16 March 2010
Football stars argue the game´s importance for today´s society
The benefits of football to society and the importance of society for football are set to be discussed by an all-star panel including former England and Sheffield Wednesday manager, Howard Wilkinson, and the chairmen of both Sheffield football clubs, Kevin McCabe and Lee Strafford.
`The Good of the Game: Football, Society and Globalisation´ is a `Question Time´ style event organised by the Public Services Academy at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield United Football Club as part of the ESRC´s Festival of Social Science and will be held this Friday (19 March 2010).
It will bring together, for the first time, football´s greatest names a large public audience to discuss the links between football and society.
The panel will discuss many pressing issues including whether football is losing its community links under commercial globalisation, what role football plays in society, whether sporting events reinforce social identity among communities that are drifting apart and whether today´s professionals are detached from the communities that support them.
The panel will be chaired by BBC Sheffield´s, Rob Staton and will include:
•Howard Wilkinson, Former England and Sheffield Wednesday Manager
•Rt Hon. Richard Caborn MP, Former Minister for Sport
•Dr Gary Armstrong, Sheffield United Biographer
•Dr Rogan Taylor, Co-Founder of the Football Supporters Association
•Kevin McCabe, Chairman of Sheffield United
•Lee Stafford, Chairman of Sheffield Wednesday
•James Hope-Gill, Chief Executive of Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Notes for Editors: The Public Services Academy works to create linkages between social science research at the University of Sheffield and external organisations. They support collaborative projects between academia, government, business and third sector bodies and promote knowledge exchange to help increase the social and economic impact of research.
The ESRC Festival of Social Science, which runs from 12 to 21 March 2010, celebrates some of the country´s leading social science research and showcases the work of the UK´s social scientists and the impact it has on our lives. This year the Festival features over 130 events happening in seven regions and over 40 different cities in the UK. Events, which are open to all, take a variety of formats - from traditional lectures and exhibitions to theatrical performances, film screenings and topical debates.
For further information please contact: Lauren Anderson, Media Relations Officer, on 0114 2221046 or email l.h.anderson@sheffield.ac.uk
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