Abstract
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.
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 479-501 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | International Review for the Sociology of Sport |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 7 Nov 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published online - 7 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, (grant number AH/W001624/1).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords
- sports washing
- football fandom
- soft power
- online communities
- discourse
- sportswashing
