Football, Europe and the Press

by Crolley; Liz

• ISBN13: 9780714649573
• ISBN10: 0714649570
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-29
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book examines the construction of national, regional, and group identities in the football journalism of five European countries: England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Notions of the respective national stereotypes are explored in each of the countries studied: for instance, is the stereotype of the French as a nation producing stylish, elegant football teams reflected in all European countries? Are there differences in the reconstruction of the traditional image of the Germans being efficient and technically competent? Similarly, the perpetuation of diverse regional identities within the nations in question is also explored: how is the existence of regional movements in Spain, for example, portrayed by football writing in that country? Finally, group identities such as those of black players (in England), foreigners (in Italy), or women (in France) are analysed with a view to understanding how football writing reconstructs traditional images of such groups. The book is based on detailed studies of the language used in football match reports and related articles appearing in a representative sample of quality daily newspapers including "The Times," "Le Monde," "Suddeutsche Zeitung" and "El Pais."

Author Biography

Liz Crolley spent a year at the Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research before joining the Department of Languages at The Manchester Metropolitan University in 1991. Her research examines the social, historical and political aspects of football culture, in particular football and gender issues as well as the sport's structures and organisation especially in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Argentina. She has published extensively in these areas David Hand works in the Department of Languages at The Manchester Metropolitan University. His research interests focus on the analysis of French nationalist discourse, imagery and iconography with particular reference to historiography and sports writing. He has published in the field of French football culture and on the representation of national identities in European football journalism

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	viii
Series Editor's Foreword	ix
Introduction: Football, Europe and the Press	1	(18)
PART ONE: ENGLAND
The Bulldog Spirit	19	(14)
This Green and Pleasant Land	33	(11)
An Englishman's Home...	44	(19)
PART TWO: FRANCE
La Belle France: Winning with Style	63	(12)
Une et indivisible: Regional Diversity in a Unitary State	75	(13)
Ils sont fous ces Romains! The Other in French Football Writing	88	(17)
PART THREE: SPAIN
La Furia espanola: The Pride and the Passion of Spanish Football	105	(19)
Viva la diferencia: Spain's Nationalities and Regions in its Football Writing	124	(16)
La Liga de las estrellas: Spain and the International Brigade	140	(17)
Conclusion: Imagined Identities?	157	(6)
Notes	163	(16)
Bibliography	179	(8)
Index	187