Main areas of research
I have written about various aspects of sport, events and tourism management. I have enjoyed collaborating with a number of good people and we have published this work in a range of books and international peer-reviewed journals. The links below outline some of our most recent publications. Some of these include the full text of articles. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in any of our work.
Marcus Rashford
This case study examined the English soccer player Marcus Rashford’s personal brand and illustrates the transformational difference celebrity athletes can make through social activism and advocacy for philanthropic causes through their skillful use of social media. It employed a textual analysis methodology and drew conceptual insights from the revised Model of Athlete Brand Image to chronicle how Rashford’s social activism and philanthropy resonated with his fans, followers, and the public on social media. His authentic social activism and philanthropic advocacy for disadvantaged and vulnerable children gave the nation a “feel-good” story during the COVID-19 crisis and enhanced his personal brand image. This case study recommends that future analyses of celebrity athlete personal brands should consider including three new categories in the marketable life section of the revised Model of Athlete Brand Image: social activism, cobranding partnerships, and awards and honors.
How to win the Ryder Cup
This paper looks at the geographical composition of European Ryder Cup teams in the biennial golf match against the United States of America. It looks at the different nationalities that have been a part of Team Europe and considers what combination of players is most likely to contribute to European success. It was found that Europe is most successful when more countries are represented. A European team will be more likely to win a match staged in Europe and that the best chance of doing this is when the team comprises of 8 or 9 different nationalities
the city and the Country
Major international sporting events have long been recognised for the role they play in city and/or nation branding. The 2015 Rugby World Cup, England 2015, was promoted as the world’s biggest sporting event of the year. In addition to the 12 stadiums in England staging matches, games also took place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Cardiff is not located in England but is the capital city of neighbouring Wales, a place where rugby union is the national sport and England its biggest rival. This paper looks at the incorporation of a Welsh city in an event hosted by England where the VisitEngland promotional campaign was based upon images of ‘England’s green and pleasant land’. Drawing upon the work of the cultural theorist Raymond Williams, it considers some of the issues shaping tourism promotion and assesses the imagery and discourse relating to a city that sits outside the borders of the host nation of an event.
Major Events
A number of short articles about major sporting events here.