Part 1.
The Development of Football:
Commercialization, Culture and Identity

April 8–10 2010

Ever since the revolutionary breakthrough of television and, a decade or so later, the infamous Bosman ruling, the world of association football has been divided into strong centers, less powerful semi-peripheries, and more or less marginalized fringes. Some national leagues have, in sporting and economic terms, left the others far behind. The same pattern is apparent in women’s football. What’s more, there’s a clear division within the national leagues as well, with the same handful of rich and famous clubs claiming top positions in the league tables. Is this the football of the future? Is the division into centers and peripheries beneficial for football? These are some of the themes and question that will be penetrated at Malmö University’s important international football conference.

The conference on football will have a number of exciting keynote speakers – with local, global and glocal focuses. Confirmed speakers are Richard Giulianotti (UK), John Hughson (UK), Hans Hognestad (Norway), Boria Majumdar (India), Torbjörn Andersson (Sweden) and Jesper Fundberg (Sweden).

The conference committee now invites participants to present PAPERS, preferably, but not necessarily, relating to the following themes:
The Status and the Prospects of National Football Leagues

• Post-Bosman and the Development of Football
• The Globalisation/Glocalisation of Football
• Football and Local and National Identity
• Directions in Contemporary and Future European Football
• The Future Development of Women Football
• Sponsoring and Marketing of Women Football
• The Implication of the 6+5 Rule or the Economic Doping of Football Clubs

Please submit ABSTRACTS (250 – 400 words) electronically to Annika Larsson (annika.larsson@mah.se) no later than January 15, 2010. Notification of acceptance will be given on February 15, 2010. Accepted articles (5000–7000 words) must be submitted in full by March 15 2010, and will be considered for publication in a special issue of Soccer and Society, in 2011, or in Nordic Sport Studies Forum.

For further information, please contact Bo Carlsson, Malmö University (bo.carlsson@mah.se)

April 10–12

Gender differences and similarities, and whether differences and similarities should be reflected in the organization of sports, is a hotly contended issue in media, in sports, and between scholars. There is consensus about the basic inequalities within sports, but how can that be corrected? Who will spearhead the campaign for gender equality in sports, and in what way should it be run? In various ways, feminists have tried to steer society towards gender equality; but how did the association sports respond? These and many more questions concerning men, women and sports will be subject to thorough exploration at this unique conference.

The conference on gender and sports will have a number of exciting keynote speakers: Raewyn Connell (Australia), Kari Fasting (Norway), Pirkko Markula (Canada), Celia Brackenridge (UK), Gertrud Pfister (Denmark), Sigmund Loland (Norway), Marion Keim (South Africa), Boria Majumdar (India) Martin Polley (UK), Susanna Hedenborg (Sweden).

The conference committee now invites participants to present PAPERS, relating to the theme of gender, women and sports.

Please submit ABSTRACTS (250 – 400 words) electronically to Annika Larsson (annika.larsson@mah.se) no later than January 15, 2010. Notification of acceptance will be given on February 15, 2010. Accepted articles (5000–7000 words) must be submitted in full by March 15 2010, and will be considered for publication in a special issue of Sport in Society, in 2011, or in Nordic Sport Studies Forum.

For further information, please contact Susanna Hedenborg, Malmö University (susanna.hedenborg@mah.se)