Premier League Football Research Articles

Is there a taste for racial discrimination amongst employers?

Research on employers' hiring discrimination is limited by the unlawfulness of such activity. Consequently, researchers have focused on the intention to hire. Instead, we rely on a virtual labour market, the Fantasy Football Premier League, where employers can freely exercise their taste for racial discrimination in terms of hiring and firing. The setting allows us to eliminate co-worker, consumer-based and statistical discrimination as potential sources of discrimination, thus isolating the effect of taste-based discrimination. We find no evidence of racial discrimination, either in initial hiring or through the season, in a context where employers are fully aware of current and prospective workers' productivity.

Asymmetry after hamstring injury in English Premier League: issue resolved, or perhaps not?

Hamstring injuries constitute one of the most concerning injuries in English Premier League football, due to its high primary incidence but also its recurrence. Functional methods assessing hamstring function during high-risk performance tasks such as sprinting are vital to identify potential risk factors. The purpose of this study was to assess horizontal force deficits during maximum sprint running on a non-motorized treadmill in football players with previous history of hamstring strains as a pre-season risk-assessment in a club setting. 17 male football players from one Premier League Club were divided into 2 groups, experimental (n=6, age=24.5±2.3 years) and control (n=11, age=21.3±1.2 years), according to history of previous hamstring injury. Participants performed a protocol including a 10-s maximum sprint on a non-motorized treadmill. Force deficits during acceleration phase and steady state phases of the sprint were assessed between limbs and between groups. The main outcome measures were horizontal and vertical peak forces during the acceleration phase or steady state. There were no significant differences in peak forces between previously injured and non-injured limbs, or between groups, challenging the ideas around functional force deficits in sprint running as a diagnostic measure of hamstring re-injury risk.

25(OH)D levels and skinfolds thickness in athletes

PurposeThe aim of our study was to assess the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and skinfold thickness in Poland’s premier league (Ekstraklasa) football players.MethodsWe enrolled 43 Poland’s premier league football players. The mean age was 22.7 ± 5.3 years. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured by electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA) using the Elecsys system (Roche, Switzerland). Skinfold measurements were taken with a Harpenden-type skinfold calliper body fat tester, characterised by a constant pressure of 10 g/mm<sup>2</sup>.ResultsOur study showed decreased serum 25(OH)D levels in 74.4% of the professional football players. We did show a statistically significant negative correlation between the 25(OH)D levels and the biceps skinfold thickness (<i>r</i> = −0.33), iliac crest skinfold thickness (<i>r</i> = −0.43), the sum of all the studied parameters (<i>r</i> = −0.5) and percentage of body fat (<i>r</i> = −0.49).ConclusionsOur results suggest that athletes with higher content of the adipose tissue may be at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, and that 25(OH)D levels need to be monitored in professional athletes, particularly during the winter season.

Cheating in Sport and Racial Differences in Psychopathic Personality

1. IntroductionIn this article we examine the theory presented in Lynn (2002) that there are racial differences in psychopathic personality, conceptualized as a continuously distributed trait, such that high values of the trait are present in sub-Saharan Africans (blacks in the United States) and Native Americans, intermediate values in Hispanics, lower values in whites and the lowest values in East Asians. The theory was supported by data showing that these racial differences are present in a number of expressions of psychopathic personality, including drug use, child abuse, marital infidelity and crime. In the present article we test this theory by presenting data for cheating in sports.The central feature of psychopathic personality is a weak or absent moral sense. The condition was identified by Pritchard (1837) who termed it 'moral imbecility.' The term psychopathic personality was first proposed by Kraepelin (1915) to designate those who are deficient in moral sense but whose intellectual ability is not impaired. A classical study was presented by Cleckley (1941), which described the essential characteristics of psychopathic personality as general poverty of affect (emotion), defective insight, absence of nervousness, lack of remorse or shame, superficial charm, pathological lying, egocentricity, inability to love, failure to establish close or intimate relationships, irresponsibility, impulsive antisocial acts, failure to learn from experience, reckless behavior under the influence of alcohol, and a lack of long term goals. In 1984, the American Psychiatric Association dropped the term 'psychopathic personality' in favor of 'anti-social personality disorder' and in 1994, the American Psychiatric Association (1994) issued a revised Diagnostic Manual in which it listed 11 features of anti-social personality disorder. These are:(1) Inability to sustain consistent work behavior.(2) Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior.(3) Irritability and aggressivity, as indicated by frequent physical fights and assaults.(4) Repeated failure to honor financial obligations.(5) Failure to plan ahead and impulsivity.(6) No regard for truth, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or 'conning' others.(7) Recklessness regarding one's own or others' personal safety, as indicated by driving while intoxicated or recurrent speeding.(8) Inability to function as a responsible parent.(9) Failure to sustain a monogamous relationship for more than one year.(10) Lack of remorse.(11) Presence of conduct disorder in childhood.A prominent feature of psychopathic personality is cheating, which is used as one of the criteria adopted by Hare (2003) in his scale to assess psychopathic personality. Even those who do not specifically adopt it accept that rule-breaking is a measure of psychopathic personality and this clearly crosses over with cheating, when the rules are broken for some kind of gain. We must emphasize that psychopathic personality is a continuously variable trait that manifests itself in various degrees in normal individuals of all races. Only those at the extreme end of the distribution are diagnosed as having antisocial personality disorder. In the present article we examine racial differences in cheating in sport as a test of the theory that there are racial differences in psychopathic personality.2. MethodWe examine the incidence of cheating by blacks and whites in high level American football (NFL), basketball (NBA), and in English Premier League football (soccer). We consider data on two kinds of cheating, namely the use of performance enhancing drugs and breaking the rules of the game. These three sports are examined because they are racially diverse and a great deal of information is available about them online. We conducted a visual and biographical analysis of each of the sportsmen in the games to identify their race. …

