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This article problematises the usage of the term 'BAME' (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) and considers its limitations as a diversity intervention. It draws on sociolinguistics, critical race theories and poststructuralism and is based on interviews with 21 British South Asian people working at senior and executive levels of the professional football industry in England and Scotland. Our analysis delineates formal and informal modes of racialisation, extending theories of racialisation beyond the creation of legal categories, to consider the discursive construction of 'race' and its institutionalising effects. At the same time, we show that it is important for sporting institutions to recognise and celebrate British South Asian representation, wherever and however it exists. The article calls for a greater focus on the sociolinguistic dimensions of racialised terminologies and their (in)ability to capture racialised difference; secondly, through invoking anti-essentialism and differential racialisation as heuristic tools it explores how racialised language reflects and sustains racialised hierarchies; and thirdly, it advocates for a deconstruction of the term 'British South Asian' to encourage a more nuanced approach to policy development aimed at realising better diversity outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on theories of aversive racism and colour-blindness, which stress the invisibility of contemporary racism, this article analyses online discussions on taking the knee (TTK) during EURO2020 men's football tournament. While highly visible racist abuse directed at Black English players after losing the final to Italy (dominative racism) received most public attention and repudiation, based on 6,850 English language tweets published on Twitter/X, this article shows how subtle racism and colour-blindness were reinforced in discussions around TTK over the duration of the tournament (aversive racism). The article also shows how individuals online developed a variety of strategies (evidence, othering, critique, and activism) to challenge the main arguments against anti-racist activism in football (identified in four themes: BLM, Marxism, virtue signalling, and woke). The article makes an original contribution by examining the changing intensity of online conversations on TTK over the duration of the tournament. Our analysis identifies key moments in the tournament, political elites' rhetoric, and trends of success and failure as relevant factors that shaped vernacular conversations online. The discussion ultimately argues that investigating the temporal patterns of public discussions on (anti)racism provides valuable insights to understand the contemporary complexity of racism in football and society more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction outlines some of the core themes and concepts that cut across this special issue. We begin by discussing the Olympics and Paralympics and how athlete activists have used the Games to highlight inequity and social injustice. With television audiences surpassing five billion people, these mega-events have the potential to not only reach onlookers from across the world but perhaps change attitudes, practices, and policies. Despite IOC-imposed restrictions around athlete activism, we offer an array of campaigns and activist organizations in the French context to illustrate how discriminations are being challenged in advance of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. At the 2024 Games, it is highly likely that issues of discrimination will be highlighted, and athletes are central to this discussion. Therefore, across this special issue, we focus on representations of gender and ethnicity in television, radio, and newspaper coverage; social media abuse directed at athletes; and disability inclusivity at the Games. Using an intersectional approach where possible, we illustrate how this myriad of identities shapes experiences and the mediated representations of individuals, groups, and nations. Every article within the special issue offers recommendations for positive and transformative change, or possible areas for future research. We end this introduction by presenting some of these core recommendations designed to challenge inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring online criticisms of the "take the knee" protest during "Euro 2020", this article examines how alt- and far-right conspiracies were both constructed and communicated via the social media platform, Twitter. By providing a novel exploration of alt-right conspiracies during an international football tournament, a qualitative thematic analysis of 1,388 original tweets relating to Euro 2020 was undertaken. The findings reveal how, in criticisms levelled at both "wokeism" and the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-white criticisms of the "take the knee" protest were embroiled in alt-right conspiracies that exposed an assumed Cultural Marxist, "woke agenda" in the tournament's organisation and mainstream media coverage. In conclusion, it is argued that conspiratorial discourses, associated with the alt-right, provided a framework through which the protest could be understood. This emphasises how the significance of conspiracy functions to promote the wider dissemination of alt-right ideology across popular cultural contexts, such as sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term sportswashing has been discussed and analysed within academic circles, as well as the mainstream media. However, the majority of existing research has focused on one-off event-based sportswashing strategies (such as autocratic states hosting major international sports events) rather than longer term