Keith Parry

Dr Keith Parry

  • Interim Head of Department of Sport and Event Management
  • DH
UN SDGs:
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Biography

Dr Keith D. Parry is Head of Department in the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University and an Adjunct Fellow of Western Sydney University. His research interests are primarily focused on identity, sport and in/exclusion and how both traditional and newer, online media formats are used to present and discuss these subjects. He is positioned at the intersection of sports organisations and sport consumers, frequently using a variety of online/netnographic methods to examine the influence of media formats on the latter and the ability for consumers to shape discussions related to sport. His recent research has focussed on media coverage and framing of a variety of topics such as LGBT inclusivity, women’s football, concussion in association football and rugby, and racism

He has published widely in leading journals such as Sport in Society, Communication & Sport and International Review for the Sociology of Sport, and has contributed to a number of key edited texts in this area, such as Routledge International Handbook on Sport Fans and Fandom and Handbook of Masculinity and Sport...

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Research

Dr Parry's research is based on identity and in/exclusion in sport and the role of the media in presenting and shaping discussions on these topics. These issues are largely a result of the broader context within which sport operates and it serves to highlight wider social problems. His research is situated within the fields of sport sociology and cultural studies. Although he do not limit himself to one particular area of discrimination, he has published widely on race, gender, and sexualities. Dr Parry's recent concept, Organisational Cultural Lag not only generated new knowledge but also provides a framework for understanding why sport (and other organisations) are slow to respond to social movements in a meaningful and authentic way. While the conceptualisation of Organisational Cultural Lag was based around marriage equality, it is applicable to any social movement.

The other key focus of Keith's research is on concussion/brain injuries in sport. This topic is now increasingly recognised as a public health issue rather than just a ‘sport issue’ and he is one of the founders of the Acquired Brain Injury Research Network, which has been set up to research this area and extend awareness of the topic. His research here has two foci, the experiences of family members of those who have suffered brain injuries in sport and media reporting on this topic.

From a theoretical perspective, a growing number of Keith's publications are based on media framing of sport-related stories. Given the prominent role that the media plays in presenting and portraying sport, it is vital that its role in influencing public attitudes is well understood...

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Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:

Good health and well-being

"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"

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Good health and well-being

"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"

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Quality education

"Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all"

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Gender equality

"Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls"

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Gender equality

"Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls"

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Reduced inequalities

"Reduce inequality within and among countries"

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Sustainable cities and communities

"Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable"

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Peace, justice and strong institutions

"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels"