Subcultural tensions in managing organisational culture: a study of an English Premier League football organisation

In this article, we explore subcultural interaction in the context of attempts by executives to control culture in the unusual organisational setting of football. We present evidence of five tension points in subcultural relations (togetherness or isolation, internal labour market, multiple identification and allegiances, individual and organisational requirements, and competition and cooperation). We examine how these tensions were induced and or exacerbated by the culture management efforts, as well as the ways in which the dynamics of change impacted on the objectives of executives. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for theory and practice.

Too Late for Talent to Kick In? The Relative Age Effect in Argentine Football and the Hidden Effect of Institutions

Does a young football player’s birthdate affect his prospects in the sport? A number of scholars have found a correlation between early births in the calendar or competition year among young players within the same cohort and improved chances in sports as they get older. This article is the first of its kind to ask this question in a premier football league in Latin America — that of Argentina. It uses an originally constructed large-N data set, with information from 3,018 unique players in the period 2000-2012, or 16,357 individual participations in 24 tournaments. The article finds, first, a very large effect of the player’s relative age on his prospect to become a professional. However, the effect almost completely evaporates once a set of measures are employed to trace for markers of success that are more concomitant with the player’s professional life. The article contributes to the discussion about the impact of seemingly neutral institutions that actually have biased effects, and its conclusions may shed light on similar institutions in more relevant areas, such as elementary education.

The hot hand fallacy re-examined: new evidence from the English Premier League

Previous studies have illustrated human misperceptions of randomness and resultant suboptimal decision-making with reference to the ‘hot hand’ or momentum effect in sport, the notion of serial dependency between outcomes. However, issues of omitted variables bias have plagued many due to a reliance on nonparametric techniques or basic regression models. This article examines across-game and within-game momentum in the English Premier League (EPL) football competition using fixed effects regressions to control for time-invariant heterogeneity in conjunction with traditional nonparametric techniques. Although the results show evidence of performance reversal following winning streaks, no such evidence is found for streaks of draws or losses or in goal-scoring performance within games. This suggests that momentum is better suited as a post hoc label of performance than a robust causal phenomenon.

HAMSTRING INJURIES IN A PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAM. MRI VS. CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS

IntroductionHamstring injury is the most common injury in professional football1 MRI is often used as both a diagnostic and prognostic tool, but clinical judgment is always used to assess injury....

Corporate social responsibility and mental health: The Premier League football Imagine Your Goals programme

Football is increasingly used to facilitate recovery in mental health services, often in partnership with football clubs. However, few clubs have made mental health part of their corporate social responsibility programmes until recently. We report the impact on participants of the ‘Imagine Your Goals’ programme, run by 16 Premier League football clubs in conjunction with England's Time to Change programme to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination. Mixed methods evaluation used pre/post measures of well-being, access to social capital, focus groups held early on and towards the end of the two-year programmes, and questionnaires for coaching staff. There were no significant changes to participants’ mental well-being scores between baseline and follow-up, nor to the total number of social resources accessible through their networks. However, there was a statistically significant increase at follow-up in the mean score of the personal skills subscale of the Resource Generator-UK. Participants’ individual skills were also higher at follow-up. Qualitative data showed programmes had largely met participants’ expectations in terms of socializing, providing structure and improving fitness levels, exceeded expectations in relationships with coaching staff and additional activities, but did not always meet them in improving football skills. Participants varied in their knowledge of exit opportunities, depending on which club's programme they attended. A minority of clubs reported difficulties in recruitment and concerns about planning for the future of the projects.Football clubs and the charitable foundations they set up can successfully deliver programmes to people with mental health problems which improve access to personal skills social capital and have other potential benefits.

