1st Edition
Football, Fandom and Collective Memory Global Perspectives
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 performative narratives.
The book presents original, cutting-edge research that illustrates the complex, multidimensional nature of the (re-)formulation of collective memory and the elevation of role models. It looks at the processes by which some supporters’ groups celebrate historical and contemporary figures – including political leaders, warriors, revolutionaries, or armed resistance groups – that they believe embody patriotic, regional or nationalist virtues, as well as supporters’ groups who define their patriotism in opposition to these figures. The book presents cases ranging from Ukrainian football ultras in the shadow of Russian aggression, and Jewish role models in Germany’s collective football memory, to the symbology of Che Guevara and Diego Maradona in Brazilian and Argentinian football, to hero formation and the myths of national identity in Australian football.
This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology, culture or politics of sport, or in fandom, identity, nationalism more broadly in sociology, political science or history.
1. Introduction to Studies on Football, Fandom and Collective Memory: Why Investigate the Role Models of Football Fans?
Przemysław Nosal and Radosław Kossakowski
PART I Role Models, Nation, and Patriotism
2. The Evolution of Ukrainian Football Ultras in the Context of War: Tribune of Heroes
Michael Cole
3. The Political and War Symbology in the Universe of the Supporters: A Reading of the Appropriations of the Figure of Che Guevara Between Organized Supporters in Brazil
Bernardo Buarque de Hollanda and Raphael Rajão Ribeiro
4. An Example of Patriotism Within a Subcultural Group: Bad Blue Boys Zagreb
Andrej Ivan Nuredinović, and Dino Vukušić
5. The Rejection of Individuals as Heroes in Football Supporters' Groups: Difficult Heroism in Mexico
Roger Magazine and Ricardo Duarte Bajaña
6. Hero Formation and the Myth of Australian National Identity in Australian Football
Keith D. Parry
PART II Role Models and History
7. From Collective Memory to Collective Identity: A Case Study of FC Bayern Munich
Pavel Brunssen
8. On the Ambivalences of Fandom's Collective Memory: Communist Officer and the Hero of the Anti-Communist Terraces
Wojciech Woźniak
9. Cuauhtémoc Blanco: Hero and Antihero, and his Personification of Contradictions in Mexican Society
Roger Magazine and Jorge Rosendo Negroe Alvarez
10 Collective Memory and Charismatic Affect: The Cult of Maradona Among Argentinean and Neapolitan Football Supporters
Antonio Donato, Eduardo Galak and Lorenzo Pedrini
PART III Teams and their Role Models
11. Deconstructing the Socio-Political, Ethnic, and Racial Dimensions of Zimbabwe's Dream Team (1992 – 1995): ‘Ndivo vakomana vekwedu vanotamba kufanana neshumba’
Manase Kudzai Chiweshe and Gerald Dandah
12. Claiming, Space and Identity: Analysing Tractor Football Club's Catalyst Role in the Publicization of Ethnic and Ecological Claims
Dorna Javan and Mehdi Hamidi Shafigh
13. Between a Historical Moment and the Brand of a Football Fan Group: The Republic of Ploiești
Andrei Gheorghe
14. History, Collective Memory, and Social Representations Associated to Futebol Clube do Porto: The "Nation" and its Hero
Daniel Seabra
15. Folk Tale Patterns and Memory-Building Processes in Swedish Football: Transfer Me a Hero
Katarzyna Herd
16. Fandom Identity, Collective Memory and Blank Spots in Knowledge: Conclusions and the Book's Contribution to Further Research Agenda
Radosław Kossakowski, Przemysław Nosal and Wojciech Woźniak
Biography
Przemysław Nosal is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Sociology at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. His research interests cover the sociology of sport, culture studies, sociology of gambling and social policy. He is a member of the European Sociological Association and the Polish Sociological Association.
Radosław Kossakowski is Associate Professor in sociology in the Institute of Sociology at the University of Gdańsk, Poland. His research interests are focused on the sociology of sport, football studies, qualitative methodology, and masculinities studies.
Wojciech Woźniak is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Economics and Sociology at the University of Łódź, Poland. His research interests include sociology of sport (particularly the relations between sport and politics) social inequality, public/political discourse analysis and Finnish public policies.