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Journal Articles

  • Hardwicke, J., Matthews, C.R., Parry, K., Lang, M., Walker, D., Shaw, M., Piggin, J., Bullingham, R., Hurst, H.T. and Anderson, E., 2025. Preventing sport-acquired brain damage in children: ‘If in doubt, sit them out’ on its own is not good enough. Performance Enhancement and Health, 13 (3).
  • Anderson, E., Zeigler, C., Batten, J., Reed, J., Parry, K.D. and Magrath, R., 2025. Does the Liberalization of Masculine Space Improve Experiences for Sexual Minorities? Sociological Research Online, 30 (1), 209-224.
  • Sveinson, K., Clarkson, B., Parry, K. and Richards, J., 2025. “If you build it, they will buy it”: exploring consumer insights of professional women’s football merchandising strategies. Sport Management Review.
  • Nicholson, R., Parry, K.D., Reghunathan, A., Gilani, P. and Marmion, V., 2025. Levelling the playing field: the case of The Hundred and gender equality in cricket. Sport in Society.
  • Cleland, J., Adair, D., Parry, K. and MacDonald, C., 2024. Spectator racism in three professional men's football codes in Australia: Observations from White spectators. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 59 (8), 1125-1143.
  • Parry, K.D., Braim, A.G., Jull, R.E. and Smith, M.J., 2024. No Longer a Sign of Weakness? Media Reporting on Mental Ill Health in Sport. International Journal of Sport Communication, 17 (2), 171-181.
  • Neal, S., Pang, B., Parry, K. and Rishbeth, C., 2024. Informal sport and leisure, urban space and social inequalities: Editors’ Introduction. Leisure Studies, 43 (6), 875-886.
  • Piggin, J., Parry, K.D. and White, A.J., 2024. Conceptualising brainwashing: corporate communication in a concussion crisis. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 16 (4), 625-639.
  • Parry, K.D., Clarkson, B.G., Kavanagh, E.J., Sawiuk, R. and Grubb, L., 2023. Ticking the right boxes: A critical examination of the perceptions and attitudes towards the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) acronym in the UK. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 58 (5), 867-888.
  • Parry, K.D., Clarkson, B.G., Bowes, A., Grubb, L. and Rowe, D., 2023. Media Framing of Women’s Football During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Communication and Sport, 11 (3), 592-615.
  • Fenton, A., Keegan, B.J. and Parry, K.D., 2023. Understanding Sporting Social Media Brand Communities, Place and Social Capital: A Netnography of Football Fans. Communication and Sport, 11 (2), 313-333.
  • Hansen, M., Kavanagh, E., Anderson, E., Parry, K. and Cleland, J., 2023. An analysis of responses on Twitter to the English Premier League’s support for the anti-homophobia rainbow laces campaign. Sport in Society, 26 (2), 302-316.
  • Anderson, E., Turner, G., Hardwicke, J. and Parry, K.D., 2023. Sport Structured Brain Trauma is Child Abuse. Sport Ethics and Philosophy.
  • Piggin, J., Batten, J., Parry, K., Anderson, E. and White, A.J., 2022. Compulsory collisions and corporate interests in school rugby: Challenging distortions in the framing of childhood injury. Injury Prevention, 29 (1), 79-84.
  • Clarkson, B.G., Parry, K.D., Culvin, A. and Pope, S., 2022. An institutional analysis of gender (in)equalities, COVID-19 and governance of elite women's football in Australia, England and the USA. Sport Business and Management an International Journal, 12 (4), 459-478.
  • Moxey, M., Brown, H. and Parry, K.D., 2022. University sports clubs: culture, belonging and adapting to change during COVID-19. Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 8 (1).
  • White, A.J., Parry, K.D. et al., 2022. Imposing Compulsory Rugby Union on Schoolchildren: An Analysis of English State-Funded Secondary Schools. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4.
  • White, A.J., D. Parry, K., Humphries, C., Phelan, S., Batten, J. and Magrath, R., 2022. Duty of Karius: Media Framing of Concussion Following the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final. Communication and Sport, 10 (3), 541-563.
  • Parry, K., White, A.J., Cleland, J., Hardwicke, J., Batten, J., Piggin, J. and Howarth, N., 2022. Masculinities, Media and the Rugby Mind: An Analysis of Stakeholder Views on the Relationship Between Rugby Union, the Media, Masculine-Influenced Views on Injury, and Concussion. Communication and Sport, 10 (3), 564-586.
  • Muir, K., Anderson, E., Parry, K.D. and Letts, D., 2022. The Changing Nature of Gay Rugby Clubs in the United Kingdom. Sociology of Sport Journal, 39 (2), 178-185.
  • Cleland, J., Adair, D. and Parry, K., 2022. Fair Go? Indigenous Rugby League Players and the Racial Exclusion of the Australian National Anthem. Communication and Sport, 10 (1), 74-96.
  • Clarkson, B.G., Culvin, A., Pope, S. and Parry, K.D., 2022. Covid-19: Reflections on threat and uncertainty for the future of elite women’s football in England. Managing Sport and Leisure, 27 (1-2), 44-55.
  • Richards, J., Parry, K.D. and Gill, F., 2022. “The guys love it when chicks ask for help”: an exploration of female rugby league fans. Sport in Society, 25 (5), 927-944.
  • Aquino, K., Wise, A., Velayutham, S., Parry, K.D. and Neal, S., 2022. The right to the city: outdoor informal sport and urban belonging in multicultural spaces. Annals of Leisure Research, 25 (4), 472-490.
  • Lally, A., Smith, M. and Parry, K.D., 2022. Exploring migration experiences of foreign footballers to England through the use of autobiographies. Soccer and Society, 23 (6), 529-544.
  • Manoli, A.E., Parry, K.D. et al., 2022. Managing sport and leisure in the era of Covid-19. Managing Sport and Leisure, 27 (1-2), 1-6.
  • Clarkson, B.G., Parry, K.D., Sawiuk, R., Grubb, L. and Kavanagh, E., 2022. Transforming the English coaching landscape: Black women football coaches’ acts of resistance against racism and sexism. Managing Sport and Leisure.
  • Parry, K.D., Storr, R., Kavanagh, E.J. and Anderson, E., 2021. Conceptualising organisational cultural lag: Marriage equality and Australian sport. Journal of Sociology, 57 (4), 986-1008.
  • Fenton, A., Parry, K.D., Ahmed, W. and Chadwick, S., 2021. Understanding sporting brands and entrepreneurship using netnography and social network analysis. International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation.
  • Smith, M., Young, G., Batten, J., Anderson, E., Parry, K.D., Collins, R. and White, A.J., 2021. Athletes with neurodegenerative disease: A phenomenological exploration of family members' experiences. Qualitative Report, 26 (11), 3492-3518.
  • Parry, K.D., White, A., Anderson, E. and Batten, J., 2021. The shifting media discourse surrounding head injuries in association football. Academia Letters, 1-8.
  • Parry, K.D., 2021. The formation of heroes and the myth of national identity. Sport in Society, 24 (6), 886-903.
  • Allen, E., Fenton, A. and Parry, K., 2021. Computerised gymnastics judging scoring system implementation – An exploration of stakeholders’ perceptions. Science of Gymnastics Journal, 13 (3), 357-370.
  • Parry, K.D., Cleland, J. and Kavanagh, E., 2020. Racial folklore, black masculinities and the reproduction of dominant racial ideologies: The case of Israel Folau. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 55 (7), 850-867.
  • Richards, J. and Parry, K.D., 2020. Beers and blurred boundaries: The spatial and gendered organisation of pre-match venues for English football fans. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 55 (6), 647-663.
  • Parry, K.D. and Batey, J., 2020. For a Few Dollars More – the representation of elite women’s cricket in Australia. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 28 (1), 55-65.
  • Cleland, J., Parry, K.D. and Radford, D., 2019. “Perhaps She Only Had a Banana Available to Throw”: Habitus, Racial Prejudice, and Whiteness on Australian Football League Message Boards. Sociology of Sport Journal, 1-9.
  • Parry, K.D., 2019. Managing Sport Business: An Introduction, 2nd edition. SPORT MANAGEMENT REVIEW, 22 (5), 750-751.
  • George, E., Parry, K.D. and Bennie, A., 2018. A thematic analysis of community engagement initiatives in Australian football. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21, S42.
  • Parry, K.D., Hall, T. and Baxter, A., 2017. Who ate all the pies? The importance of food in the Australian sporting experience. Sport in Society, 20 (2), 202-218.
  • Parry, K., Khan, A. and Hughes, B., 2017. Taking on the scalpers. Australasian Leisure Management, 20.
  • Parry, K.D., 2015. Research methods in sport studies and sport management: a practical guide. ANNALS OF LEISURE RESEARCH, 18 (3).
  • Parry, K.D., Jones, I. and Wann, D.L., 2014. An Examination of Sport Fandom in the United Kingdom: A Comparative Analysis of Fan Behaviors, Socialization Processes, and Team Identification. Journal of Sport Behavior, 37 (3), 251-267.
  • Eastwood, A. and Parry, K.D., 2014. Soccer and samba. , 88-91.
  • Parry, K.D., 2012. Game of two passions: A football fan's autoethnography. Qualitative Research Journal, 12 (2), 238-250.
  • Parry, K.D. and Challis, L., 2010. How the Legacy from the 2012 Olympics will Impact on Young People in Sport: A Poster Presentation Assessment. LINK, 26, 22-23.
  • Parry, K.D., 2009. Search for the hero: an investigation into the sports heroes of British sports fans. Sport in Society, 12 (1), 212-226.

