Little United and the Big Society: negotiating the gaps between football, community and the politics of inclusion

Abstract

The UK government’s Big Society vision is a source of fierce debate and controversy, particularly when set alongside severe austerity measures. This has revealed a glaring disconnect between rhetoric of empowered, inclusive communities and the burgeoning reality of cuts to publicly funded community provision. This puts pressure on organizations that rely on or promote volunteering as a means of participatory community inclusion, not just financially through loss of funding, but also potentially on ideological grounds. To explore this, research was conducted within the community projects of FC United of Manchester, a not-for-profit, cooperative, fan-owned, non-league English football club. Findings reveal extremely positive perceptions of its community and inclusivity work, with volunteering and the club’s ownership structure being seen as major factors in that success. Despite clear opposition to the coalition government’s policies, from a community inclusion perspective and on wider ideological grounds, the club aims to increase its capacity as a community provider, acknowledging the potential contradictions and conflicts this may bring.