New Perspectives on Association Football in Irish History - 9780367593094

Taylor & Francis

This book assesses association football\u2019s history and development in Ireland from the late 1870s until the early twenty-first century. It focuses on four key themes\u2014soccer\u2019s early development before and after partition, the post-Emergency years, coaching and developing the game, and supporters and governance. In particular, it examines key topics such as the Troubles, Anglo-Irish football relations, the failure of a professional structure in the Republic and Northern Ireland, national and regional identity, relationships with other sports, class, economics and gender. It features contributions from some of today\u2019s leading academic writers on the history of Irish soccer while the views of a number of pre-eminent sociologists and economists specialising in the game\u2019s development are also offered. It identifies some of the difficulties faced by soccer\u2019s players and administrators in Ireland and challenges the notion that it was a \u2018garrison game\u2019 s.