A People's History of Football

Football is more than the billionaire owners and eye-watering signing fees that dominate the headlines. From England, France, and Germany to Palestine, South Africa, and Brazil, this book reveals how the 'beautiful game' has been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protesters around the world. Countering the clichés about football fans, Correia dives into football countercultures born after the Second World War, from English hooligans to the ultras who played a central role in the 'Arab Spring', and with chapters on anti-fascism, the women's game, and the rise in the community-owned clubs, Correia reminds us that football can be a powerful social and political force - as generous as it is subversive.