Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Power, space and the new stadium: the example of Arsenal Football Club

2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 16; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17430437.2013.790888

1743-0445

Andrew Church, Simon Penny,

Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking

In many sports, but especially professional soccer in the UK, clubs have recently relocated to new stadiums so as to meet new health and safety requirements and also develop new opportunities for income generation. The process of stadium relocation involves the emergence of new spaces that have implications for the power relations between stadium owners, managers and sport supporters. Existing studies provide a limited understanding of the changing nature of power relations in new stadiums. This paper reveals the power modalities and resources involved in the constantly changing new stadium spaces. A case study of Arsenal Football Club in London and the process of 'Arsenalisation' in the club's new stadium reveals how material and virtual spaces are used by supporters to resist, confirm and negotiate the resources and practices of stadium managers seeking to control their activities.