investment-based strategies (such as state actors purchasing sports clubs and teams). Furthermore, little has been written about the impact of this latter strategy on the existing fanbase of the purchased team and on their relationship with sportswashing and the discourses surrounding it. This paper addresses this lacuna through analysis of a popular Manchester City online fan forum, which illustrates the manner in which this community of dedicated City fans have legitimated the actions of the club's ownership regime, the Abu Dhabi United Group – a private equity group operated by Abu Dhabi royalty and UAE politicians. The discursive strategies of the City fans are discussed, in addition to the wider significance of these strategies on the issue of sportswashing and its coverage by the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of online hate speech in sports is a growing concern, with fans, players and officials subject to racist, sexist and homophobic abuse (in addition to many other prejudices) via social media platforms. While hate speech and discrimination have always been problems in sports, the growth of social media has seen them exacerbated exponentially. As a consequence, policy makers, sport governing bodies and grassroots anti-hate organisations are largely left playing catch-up with the rapidly shifting realm of online hate. Scholars have attempted to fill this vacuum with research into this topic, but such is the evolving nature of the issue that research has been diverse and fragmentary. We offer a scoping review into the scholarship of online hate in sport in order to encourage and facilitate further research into this urgent issue. Our review will achieve this through offering a comprehensive cataloguing of previously employed methodologies, case studies and conclusions. In doing so, it will not only equip future researchers with a concise overview of existing research in the field, but also illuminate areas and approaches in need of further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber hate is increasing. Every 30 seconds, a woman, somewhere, receives an abusive comment on Twitter (Amnesty International). And, it is estimated that around 20% of college students in the United States have been cyber-bullied. This article explores the motivational factors encouraging online hate and abuse. It will draw on Goffman's seminal work, The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, to critically understand online communication, interaction and behaviour. It will define virtual frontstages and virtual backstages. By critically understanding the different characteristics of online and offline communication, it will help us comprehend how Goffman's dramaturgical model is compromised when applied to online communication. Therefore, the work attempts to update this model, illustrating that virtual stages have blurred which affects behaviours, and exacerbates performances of hate online. As a result, many online platforms have become Virtual Stages of Hate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only ten British Asian professional footballers are competing in England out of approximately 4000 despite there being a population of 3.6 million in England and Wales. Just six British Asian footballers between the ages of 16 to 18 years old were attached to the 72 Football League academies in 2009 out of over 1300 players. There is only one British Asian coach out of the 522 senior football coaches in England. These figures speak volumes and are the reason why academics, campaign groups and key stakeholders have investigated, and attempted to combat, the British Asian football exclusion. This work will offer a detailed academic review of over 20 years of research in this field before adding new empirical data. It critically analyses several reform strategies that have been created by key stakeholders. Finally, I will present various recommendations for reform which are borne out of a decade of primary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Rooney Rule and offers the thoughts of British Asian football coaches working in English football in response to this policy implementation. The Rooney Rule, first piloted by English Football League (EFL) clubs during the 2016-17 season, makes it compulsory for all 72 EFL clubs to interview at least one black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) candidate (if an application has been received) for all managerial and first-team coaching roles. And, on 9 January 2018, the Football Association revealed that they had also adopted the Rooney Rule for all coaching jobs relating to the England national team. Because English football harbours so few BAME coaches, calls for the Rooney Rule to be introduced in English football had started to increase in volume, and led to its trial inception. But, is this policy welcomed or opposed among British Asian coaches? What fundamental barriers does this policy overlook? Is English football ready for the Rooney Rule? And, do British Asian coaches, a group believed to benefit from this positive action policy, deem that this rule is the answer to help facilitate positive change? With the aid of empirical research, this article critically examines and assesses the potential impact of the Rooney Rule and recommends additional inclusionary practices. Abbreviations: BAME: Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic; CBP: The Coach Bursary Programme; EFL: English Football League; EPL: English Premier League; HLCE: Higher Level Coach Education; FA: Football Association; FBL: Football Bowl Subdivision; LMA: League Managers Association; NFL: National Football League; PFA: Professional Footballers' Association; UEFA: Union of European Football Associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]