The Beautiful Game Football in British Politics and Society
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British Politics Review Journal of the British Politics Society, Norway Volume 8 | No. 2 | Spring 2013 The beautiful game Football in British politics and society CONTRIBUTORS Stephen Barber • Alasdair McKillop • Geoff Pearson • Arve Hjelseth • Jan Erik Mustad • Lin Åm Fuglestad Stephen Jenkins • Knut Øystein Høvik British Politics Review Editorial Volume 8 | No. 2 | Spring 2013 Football’s wider role ISSN 1890-4505 ”We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten British Politics Review is a quar- England 2-1 in football!! It is completely unbelievable! We have beaten England! England, birthplace of giants. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Politics Society, Norway. With con- Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, terly journal issued by the British- Lady Diana--we have beaten them all. We have beaten them all. Maggie nalistic sources, the British Politics Thatcher can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher, I have a message for you tributionsReview is aimedfrom academicat everyone and with jour a general interest in political develop- in the middle of the election campaign. I have a message for you: We ments in Britain. have knocked England out of the football World Cup. Maggie Thatcher, as they say in your language in the boxing bars around Madison Square British Politics Society, Norway Garden in New York: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took is politically neutral and has no col- a hell of a beating!” lective agenda apart from raising - This famous tirade (here in translated form) was uttered by tish politics among the informed theNorwegian interest public. and knowledge of Bri TV on 9 September 1981, after Norway had sensationally beaten Editorial team Norwegian football-commentator Bjørge Lillelien on Norwegian grandioseEngland in position a World that Cup football qualifying has alwaysmatch inhad Oslo. in Norwegian The words society, speak Øivind Bratberg [Editor] butfor themselves. it also says Not something only does universal Lillelien’s aboutoratory the serve asymmetry to illustrate in the Kristin M. Haugevik [Associate Editor] relationship between Britain and Norway at the time. In football as Atle L. Wold well as in politics, Britain was a giant and a world player, while Norway PostalJannike addressElmblom Berger in both respects was a small power. The fact that the commentary P.O. Box 6 Blindern has been listed several times by British newspapers as one of the N-0313 Oslo, Norway greatest pieces of sports commentary ever could perhaps also be Email seen to illustrate some of the warmth in the relationship between the [email protected] two countries - good friends can afford friendly competition. Website www.britishpoliticssociety.no British Politics Review has neverToday, beforefootball received is one of so the many key dimensionsrequests about of Britain an upcoming and Norway’s issue. Print relationship. A simple illustration is this: Reprosentralen, Oslo, Norway Cover photo One of the consequences of this is that we for the first time publish a - special 20-page edition of the journal. dium following the 4-2 win over West Øivind Bratberg and Kristin M. Haugevik (editors) England celebrate at Wembley Sta 1966, which gave the nation its only Germany in the World Cup final of - gold medal in a World Cup. [Published Contents under Creative Commons Attribution-Non ManuscriptsCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Licence]. Within a relatively broad fram- for political authenticity Arve Hjelseth pp. 12-13 British Politics Review wel- StephenKicked in Barber touch? Football as a proxy pp. 3-5 The white game? comes articles on British politics Why football and not sports ’hooliga- andework, society, preferably related to Rangers, Scotland and Unionism the thematic area set for each issue Alasdair McKillop pp. 6-7 Geoff Pearson pp. 14-15 (announced in the previous issue nism’? and on our website). Please contact - Professional football and the First the editors at World War George Best: Northern Ireland’s para [email protected] Stephen Jenkins pp. 16-18 doxical peacemaker Knut Øystein Høvik p. 8 Subscriptions and cultural identity statement 12 Sep 2012 pp. 19-20 Jan’Us’ Erikversus Mustad ’Them’: and Football supporters Hillsborough Report: Prime Minister’s Please contact us at Lin Åm Fuglestad pp. 9-11 [email protected] NOK pr year 2 British Politics Review Volume 8 | No. 2 |Spring 2013 By Stephen Barber There have long been props in find a politician who did not listen to the Arctic Monkeys KickedBritishpeople politicalpipe (he life. inpreferred Think touch: ofcigars Harold in football asand a most proxy like to be photographedfor authenticity on a bicycle or jogging. Wilson smoking a man of the Edelected Miliband’s leader, ‘secreta fact rather vice’ is overshadowed Desperate Housewives by the (more he interviewed doing the washing told the Mirror in an interview shortly after he was private)up (misleadingly or Margaret Thatchercomparing being a 30 seconds. Such glib shortcuts to authenticity, then, household budget to the economy). believable)do not always revelation go smoothly. that he Number can do a10 Rubik’s was forced Cube toin its media machine on the country, Butfootball since support New Labourhas become unleashed the Dr Stephen Barber is issuehe appeared a statement unable clarifying to name that his Prime favourite Minister biscuit Gordon when Reader in Public Policy shortcut of choice to authenticity. at London South Bank Brown ‘likes anything with a bit of chocolate on it’ after University, Fellow of the problem in presenting their rather abnormal leader as Global Policy Institute questionednormal. by a MumsNet reporter; such was Labour’s appeal to voters’ tribal instincts, it and author of the book Tragedy of Riches. He Andcan bewhile observed its power that might it coincides lie in an is also a regular television with a trend towards a political and radio commentator on policy and economy issues. Research has shown just how this communication of state; professional and youthful politicians’articles which “personal refer to qualities” the personal has increased.lives of leaders Ana Inésand classpoliticians, holding untroubled the great by offices conventional of careers, who Langer for instance has charted the proportion of news argues, of the “Blair effect”. It is instructive that this showsphenomenon how they has rocketed coincided in thewith 1990s: a professionalization a symptom, she canclaimed claim support ever decreasing for a football kinship team with is a thepowerful typical way voter. to of front line politics where the pool from which leaders Asdemonstrate part of the a armoury politician of really their is appeal in touch at thewith ballot ordinary box, people. To understand why being a committed supporter has become such a prerequisite for political authenticity, are drawn is increasingly shallow. A typical career runs it is necessary to analyse how Tony Blair and New aselection follows: to PPEParliament at Oxford while into still bag in carrying the 20s forand an rapid MP orpromotion ‘special withoutadviser’ theto atime Minister, even for selection an apprenticeship for a seat, Labour used football as a metaphor for modernisation a normal person, cosseted as it is in the unreal world of and normality. This article makes the case, however, on the back benches. Thisthe is hardlypolitical the elite. life experience But without of thatof implausibility the reason David but because Cameron he has struggled to repeat recognisable vocational careers the trick is not so much because and executive experience ingrained football was into the supporting electoral bids, haselectoral failed message to appreciate and ultimatejust how appeal rests with their appeal of Blair at a time when purported normality. the game was undergoing a popular revolution. One can be sceptical about the veracity of the messages The Key is Authenticity, if deployed. There is an you can Fake That.... instructive literature on the 2010 general election overload, notably produced by During campaign, Liberal Democrat David Laughrin, which shows leader Nick Clegg let it be known just how little leisure time that he enjoys the Channel 4 modernIn one nowpoliticians famous enjoy. cynical And programme Come Dine With the evidence speaks for itself. Me,turns a toshow host awhich dinner throws party. about his favourite food told strangers together as they take episode,a reporter Tony in trendy Blair Islington asked big fan of the quaint detective that it was polenta while David Cameron, it seems was a separately boasting that it was dramamissed X-Factor.Midsomer For aMurders time in in his Northern constituency. Get it, son. Tony Blair, the then Leader of the Labour Party, while2008 it Gordonwas near Brown impossible rarely to takes part in a football-heading contest with Kevin Keegan fish and chips to the local paper in Brighton, 1995. Photo: Neil Munns / PA 3 British Politics Review Volume 8 | No. 2 | Spring 2013 It is not all football, then, is the observation. Politicians ambition as a child had been to play for Newcastle United and how he tried to persuade his (Tory) “dad” to help him construct a host of interests designed to make them narrative of his “generation trying to get to a different appeardisposable ‘normal’. and forgettable But these in comparison pop culture to the shortcuts political get a trial: “he never did”. It goes on with the personal to authenticity can be said to be rather superficial, politicians would now dare to concede the beautiful type of politics” overlaid with images of track-suited Blair requirementgame bores them to support to tears, a football none has team. used And football while quite few playingwas indeed the agame man itself.of the And people, with football denim secured wearing, its guitar place playing,in delivering Galaxy an driving important brand part driven of the reminders political thatmessage. Tony between football support and democratic politics one like Tony Blair.