Soccer vs. the State
Subtitle: Tackling Football and Radical Politics
By: Gabriel Kuhn
Publisher: PM Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Oakland, USA
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 260
ISBN-13: 9781604860535
Copyright date: 2011
Description: Soccer has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Professionalism and commercialization dominate its global image. Yet the game retains a rebellious side, maybe more so than any other sport co-opted by moneymakers and corrupt politicians. From its roots in working-class England to political protests by players and fans, and a current radical soccer underground, the notion of football as the “people’s game” has been kept alive by numerous individuals, teams, and communities.

This book not only traces this history but also reflects on common criticisms—that soccer ferments nationalism, serves right-wing powers, and fosters competitiveness—exploring alternative perspectives and practical examples of egalitarian DIY soccer. Soccer vs. the State serves both as an orientation for the politically conscious football supporter and as an inspiration for those who try to pursue the love of the game away from televisions and big stadiums, bringing it to back alleys and muddy pastures.

(Source: [PM Press](https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=965))
Table of contents: title: Foreword by Boff Whalley
pagenum: 7; title: Introduction
pagenum: 9; title: History: Truths and Myths about Football as a Working-Class Sport
pagenum: 13; title: Radical Debates on Football; title: Football and Politics
pagenum: 51; title: Football’s Role as an “Opiate of the Masses”
pagenum: 57; title: Nationalism and Sectarianism
pagenum: 59; title: Fan Violence
pagenum: 65; title: ‘The Commercialization of the Game and the “New Football Economy”
pagenum: 70; title: Bigotry in Football Culture
pagenum: 93; title: Radical Interventions in the Professional Game; title: A Stage for Protests
pagenum: 105; title: Social Justice Campaigns
pagenum: 108; title: Personalities
pagenum: 109; title: Teams
pagenum: 132; title: Supporters
pagenum: 143; title: Clubs as Cooperatives, Not as Corporations
pagenum: 177; title: Alternative Football Culture; title: Grassroots and Underground Football Culture
pagenum: 183; title: Football for Radicals
pagenum: 226; title: Conclusion
pagenum: 238; title: Appendix
pagenum: 239; title: Notes
pagenum: 251; title: Images
pagenum: 255; title: Articles, Essays, Interviews
pagenum: 258