Sociologist and a lifelong football supporter Les Back reflects on the making of his audio documentary on football chants for BBC's Archive on 4.
Using audio illustrations and excerpts of spontaneous audience singing, Les Back will make the case for football chants being a kind of folk music. These songs and chants provide a barometer of cultural and historical change – whether it’s the impact of Covid 19, gentrification, the quieting of football or the new voices of the women’s game. They also illustrate how the boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them’ are drawn, highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly in society. This unregulated musical arena helps us to better understand our culture – both past and present.
Speaker: Les Back (Journalist, Broadcaster, Musician & Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow)
In association with the Home of Football
This event is this age restricted to 16+
Photo credit: Liam Asman
