2025/07/22 by Alessandro Mazzola · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Race, History, and American Society #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Sports, Gender, and Society
paper · doi:10.1080/01419870.2025.2532715
openalex publication_date 2025/07/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/04
This paper examines how anti-racism in grassroots football arises from local club engagement with the attitudes and needs of their communities, rather than from the implementation of the general anti-discrimination policy framework. Using the case studies of Kraainem FC and City Pirates in Belgium, the study highlights how grassroots clubs situated in different socio-economic contexts shape their anti-racism practices based on local dynamics. The findings demonstrate that, while national policies exist, grassroots clubs’ anti-racism strategies are more influenced by their direct relationships with the local communities they serve. In showing the distance between policies and practices, this paper also highlights how the shaping of policies can paradoxically create obstacles for clubs in implementing anti-racism in grassroots football.