Jim O’ Brien, Co – Founder SPRING
Book Launch Webinar, Monday, May 23rd 2022 – Hosted by the University of Vic, Catalonia.
Politics, Identity and Contemporary Sport.
It was fitting that the formal event to launch SPRING should embrace the contributions of three of its founder members: Dave Storey from the University of Worcester, UK; Russell Holden, Director of In the Zone Sport and Politics Consultancy, UK and Xavier Ginesta, The University of Vic, Catalonia. The three authors discussed, reflected upon and promoted their recent publications in the academic study of Sport.
As the webinar unfolded over a ninety minute period, aided by the timely interventions of facilitator Jim O’ Brien and supported by insightful comments from participants, notably from Max Mauro, the three book reviews demonstrated both the authors’ passion and in – depth grasp of their subjects, and a sharp focus on the contemporary relevance of Sport to geopolitical themes such as Globalisation, Migration, Tradition and Identity.
Dave Storey had the honour of being the first SPRING webinar presenter. He outlined the origins of his study ‘ Football, Place and National Identity: Transferring Allegiance’ to articulate a critical understanding of the shifting patterns of identity in the composition of national football teams, commenting on the Irish diaspora before considering constructions and representations of ‘ Frenchness’ within the national team, and the ramifications of this for French national identity. This process challenges more traditional constructs of football’s capacity to define identities, as the examples Dave provided clearly indicate.
Russell Holden developed the theme of identity from the perspective of Cricket. His study ‘Cricket and Society in Contemporary Britain presents a critical overview of the evolving relationship between the Sport and Contemporary British Society: Crisis and Continuity‘. Russell pinpoints the celebrated Ashes victory of 2005 following many years of failure, as a defining moment in Cricket’s history, creating new legions of fans, and ushering in radical change in this most ‘English’ of sporting traditions. His thought provoking analysis and reflections proved once again that Cricket is so much more than ‘the lettuce in the sandwich’ in respect of its geopolitical and societal implications.
The final review returned to football with Xavier Ginesta’s comprehensive overview of his study ‘La disneyització del futbol‘. Xavier provided an evocative understanding of the challenges and forces facing the contemporary global enterprise of elite professional football to define its transformation from sport to a media driven form of mass consumption and entertainment, motivated by the capitalist impulse of profit. Xavier’s presentation raised critical questions around the notions of ownership, fantom and identity in what he characterises as the ‘disneyization process‘ and its consequences for the global game. Although his book is at present only available in Catalan, more than one participant expressed the hope that it would soon be published in English.
The webinar concluded with a lively debate, bringing to the fore such themes as the place of tradition in the complex mosaic of global sport. Our host Xavier Ginesta thanked all the presenters and participants for launching SPRING events in such a lively and stimulating manner, and indicated that he would endeavour to make a recording of the webinar available to SPRING members and other interested parties. We hope that this event will be the first of many under the SPRING umbrella as the group continues to grow and develop.
The University of Aveiro, as host to the Second International Conference of the Sport and Politics Group from June 16 – 18, is the next step on the SPRING journey. Watch this space for news and reviews of the conference, our collaboration with Frontiers in Sport and Active Living and future activities and events.
