Whether helping bring down Jose Mourinho, marching against their club’s owners at Chelsea or pushing back against plans to commercialize soccer, fans have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with. This collection explores fan protest stories to show that this passion is more than a passing fad.
When you’re a fan of a team that’s been struggling on the pitch, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the management is to blame. But it’s important to remember that the managers, directors and other members of a club’s board don’t act in a vacuum. This article explores the role of a specific fan group in bringing down Sevilla’s president and other top managers, demonstrating how Jenkins’ theory that “fandom provides an opportunity for people to invest in media with the potential to mobilize civic or political action” can be put into practice.
It’s a well-known fact that some fans think every referee in the land has it in for them and is out to get them. It’s a theory that’s been fueled by the likes of Peter Kay, but it also led to Blackburn Rovers supporters staging a protest against their poultry-schilling owners by sending a chicken wearing a club scarf into Ewood Park ahead of a game in May 2012.
A study of the ways fans organize and maintain boycotts of professional sports franchises reveals that the tactics used are not unique. This research combines comparative analysis with ethnography to understand the dynamics and motivations of boycotts in two specific national settings over eight years (2014-2021). Whether through Black press, pickets or pamphlets, fans maintain their protests by using familiar tactics that are grounded in a sense of community.