This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of football. Writing in an accessible yet critical style, Giulianotti analyses the social and historical dimensions of the world?s most popular game. The author locates football culture within the broader context of contemporary societies and social trends. As the game enters the new millennium, football?s global dimensions become increasingly apparent. Players, playing styles and supporter identities all travel beyond nations and continents more and more frequently. Yet major inequalities remain within football?s brave new world: working–class fans are replaced by middle–class consumers; women and non–whites continue to play marginal roles in most football nations; small football clubs and nations lose out to those with larger football markets. Giulianotti examines systematically football?s key social aspects: the supporter cultures, the development of stadia, the business and television revolution,...