Sport, identity and constitutional crisis

Abstract

This chapter examines the link between sport, the media and politics during times of constitutional crisis. The case study looks at the position of Scotland within the UK in the run up to and since the 2014 Independence Referendum. The chapter outlines the historical relationship between sport and political and national cultures in the stateless nation of Scotland. It then investigates the position and impact of sports culture in the political and cultural debate in the run up to the 2014 Referendum that would decide if Scotland were to become a separate State or remain within the UK. In so doing, the chapter focuses on the role that key sporting figures, such as Andy Murray, played in the media discourses that surrounded the vote in 2014 and beyond. In particular, the role of social media is investigated as is the ongoing relationship between representations of sport and aspects of expressions of political and national identity. This chapter suggests that caution is needed in simply assuming expressions of national identity through sport get unproblematically translated into particular forms of political nationalism.