Regulatory Gaming, Myopia and Ineptitude? Ofcom's Intervention in the UK Pay-TV Market

The article provides an overview of the regulation of the pay-television (TV) market in Great Britain in 2014. It explores how the securing of exclusive rights agreements with respect to particular forms of content can result to foreclosure in the market of downstream pay-TV. It discusses the interventions of the Office of Communications in 2004 and 2006 which resulted to broadcasting rights' limited unbundling for the English football Premier League..

One week in October: Luis Suárez, John Terry and the turn to racial neoliberalism in English men’s professional football

This article explores two significant incidents of racism – involving Luis Suárez and John Terry – from the 2011–2012 English Premier League football season. In particular, it analyses and contextualises the reactions and responses articulated by key stakeholders within the football industry. Discursive themes were employed by these individuals as a means of trying to mitigate and/or exonerate the actions of Suárez and Terry, to question the veracity of the allegations made against them, and to downplay the extent and effects of racism in English football more generally. The article situates these standpoints within the wider cultural politics of race in the game and extricates the connections between discourse and structure in manifestations of racism. It demonstrates that these dominant responses are indicative of colour-blind ideology, white racial framing and the rules of racial standing. It also argues that these sporting trends are part of a wider societal shift towards racial neoliberalism.

‘I just want to watch the match’: a practitioner’s reflective account of men’s health themed match day events at an English Premier League football club

This study reflects on the effectiveness and delivery of a series of health themed match day events at an English Premier League Football Club which aimed to create awareness and motivate men to adopt recommended health behaviours. A range of marketing techniques and activities were adopted within a targeted space and time to increase men’s exposure to health information. The first author adopted a practitioner-cum-researcher role and was immersed in the planning and delivery of the events utilising the principles of ethnography. Data were predominately collated through observations and personal reflections logged via autobiographical field notes. Data were analysed through abductive reasoning. In general, men were reluctant to engage in health-related behaviours on match days. However, subtle, non-invasive approaches were deemed successful. Positive outcomes and case studies from the latter techniques are presented and suggestions for effective strategies that will better engage men in health information and behaviours are made.

Fit Fans: perspectives of a practitioner and understanding participant health needs within a health promotion programme for older men delivered within an English Premier League Football Club

Fit Fans was a men’s health promotion intervention delivered within an English Premier League Football Club (2010–2011), which aimed to support the local community dwelling older men in lifestyle promotion (physical activity [PA], diet and well-being). The purpose of this study was to provide a reflexive account of a practitioner and the needs of participants. Seven men (mean age 58 years) attended weekly PA and lifestyle sessions over an eight-month period. Baseline physiological measurements included body mass index, resting blood pressure and abdominal girth. Principles of ethnography and observational research (i.e. field notes, reflective diary) were adopted by the practitioner. Unexpectedly, the cohort exhibited a range of serious diagnosed illnesses that challenged the practitioner’s skill base and experience in the delivery of the intervention. Reflections of the practitioner and the stories of the progression that participants made add insight to future football in the community programmes.

Ethnographic engagement from within a Football in the Community programme at an English Premier League football club

The present paper draws upon six years of applied practitioner research experience of the authors who were based within a Football in the Community (FitC) programme at an English Premier League football club in a deprived community in the UK. The paper explores the critical emergent issues concerned with participant recruitment, engagement and retention within a range of FitC physical activity, health improvement interventions with the following populations; primary school children, families, men aged 18–35 years and men aged 55 years and above. Results are drawn from a range of ethnographic, reflective and observational data collection and analysis techniques undertaken by the authors. A first person writing style is used alongside creative non-fiction vignettes. Results relating to the effectiveness of a range of behaviour and lifestyle change interventions are discussed. The authors conclude with a series of proposed operational and strategic ways forward for FitC schemes.

Frequency and trends in foot and ankle injuries within an English Premier League Football Club using a new impact factor of injury to identify a focus for injury prevention.

Foot and ankle injuries are common in football. Prevention strategies exist in order to decrease the incidence of such injuries and minimize the number of days that a player is unavailable for selection. Injuries were recorded over a 4-season period while the team was playing in the English Premier League (EPL). We present the epidemiology of foot and ankle injuries within a professional football club and offer a calculation that may be of use in the future to identify areas of injury prevention. Anterior Talo-Fibular Ligament (ATFL) injuries and fifth metatarsal fractures were of high impact as they were both common and resulted in significant time periods where the player was unavailable. This is the first time an EPL club has been prepared to publish data regarding injury. Our findings may be used by others to focus their prevention strategies on the injuries with the highest impact.

