Given sport s centrality in English society, what role does it play in symbolising contemporary English national identity? This comprehensive study explores the complex set of relationships between sport and what it means to be English in the twenty-first century. The bond between sport and nationalism has long been recognised, but with increasingly vociferous separatist nationalisms threatening the dismantling of the United Kingdom, a closer analysis is timely.

Part one addresses key debates regarding English national identity within the specific sporting contexts of association...

Iceland is a tiny Nordic nation with a population of just 330,000 and no professional sports leagues, and yet its soccer, basketball and handball teams have all qualified for major international tournaments in recent years. This fascinating study argues that team sport success is culturally produced and that in order to understand collective achievement we have to consider the socio-cultural context.

Based on unparalleled access to key personnel, including top coaches, athletes and administrators, the book explores Icelandic cultural capital as a factor in sporting...

Football is undoubtedly the sport with the largest following in the world, attracting billions of fans across the globe. These fans play an integral part in determining the identity of the football club they support. Many studies have focused on the intense rivalry between clubs, their fans and the opposing identities they represent. However, little attention has been paid to examples of cooperation between rival fans. This book is the first to explore antagonistic cooperation in football; the idea that rival fans can work together despite their animosity.

With examples from...

Lifestyle Sports and Public Policy is the first book to develop a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between lifestyle sports and the public policy environment which frames and regulates them. Drawing on a wide range of lifestyle sports from across the globe, including parkour, skateboarding, mountain biking and climbing, it identifies the critical issues facing practitioners and policymakers as these sports become increasingly popular.

Part I examines public sector bodies that provide lifestyle sports opportunities to the public, either through funding partners...

Korea has become a powerful force in global sport, with South Korea finishing fifth in the medals table at London 2012 and hosting the Winter Olympics in 2018. This book brings together scholars from disciplines including sport history, sociology, journalism, economics, sport development, and sport management to explore the significance of sport in contemporary Korea. Presenting a variety of international perspectives, it plots the dynamic evolution of sport in Korea and envisions the possibilities for its future.

Each chapter focuses on a key topic of current relevance, such as...