Race and whiteness in football talk amongst English fans: audience receptions of televised national team coverage

Abstract

Televised football is still one of the main ways in which football fans consume football. Earlier studies into audience receptions of televised football often used focus group interviews with football fans and generally concluded that majority ethnic audiences tend to be engaged in 'football talk' that reproduces already existing racial/ethnic stereotypes and identifications. The current study takes one step further and has explored the consumption of televised football amongst White, male football fans while it takes place. We have watched matches together with young people in England combining participant observations in domestic settings with group interviews. Results give insights into the 'backstage setting' of football consumption, identifications amongst fans with the national team, and the reproduction of racialized discourses. We will pay specific attention to the different 'shades of whiteness' that participants in our study (re)constructed based on their interpretations of the football matches.