'The Football Collective' is a dedicated International network of over 200 academics and practitioners across a range of disciplines (Sociology, Business Management, Economics and Finance, Political Science, Gender Studies, History, Social Media and Fan Studies, Corporate Governance, Musicology etc). Through sharp analysis and research it has provided a platform for thought provoking critical debate in football studies. 

Football has always been political. For example, on 13th May 1990, just weeks after parties favouring Croatian independence had won the majority of votes in an election, a riot between the fans of Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade marked a game in the Maksimir Stadium. Zvonimir Boban, the Zagreb captain and future AC Milan star kicked a police officer who had allegedly been mistreating Croatian fans. Some argue that this moment marked the end of Yugoslavia, with a devastating Civil War following soon afterwards and many of the protagonists on that day swapping the terraces for the front lines. 

The bodies of clubs, players and fans are enmeshed with politics. Clubs have been born as a result of population upheavals and migration; have been associated with ethno-national and religious communities, and political ideologies and parties to name but a few. In the contemporary context, football continues to be tied to political events and symbols. The ongoing movement of people into Europe has witnessed voices raised by football supporters both in support of and opposition to migration. Racism and anti-racism practices play out on and off the pitch. Broader contemporary international political controversies such as the prohibition of the flag of the Palestinian State, the wearing of symbols such as the British poppy or the commemoration of Irish Independence continue to spark controversy among player and fan communities alike.

Football also manifests at times in artefacts of music and broader popular culture. Football chants for example are a sophisticated socio-political activity, which connect to early forms of communication where humans used music, chant, and dance to bond as social groups. ‘Performance’ also has a unique ability to make difference visible and audible, and songs in particular have been shown to have powerful agency in the negotiation of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’. 

We invite you to join us at the University of Limerick, on Thursday and Friday 23rd – 24th November 2017 for the Annual Conference of The Football Collective which is organized in association with the Popular Music and Popular Culture Research Cluster @UL. “Football, Politics and Popular Culture” will bring together interdisciplinary football researchers, academics and students to share research findings, interests, stories, and methods, in order to develop better research and collaboration across the Collective. We will also host guests from outside of the academy. In this conference, we therefore particularly welcome papers that address (but are not limited to) football and the following: 

• Migration

• Racism

• Islamophobia/anti-Muslim racism

• Ethno-national formation

• Conflict (Ethno-national, Ideological, Sectarian etc.)

• Sectarianism

• Identities

• Class politics

• Gender and Sexualities

• Fan culture

• Political songs / chants

• Its representation in popular culture (including film and literature)