Sport

Friday, 22 June 2018 12:35

If a week is a long time in politics......Mark Perryman catches up on the World Cup

Written by Mark Perryman

in Sport

Mark Perryman draws some lessons from the first week of World Cup 2018, as England prepare to take on Panama. It’s a well-worn footballing cliché that you can only beat the team in front of you. But in most regards, England taking until the 91st minute to secure victory over…

Uruguay Panama Qatar Belgium

Wednesday, 13 June 2018 14:49

Thirty-two nations under a groove: World Cup 2018

Written by Mark Perryman

in Sport

Will the World Cup be an orgy of petty-minded nationalism? Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman doesn’t seem to think so. In between the matches from Russia over the next few weeks, here’s a Trivial Pursuit question to test your mates’ footballing knowledge. Which is the only World Cup squad with the…

World Cup corporate capitalism Football

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Saturday, 14 April 2018 17:53

Willie Young’s elbows have been sawn off

in Sport

Written by Martin Hayes

Willie Young’s elbows have been sawn off by Martin Hayes 12 years old and out the station onto Gillespie Road it’s only 40 minutes before kick-off and no tickets in our pockets yetbut that was how it was back then you didn’t need to have saved for over 5 months…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 31 October 2017 16:01

Sport and the Russian Revolution

in Sport

Written by Gareth Edwards

Gareth Edwards considers the changing attitudes to sport that resulted from the Russian Revolution. In 1917 the Russian Revolution turned the world upside down, inspiring millions of people with its vision of a society built on solidarity and the fulfilment of human need. In the process it unleashed an explosion…

sport Russian Revolution

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 08 September 2017 07:46

Football from Below

in Sport

Written by Mark Perryman

Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football criticises the commercialisation of football, and explores the possibilities of fan culture as a social movement. During the international break, a mini-spat over the England players’ pride – or lack of – in wearing the three lions on their shirt, provided a helpful starting point…

Fan culture

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 30 June 2017 14:31

Nothing to lose but our chains

in Sport

Written by Mark Perryman

Looking for a communistic sports event to take part in? As the annual cycling spectacle of the Tour De France begins, Mark Perryman argues the case for advancing to communism on two wheels. Who would have guessed it? Karl Marx was clearly a bike mechanic when he wasn’t plotting the…

Karl Marx Tour de France cycling sportive

Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:01

Is football still the game of ordinary working people?

Written by Paul Donovan

in Sport

Paul Donovan discusses the double-sided character of football in modern capitalist society, and Ben Banyard contributes a poem to accompany his article. The old newsreels of football show mainly men, standing often in flat caps, with scarves and sometimes waving rattles. What a contrast to today, when the football supporters are…

Football

Tuesday, 01 November 2016 15:30

'That's Capitalism!' Football, Fighting and Fashion

Written by Martin Cloake

in Sport

Martin Cloake interviews Phil Thornton, author of Casuals: Football, Fighting and Fashion - The Story of a Terrace Cult. Phil Thornton’s book Casuals is an insightful cult classic. Easily lost in the midst of waves of football counterculture tales – and fairy tales – that clogged up the sports section…

Thursday, 13 October 2016 14:51

Football's culture wars

Written by Martin Cloake

in Sport

The recent exposure of greed and possible corruption at the highest levels of English football raise questions about the way sport in Britain, under tremendously strong and well-financed commercial pressures, is changing. In the first of a series of articles, Martin Cloake provides an introduction to football's 'culture wars', linking…