The Most Salient Matches in the History of Premier League Football

What are the most surprising, most impressive and most exciting matches in the history of the highest division of English football? Fans, clubs, critics and broadcasters often attempt to interpret and compare the outcomes of football matches. This can be useful as a means of building a reputation for and interest in a particular club, match or competition. However, such analysis is often subjective with fan bias, personal preference and the prize on offer influencing expectation and interpretation of the results. In this paper statistical measures are developed to identify the most surprising, most impressive and most exciting outcomes from an objective ex post point of view. To achieve this it is assumed that goal scoring in soccer can approximately be considered as a Poisson process. First, the most surprising outcomes are estimated as those with the lowest Poisson probability to occur. Second, the most impressive outcomes are identified by their so-called Skellam percentile position. This measure varies between 0 and 1 and has a close relationship with the p-value in statistical testing. Finally, the most exciting match is identified by measuring the variability in the win expectancy during a match.

Risk factors, testing and preventative strategies for non-contact injuries in professional football: current perceptions and practices of 44 teams from various premier leagues

PurposeLittle is known about injury prevention practices in professional football clubs. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the current perceptions and practices of premier league football clubs...

Something is stirring in Anfield: Elite Premier League football and localism

The Localism Act 2011 has provided the right for community organizations to nominate local buildings to be listed as an Asset of Community Value. In England a number of inner urban neighbourhoods host elite Premier League football stadia, their physical presence often visible from afar. Two in particular stand out, both recently listed as an Asset of Community Value, the globally renown football clubs of Liverpool FC and their Anfield stadium and Manchester United and Old Trafford. Three aspects of this are noteworthy. First, the capability of a community group to organize and agitate in such a way as to ensure a local asset is listed. Second, the extent to which the legislation is providing substantive rights for community activists thereby challenging those who would suggest localism is more rhetoric than real. Third, by reviewing a single case of Anfield, we can see how the role of elite professional football club in a low-income neighbourhood can be challenged for the benefit of local residents as plans for social and economic development are shaped.

Institutional theory and change: the deinstitutionalisation of sports science at Club X

Purpose– This paper aims to investigate how sports science was institutionalised and rapidly deinstitutionalised within a Premier League football club. Institutional theory has been critiqued for its lack of responsiveness to change, but recent developments within institutional theory such as the focus on deinstitutionalisation as an explanation of change, the role of institutional entrepreneurs and the increasing interest in institutional work facilitate exploration of change within institutions.Design/methodology/approach– The authors deploy a longitudinal case study which ran from 2003-2011. Data was collected via observations, semi-structured interviews and through extensive literature reviews.Findings– Via this longitudinal case study, the authors illustrate that the antecedents of deinstitution can lie in the ways by which an institution is established. In doing so, they highlight the paradoxical role potentially played by institutional entrepreneurs in that they can (unwittingly) operate as agents of institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation. Their study suggests that the higher the performance imperative within a field, the more likely the institution as a generic concept will be deinstitutionalised and the more likely to be appropriated and customised in order to gain inimitability and thus competitive advantage. Finally, the authors make an additional contribution by integrating the affective aspects of institutional work to their analyses; stressing the role played by emotions.Research limitations/implications– As with many case studies, the ability to generalise from one case, however detailed, is limited. However, it provides evidence as to the paradoxical role that can be played by institutional entrepreneurs – especially in highly competitive environments.Practical implications– The study suggests that the HR function has a potential role to play with regards to institutional continuity through a focus on leader and institutional entrepreneur succession planning.Originality/value– The paper makes an original contribution by highlighting both institutional and deinstitutional work within a single case. It highlights the paradoxical nature of institutional entrepreneurs in highly competitive environments and illustrates the importance of emotion to institutional maintenance and deinstitution.

Health improvement for men and hard-to-engage-men delivered in English Premier League football clubs

Unhealthy behaviours represent modifiable causes of non-communicable disease. In men, concern focuses on those (i) demonstrating the poorest health, exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the risks that their lifestyles pose and (ii) who neither consult their doctor nor use health services. Classed as 'hard-to-engage', distinctive strategies are needed to reach these men. Impact and process evaluations assessed the effect of a programme of men's health-delivered in/by English Premier League football clubs. Men attended match-day events and/or weekly classes involving physical activity and health education. Validated self-report measures for demographics and lifestyle behaviours were completed pre- and post-intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed on pre-versus-post-intervention differences in lifestyle profiles, whereas interviews (n = 57) provided men's accounts of programme experience. Participants were predominantly white British (70.4%/n = 2669), 18-44 (80.2%/n = 3032) and employed (60.7%/n = 1907). One-third (n = 860) 'never' visited their doctor. Over 85% (n = 1428) presented with combinations of lifestyle risk factors. Intention-to-treat analysis showed improvements (P < 0.001) in lifestyle profiles. Interviews confirmed recruitment of men who were hard-to-engage and unhealthy. Men were attracted through football and/or the clubs, whereas specific design factors impacted on participation. Limitations include use of self-reports, narrow demographics, small effect sizes, lack of follow-up and the absence of non-completers in interviews.