, and violenceThe meanings ‘spoken’ by films – and the various ‘readings’ which audiences make of themThis is a timely collection that draws together a diverse range of accessible, insightful and ground-breaking new essays.This book was published as a special issue of Sport in Society.