Joel Rookwood – författare

"Reminds me of why I love football - at its heart, it's a reflection of the communities that are built around it. A special book." - Jamie CarragherYou know when you’re in a Football City.The murals, the billboards, the graffiti, the colours on the bars and pubs. No two football cities are the same. That cross on the club badge, commemorating a 1st century fisherman martyr (Ajax). The ‘cemetery’ of graves dedicated to the club’s league rivals (Napoli). The guttural roar of fans chanting “Aupa Athletic, aupa Euskal Herria!” – a fierce declaration of Basque pride and identity, echoing through San Mamés like a battle cry (Bilbao).In a world of increasing corporate and homogenous sport, football cities preserve culture and exhibit the particular and the unique with glorious passion. Fandom in a football city is for everyone: for boys and girls, for elderly men and the infirm; for the fashionable, the outcasts and the hopeless: it gives their days meaning and clarity – it can unite divided cities and divide the otherwise united.This is Our Game is a celebration of these unique fan cultures. Part travel, part social history, giving voice to distinctive local experiences, revealing the atmospheres, attitudes, fables, fashions, tensions and triumphs of twenty-two unique places and communities across all continents. It was the Russian composer (and FC Zenit fan) Dmitri Shostakovich who said: “Football is the ballet of the masses.” This book takes us inside the dance.

This book examines the political significance of sport and its importance for nation-state building and political and economic transition across thirteen post-Soviet and post-socialist countries, primarily located in Eastern Europe.Adopting a critical case-study approach, building on historical and comparative frameworks, the book uses sport as a symbolic lens through which to examine the transition of Eastern European countries to the Western capitalist system. Covering a wide geographical area, from Poland to the Caucuses and Turkmenistan, it explores key themes such as nationalism, governance, power relations, political ideology, separatism, commercialisation and economic development, and the symbolic value of mega-events.Sport, Statehood and Transition in Europe is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport policy, the politics of sport or political science.

This book examines the political significance of sport and its importance for nation-state building and political and economic transition across thirteen post-Soviet and post-socialist countries, primarily located in Eastern Europe.Adopting a critical case-study approach, building on historical and comparative frameworks, the book uses sport as a symbolic lens through which to examine the transition of Eastern European countries to the Western capitalist system. Covering a wide geographical area, from Poland to the Caucuses and Turkmenistan, it explores key themes such as nationalism, governance, power relations, political ideology, separatism, commercialisation and economic development, and the symbolic value of mega-events.Sport, Statehood and Transition in Europe is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport policy, the politics of sport or political science.

This book explores various social, cultural, political and economic issues through the lenses of various sport mega-events in the twenty-first century, including the Olympic Games, and the World Cup and European Championships in football. In a time where sport mega-events are closely followed by controversies, legacy discourses and questions of their governance, the chapters within this book showcase why sport mega-events continue to ignite important questions for scholars, commentators, fans and sport and political authorities.By covering various topics emerging around sport mega-events such as physical activity, legacies, rhetoric, media coverage, environmental impacts, diplomacy and spectators' experiences, this book breaks new ground as it considers a range of longstanding and emerging socio-political issues relating broadly to the staging of spectacular sport mega-events in the present-day.This is a fascinating reading for students and researchers situated in sociology, sport management, event management, political science, sport studies, sport business, urban studies and leisure studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

This book explores various social, cultural, political and economic issues through the lenses of various sport mega-events in the twenty-first century, including the Olympic Games, and the World Cup and European Championships in football. In a time where sport mega-events are closely followed by controversies, legacy discourses and questions of their governance, the chapters within this book showcase why sport mega-events continue to ignite important questions for scholars, commentators, fans and sport and political authorities.By covering various topics emerging around sport mega-events such as physical activity, legacies, rhetoric, media coverage, environmental impacts, diplomacy and spectators' experiences, this book breaks new ground as it considers a range of longstanding and emerging socio-political issues relating broadly to the staging of spectacular sport mega-events in the present-day.This is a fascinating reading for students and researchers situated in sociology, sport management, event management, political science, sport studies, sport business, urban studies and leisure studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

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 football as a unifying force and a tool of positive social change.Analysing initiatives in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Albania, Venezuela, Liberia, and Australia, the book examines the socio-political landscapes of these regions, assessing the effectiveness of football-based programmes in promoting social integration, development, and peace, and in addressing challenges such as poverty, health, inequality, and violence. Emphasising the importance of cultural sensitivity, collaborative partnerships, and critical reflection, the book offers insights into the complexities, challenges, limitations, and potential of football-for-development initiatives.Featuring important perspectives on research, methodology, ethics, implementation, and practice, this book is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, or practitioner with an interest in sport development, sport management, football studies, development studies, or the wider relationships between sport and society.

This book critically examines the multifaceted role of sport in global development. It analyses the potential of sport in facilitating social transformation and addresses the challenges of implementing and managing complex projects across diverse cultural and political landscapes. Drawing on the author’s 20 years’ experience of research and practice in sport-for-development across six continents, the book presents in-depth case studies from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Belarus, Ukraine, Albania, Thailand, Honduras, and Bolivia. Featuring original ethnographic research and a broad range of interviews, the book explores key issues in sport-for-development including postcolonial dynamics, health crises, migration, peacebuilding, youth development, gender equality, and the ethics of volunteerism. Offering a balanced perspective on the potential, effectiveness, and limitations of using sport as a tool for development, the book advocates for sustainable, culturally sensitive, and locally driven approaches. Featuring important perspectives on research, methodology, ethics, implementation and practice, this book is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, or practitioner with an interest in sport development, sport management, football studies, development studies, or the wider relationships between sport and society.

This volume offers a comprehensive exploration of the rapidly evolving landscape of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP), a critical approach to peacebuilding, economic development, and social transformation gaining increasing stature during the last twenty-five years.