The Assistant Professor of Football: Soccer, Culture, History.
The academic treatment for English-speakers who get that soccer is more than gamedays, stars and goals. Who wonder about the histories, subcultures and politics that make the game so different from many American sports cultures; and who care about a critical take on soccer as a global capitalist machine. A European-guided journey, with one expert "visiting professor" each episode.
The Assistant Professor of Football: Soccer, Culture, History.
Holiday Read-Aloud & Christmas-themed Chants: "Kane and the Christmas Football Adventure" (no, not Harry)
Welcome to the 3rd Advent/Christmas/Holiday episode this year. It’s a read of a children book again, and that book involves a time-traveling boy and his dog. They time travel, through goalposts, to the first organized football match under Football Association rules, in 1863, between Barnes and Richmond. The game was played at Barnes commons, in West London, across the river from Fulham’s FCs stadium, the Craven Cottage. And the boy and his dog (Kane is his name, no relation to Harry) mess up football history while there. Or, almost.
The book is by Adrian Lobley, and I don't want to give away the whole thing here - I'll read up to chapter 10.
Plus: some of the best Christmas-themed stadium chants.
Until January 19th!
HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Adrian Lobley, Kane and the Christmas Football Adventure
"The best Christmas Football chants", YouTube
"Comfort Comfort O My People" in the opening piano version, from Road to Virtuosity Sheet Music, YouTube
"Comfort Comfort O My People," closing version with organ and drums, performed by the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska
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Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind
Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/