Despite a myriad popular and journalistic expositions, up to this point there have been virtually no academic discussions of the Manchester United phenomenon. This anthology represents the first concerted academic examination of Manchester United FC in its contemporary guise as a both widely followed, and highly emblematic, sporting institution.
The primary aim of this collection is to illustrate how the structure and experience of Manchester United is implicated in broader societal shifts, within which the boundary between cultural and commercial concerns have become increasingly divisible.
Bringing together respected academics from an array of disciplinary backgrounds including cultural studies, sociology, english, history, media studies, sports management, gender studies, and economics, the chapters gathered within this anthology each interrogate a different aspect of the Manchester United universe.