Geoff Pearson
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profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson
@profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
1.3K followers 350 following 250 posts

Prof of Law and Co-Director of Research at Manchester University's Law Dept. Socio-legal research interests in human rights, policing, public order, crowd management, football "hooliganism", Ethnography, and sports law.

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Political science 47%
Sociology 29%
Posts Replies Media Videos

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 23h
Good to see MUST and the 1958 speaking out against this. If you want to own a football club whose fans are going to be ok with your casual racism, buying United wasn't a sensible choice.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Jim Ratcliffe accused of hypocrisy after saying UK ‘colonised’ by immigrants
Manchester United co-owner, who lives in Monaco, faces growing backlash for using ‘far-right narratives’
www.theguardian.com

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 1d
Don't usually do academic gloating, but this is as decent a spot as any to proof read the new book. 'Policing and the Human Rights Act', coming soon.
Biarritz

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

hannahwright.bsky.social
Hannah Wright @hannahwright.bsky.social · 1d
A couple of lecturer posts at @uomsociology.bsky.social:

On racial inequalities, anti-racism and theoretical debates about 'race': www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

On political sociology of class and economy or cultural interpretations of class: www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Lecturer in Sociology:Oxford Road
As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 4d
As I am sure you will remember from Sport and the Law, arbitration is quick and cheap in comparison with the timely and expensive process of engaging with the civil court system.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 6d
Cook Pass ICE
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Gus Kenworthy: British freestyle skier will not be punished for graphic ICE message
Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy will not be punished after appearing to urinate a graphic message about the United States' immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) in the snow, then posting a photograph ...
www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

uomlaw.bsky.social
uomlaw.bsky.social @uomlaw.bsky.social · 6d
We are thrilled to announce that our teaching and research staff, @lewisgrahamlaw.bsky.social and @lucyfrith.bsky.social, have had their books shortlisted for the @slsauk.bsky.social Prizes 2026. Congratulations! @uomsoss.bsky.social @uomhums.bsky.social

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 7d
The biggest of #SportsLaw klaxons for this.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...
‘Penis injection’ claims in Winter Olympics ski jumping investigated by Wada
Wada is to investigate claims ski jumpers are injecting acid into their penises to game the suit-measuring system
www.theguardian.com

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 8d
Well this is all starting to look a bit of a mess.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Palestine Action protesters not guilty of defence firm burglary
The group are cleared of aggravated burglary over a raid at an Elbit Systems warehouse.
www.bbc.co.uk

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 9d
30 seconds after you submit the article.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 9d
They will need a particular setting for when there's a football match on and the normal rules of the road don't apply.
carolinerussell.bsky.social Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 10d
“Jaywalking is permitted in London. In 1966, the police tried to crack down on it, but gave up after three months.”

People walk and cycle on roads by right, people drive under licence.

Jaywalking is not a thing in English law and Waymo must not change that.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Self-driving taxis are coming to London – should we be worried? | Jack Stilgoe
Waymo’s cars were first rolled out in San Francisco, but the English capital’s old roads, pelican crossings and jaywalkers may pose issues for AI, says science and technology professor Jack Stilgoe
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Andrew Scott, Lesley A. Hall , and 7 more

carolinerussell.bsky.social
Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 10d
“Jaywalking is permitted in London. In 1966, the police tried to crack down on it, but gave up after three months.”

People walk and cycle on roads by right, people drive under licence.

Jaywalking is not a thing in English law and Waymo must not change that.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Self-driving taxis are coming to London – should we be worried? | Jack Stilgoe
Waymo’s cars were first rolled out in San Francisco, but the English capital’s old roads, pelican crossings and jaywalkers may pose issues for AI, says science and technology professor Jack Stilgoe
www.theguardian.com

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 11d
I always took down my decorations immediately after twelfth night and yet, 16 years ago, a goblin took up residence in my house and has been causing mischief in it ever since.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Geoff Pearson

davidallengreen.bsky.social
dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 11d
Today is Candlemas

If you have not cleared all your Christmas decorations by today, a demon hiding behind them will cause dire mischief in your house for the rest of the year.

