Dr Stefan Lawrence discusses Football Violence on Sky News

On Saturday, Dr Stefan Lawrence, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Health at Newman University was interviewed live on Sky News, discussing the rise in football related disorder.

The issue has arisen again after a small spike in reports of football related disorder, which has drawn comment from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Dr Lawrence, an expert on football and digital cultures, commented, “We must resist the temptation for this debate to descend into that of a moral panic. The research is clear that football violence tends to occur at a society’s major fault lines.

“Our major fault lines at the moment are economic. Rising inequality, wage stagnation and the cost of living crisis all contribute to a sense disillusionment. Dominating public space or other people, for some, is a way to regain a sense of control. This is not to condone violence nor deny the agency of those who are engaged in it but it is to offer an explanation.”

You can watch this interview on the Sky News website.

Stefan is published on a number of topics and across disciplines, and autumn will see the release of his latest book, Digital Wellness, Health and Fitness Influencers: Critical Perspectives on Digital Guru Media, co-authored with colleagues from Newman University.

Digital Wellness, Health and Fitness Influencers: Critical Perspectives on Digital Guru Media is now available to pre-order from Routledge.