Dr Gary Armstrong

Dr. Gary Armstrong has been a Reader in the School of Sport and Education, Brunel University, since 2008 and in the  employ of Brunel since 2000. He previously lectured in Criminology at the University of Westminster and the University of Reading. Among the many criminology projects he was involved in the two best known publications are Images of Control: The Rise of the Maximum Surveillance Society, (Berg, 1998) (co-authored with Clive Norris) and Surveillance, CCTV and Social Control, (Ashgate, 1999) (co-edited with Clive Norris and Jade Moran). His research into sports-related matters has produced the following publications: Football Hooligans: Knowing the Score, (Berg, 1998), Blade Runners: Lives in Football, (Hallamshire Press, 1999) and Sheffield United FC: The Biography (Hallamshire Press, 2007). He has also co-edited, alongside Richard Giulianotti, Entering the Field, New Perspectives in World Football, (Berg, 1997), Football Cultures and Identities, (Palgrave, 2000). Fear and Loathing in World Football, (Berg, 2001) and Football in Africa: Conflict, Conciliation and Community, (Palgrave, 2003).

From 1998-present he has researched the posibilities that football  can offer to various demographics in the reconstruction of post-conflict Liberia. Recent researching Bosnia-Herzegovina is addressing the same question. Other long-term research has examined the role that football has played in the politics of Malta. The latter study produced a 2009 book  co-authored  with Jon Mitchell, titled Local and Global Football, (Routledge).

The year 2010 saw  the publication of a book co-authored with   Brunel colleague Alberto Testa titled  Football, Fascism and Fandom:The UltraS of Italian Football (A&C Black, Bloomsbury). Another (co-authored with Matthew Bell )titled ‘Fit  and Proper?: Conflict and Conscience in an English Football Club’ (Peak Publishing) was published in Novemeber 2010. Another book published in February 2011 co-authored with Pete Fussey and Dick Hobbs titled Securing and Sustaining the 2012 Olympic City examines the policing and security implications that surround  London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games.This latter topic will domnate his research agenda for the next three years following his succesful co-application to the ESRC for funding to the value of £325,000 which was awarded in January 2011.

Gary teaches on the undergraduate sport sciences module SP3034 (Sport, Politics and Globalisation) and on the postgraduate Masters module SP5066 (Sports Organisation, Politics and the Law).

Research Interests

Three research areas are the foci of current and future research:-

• Global Sporting Cultures: a continuation of cross-cultural analyses of sport will see future papers drawing on research in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liberia, Norway, Malta and Argentina.
• Fields and Visions: Research is currently being negotiated with colleagues in Germany and Cologne which seeks to examine the role of culture and neuro-linguistic programming in sports-related instruction.
• London Calling:The recent (August 2010) successful co-application for ESRC funding of £325,000 for a project that aims to examine the policing challenges and implications that hosting the 2012 Olympics will bring to London will be the primary research focus for the next 30 months.

Research Centre

Brunel Centre for Sport Health and Wellbeing (BC•SHaW)

Research Group

Education Identities and Social Inclusion (EISI)

Publications

Journal Papers

(Forthcoming) Armstrong, G., Hobbs, D. and Lindsay, I., Calling the shots: the pre-2012 London Olmpics contest, Urban Studies Forthcoming

(Forthcoming) Armstrong, G. and Mitchell, J., Defence and attack: empire, nation and resistance in ultra-war football in Malta, Social Identities Forthcoming

(Forthcoming) Rosbrook-Thompson, J. and Armstrong, G., Fields and visions: The ‘African personality’ and Ghanaian soccer, The DuBois Review Forthcoming

(Forthcoming) Armstrong, G. and Testa, A., Purity and danger: policing the Italian neo-fascist football UltraS, Criminal Justice Studies Forthcoming

(2010) Armstrong, G. and Rosbrook-Thompson, J., Coming to America: Historical ontologies and United States soccer, Identities 17 (4) : 348- 371

(2010) Armstrong, G. and Thompson, J., Les pionniers de la franchise de football: l’Ajax Amsterdam au Cap [Warriors and good hope: the pioneering football franchise of Ajax Cape Town], Politique Africaine 118 43- 61

(2008) Armstrong, G. and Testa, A., Words and actions: Italian ultras and neo-fascism, Social Problems 14 (4) : 473- 490

Book Chapters

(2009) Armstrong, G. and Thompson, J., Life and death and football: developmental ideals and the reality of post-conflict situation. In: Roibas, A., Stamatakis, E. and Black, K. eds. Design For Sport. Gower Publishing

(2009) Armstrong, G. and Thompson, J., Managing urban disorder: the street and its malcontents in the London Borough of Camden. In: The Trouble With Boys. New York : Berg Hahn

(2009) Armstrong, G. and Campbell, N., The 2012 Olympic legacy and the PE curriculum. In: Roibas, A., Stamatakis, E. and Black, K. eds. Design For Sport. Gower Publishing

(2009) Armstrong, G. and Testa, A., The agora: new positions and the UltraS of Italian football. In: Mannone, A., Godin, E. and Jenkins, B. eds. The Contemporary Extreme Right in Western Europe: Nation, Identity and Fascism. New York : Berg Hahn

(2009) Armstrong, G. and Collison, H., The United Nations and the millenium goals: implications for sport and development. In: Roibas, A., Stamatakis, E. and Black, K. eds. Design for Sport. Gower Publishing

Books

(Forthcoming) Armstrong, G., Hobbs, D. and Fussey, P., Sustaining and securing the 2012 Olymic neighbourhood. Ashgate Publishing

(2010) Armstrong, G. and Testa, A., Football, fascism and fandom: The UltraS of Italian football. A and C Black Publishers Ltd

(2008) Armstrong, G. and Mitchell, J., Local and global football: politics and Europeanisation on the fringes of the EU. Routledge