See my popular post on this: emptycity.substack.com/p/twelfth-ni...
"Twelfth Night Till Candlemas"
The story of a forty-year book-quest and of its remarkable ending
emptycity.substack.com

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

matt4d.bsky.social
Matt Ford @matt4d.bsky.social · 14d
After Bayern Munich (at home to Union SG) and Eintracht Frankfurt (away at Qarabag), Young Boys are the third fan scene to successfully circumvent a collective UEFA punishment this season.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

matt4d.bsky.social
Matt Ford @matt4d.bsky.social · 14d
VfB Stuttgart at home to Young Boys in the Europa League this evening - and ultras from the Ostkurve Bern in an improvised away end at the Neckarstadion after circumventing a UEFA ban with help from their Stuttgart counterparts.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 14d
I lost all respect for him after his p!ss poor selection choices for the Fellowship of the Ring.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

sportingintel.bsky.social
Nick Harris @sportingintel.bsky.social · 14d
A dozen questions about the end game of Manchester City's "115" case, and its aftermath
sportingintelligence832.substack.com/p/a-dozen-qu...
A dozen questions about the end game of Manchester City's "115" case, and its aftermath
The Premier League began investigating alleged rule-breaking by Man City in late 2018, charging them with 115 rule breaches in 2023. Into an eighth year, the case rumbles on
sportingintelligence832.substack.com

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

fanseurope.org
Football Supporters Europe @fanseurope.org · 14d
✈️ Followed your team away to a #UCL match last night? We want to hear from you.

🗣️ From ticketing & travel to accessibility & stewarding — share your experience, good or bad, in FSE's 2025/26 #AwayFanSurvey.

👉 Take part: https://bit.ly/4oMENsO
Floodlit football stadium packed with fans watching a UEFA match. Overlaid text reads: “FSE Away Fans Survey 2025/25 Season – UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, UEFA Conference League,” with the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) logo in the corner.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 9 more

robfordmancs.bsky.social
Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 15d
New Swingometer! The Gorton and Denton By-election: A tale of Two Manchesters

open.substack.com/pub/swingome...
The Gorton and Denton by-election: a tale of two Manchesters?
Unpopular incumbent + fragmented opposition + unusual seat = unpredictable contest
open.substack.com

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 16d
I can feel my quantitatively minded colleagues becomning as cross as my spellchecker.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Geoff Pearson

ottoenglish.bsky.social
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 21d
Where are the poppy patriots? Why are they completely silent on this grotesque insult to our armed forces and specifically the 2,000 UK service and civilian personnel who were injured and the 457 who died in Afghanistan?
pickardje.bsky.social Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 21d
imagine being the father or mother or son or daughter or sibling of one of those brave British troops who died in Afghanistan, and having to listen to this crass ignorance

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
We set out our arguments more clearly here, using a number of case studies of 'intelligence led' football operations, some of which were superb, some of which were a shambles. But very few operations, good or bad, played out how the intelligence suggested they would.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
There were examples of (even anonymous) social media posts being included in intelligence reports so unsurprisingly that Google & AI are sometimes used. There are of course many examples of good practice & it should be remembered that generally UK football policing is years ahead of most countries.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
Combined with an understandable risk-averse approach to policing football and the way police resource can be locked into fixtures at an early stage, good quality intelligence rarely leads to a downgraded risk categorisation, while poor quality information can increase risk it.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
This was inevitable unfortunately. It's as much to do with how football intelligence is gathered/used as it is the appeal of AI tools. Cliff Stott & I have written on football intel and observed a number of patterns. The gap between information & intelligence in this arena can be vanishingly thin.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
Following hot on the heels of Ming the Merciless, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Sauron. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Israeli PM Netanyahu agrees to join Trump's Board of Peace
Israel is the latest country to publicly accept an invitation to Trump's new organisation, joining Albania, Bahran, Hungary, Morocco and the UAE.
www.bbc.co.uk

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
Sky Sports have decided that 20.00 on a Friday night is the most appropriate kick-off time for Bournemouth v Man Utd. The last train back to Manchester leaves Bournemouth 15 minutes before kick-off. #mufc

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 22d
This pair have been an absolute menace for the duration of me trying to write the Human Rights and Policing book. I really could do with the opposite of an Acknowledgements section to reference them in.
Fighting cats

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 23d
Feels different down here. Pretty much everyone I know who qualified as a teacher has left the profession.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 23d
Quantifiably, looks like 87% more history there. That's #science. Now how do I tag in Prof Hannah Fry?