SUPPORTERS’ MOVEMENT “AGAINST MODERN FOOTBALL” AND SPORT MEGA EVENTS: EUROPEAN AND POLISH CONTEXTS
SUPPORTERS’ MOVEMENT “AGAINST MODERN FOOTBALL” AND SPORT MEGA EVENTS: EUROPEAN AND POLISH CONTEXTS

Summary/Abstract: The paper is an attempt to analyze supporters’ opposition to modern football, which is identified with its progressive commodification in recent decades. It examines the causes and consequences of that discipline’s drift toward the entertainment industry, for both fandom practices and local communities where football teams are rooted, as well as for sport competition in general. The article also investigates organized supporter groups’ postulates and their efforts to “restore football for ordinary people”. It seeks to distinguish the specificities of their actions both in European and Polish stadium stands. These phenomena are discussed in the context of Sport Mega Events, in particular the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament that was hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

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