Professor Simon Chadwick
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professorchadwick.bsky.social
Professor Simon Chadwick
@professorchadwick.bsky.social
Professor of Afro-Eurasian Sport
https://substack.com/@geosport200
From football to Ferrari, Italian sport is undermining the country's soft power

Stuck in the past and without a plan for the future, Italy and its sport face some big challenges
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
November 19, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Global Gen Z protests highlight an inconvenient truth for sport

The drive to engage with this socio-demographic group ignores the fact that many people see sport as being out of touch and unacceptably expensive
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
November 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Globalisation and tradition go head-to-head as sport’s turf wars intensify

A controversial Villareal vs. Barcelona football match in Miami saw money and growth pitted against community and identity
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
October 24, 2025 at 8:42 AM
The global dohyō: Sport entertainment and the performance of power

As sports battle for market share, sumo wrestling recently headed to London
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
October 21, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Chinese sport reaches its 2025 growth target, now government wants economic sustainability and efficiency

Mass participation and infrastructural developments are top of the country's 2030 agenda
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
October 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Comments in...

Saudi sporting land grab is going into overdrive
observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...
Saudi sporting land grab is going into overdrive
From football to darts, tennis to gaming, the kingdom’s ambitions are measured in billions
observer.co.uk
October 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Comments in...

Dubai Basketball club is ‘test case’ for global push
www.agbi.com/analysis/bus...
Dubai Basketball club is ‘test case’ for global push
Dubai Basketball is the first Gulf team in the Euroleague, highlighting the region's sports investment and the league’s push beyond Europe
www.agbi.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Open access...

Latest article in our @FrontiersIn special edition - Geopolitics & Sports: From Sports Propaganda to Sportswashing - has just been published
www.frontiersin.org/research-top...

Submissions can be made until the end of November
October 10, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Comments in...

NBA bounces back into China six years after Hong Kong spat

Preseason games in Macao & rising star Yang Hansen set stage for recapturing lost revenue
asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/sp...

This is classic geopolitical economy: sport in the crosshairs of business & politics
NBA bounces back into China six years after Hong Kong spat
Preseason games in Macao and rising star Yang Hansen set stage for recapturing lost revenue
asia.nikkei.com
October 10, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Saudi Arabia doubles down on its efforts to become a global esports super power

A summer of spending and events has added fresh impetus to the country's strategic ambitions
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
October 9, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Coming soon...

Qatar’s World Cup Legacy – Future Sport Strategy and the Creation of a Sustainable Sport Ecosystem

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics

With co-authors Marko Begovic and Ross Griffin
October 8, 2025 at 8:33 AM
The Geopolitical Economy of Esports
Coming early 2026

Provisional chapter running order now available

40 chapters, 5 sections:

- Geopolitical economy of esports
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- Asia
- Europe & RoW

BIG thanks to everyone who has contributed to the book
@paulwiddop.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 10:10 AM
A new Chinese football boom is quietly unfolding, ten years after an era of chaos and excess

The increasingly popular Jiangsu Super League is setting a benchmark that other Chinese regions are now following
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
A new Chinese football boom is quietly unfolding, ten years after an era of chaos and excess
The increasingly popular Jiangsu Super League is setting a benchmark that other Chinese regions are now following
https://substack.com/home/post/p-174907760…
October 3, 2025 at 7:10 AM
#EmptyOldTrafford

We've been tracking & analysing this hashtag using social media data

Paper coming soon:

"Global Fan Activism in Sports: Digital Collective Action & the Case of hashtag#EmptyOldTrafford"

Will appear in the International Journal of Organisational Analysis
October 2, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Morocco's World Cup preparations are mired in issues of generational politics & regional division

Unrest amongst GenZ & victims of an earthquake in 2023 pose challenges for the country's government & its ambitious football plans
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
October 1, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Will UEFA suspend Israel?

Pressure is mounting on the governing body to take action against one of its members, though movement towards this outcome is a complex matter
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 29, 2025 at 11:33 AM
American diplomacy in London signals battles ahead for basketball in Europe

Donald Trump's visit to London was about the US projecting power and influence, sport included
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
American diplomacy in London signals battles ahead for basketball in Europe
Donald Trump's visit to London was about the US projecting power and influence, sport included
substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Spanish sport finds itself caught in the eye of a geopolitical storm

The cancellation of stages during cycling's La Vuelta could have implications for where the 2030 FIFA men's World Cup final takes place
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 19, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Reposted by Professor Simon Chadwick
'Canelo Trap' is the outcome of boxing's pursuit of attention economy dollars

The Terence Crawford / Saul “Canelo” Álvarez bout in Las Vegas served to highlight the stark realities of contemporary sport
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
'Canelo Trap' is the outcome of boxing's pursuit of attention economy dollars

The Terence Crawford / Saul “Canelo” Álvarez bout in Las Vegas served to highlight the stark realities of contemporary sport
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Professor Simon Chadwick
Sport loves nostalgia

During these times of economic and political uncertainty, memories of the past are especially alluring
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 3, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Sport loves nostalgia

During these times of economic and political uncertainty, memories of the past are especially alluring
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 3, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Reposted by Professor Simon Chadwick
That’s entertainment: The transfer window as global drama

Isak to Liverpool has been more a case of soap opera than football, but that's nowadays the nature of elite professional sport
substack.com/home/post/p-...
@paulwiddop.bsky.social #Geosport
September 1, 2025 at 8:42 AM