Books

Chapters

  • Kavanagh, E.J. and Parry, K.D., 2024. Online Violence and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In: Jackson, D., Bernstein, A., Butterworth, M., Cho, Y., Sarver Coombs, D., Devlin, M. and Vimieiro, A.C., eds. Olympic and Paralympic Analysis 2024: Mega events, media, and the politics of sport - Early reflections from leading academics. Poole, UK: The Centre for Comparative Politics and Media Research, Bournemouth University, 101.
  • Parry, K.D., 2024. Hero formation and the myth of Australian national identity in Australian football. In: Nosal, P., Kossakowski, R. and Woźniak, W., eds. Football, Fandom and Collective Memory: Global Perspectives. Routledge, 78-92.
  • Parry, K.D., Adair, D. and Cleland, J., 2024. National anthems and athlete activism. Routledge Handbook of Sport Leisure and Social Justice. 431-445.
  • Moxey, M., Parry, K.D. and Brown, H., 2023. Placing sport at the heart of the university community: A critical reflection on sports club membership and what it means for student engagement from a Bourdieusian perspective. In: Lowe, T., ed. Advancing Student Engagement in Higher Education: Reflection, Critique and Challenge. London: Routledge.
  • Fenton, A. and Parry, K.D., 2022. Netnography – an approach to ethnography in the digital age. In: Quan-Haase, A. and Sloan, L., eds. The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods. SAGE, 214-227.
  • Richards, J., Parry, K.D. and Spanjaard, D., 2022. Studying Sports Fans through Ethnographic Method: Walk a Mile in their Shoes. In: Sarver Coombs, D. and Osborne, A.C., eds. Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom. Routledge.
  • Parry, K.D. and Richards, J., 2022. Football Fans and Food: Feeding the Desire. In: Sarver Coombs, D. and Osborne, A.C., eds. Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom. Routledge.
  • Parry, K.D. and Magrath, R., 2022. Social media, digital technology, and sexuality in sport. Research in the Sociology of Sport. 127-144.
  • Fenton, A., Parry, K.D., Chadwick, S., Guimarães, G. and Aeron, V., 2022. Digital Innovation in Sport – Barriers and Opportunities for Branded Fitness Apps for Fans. Studies on Entrepreneurship Structural Change and Industrial Dynamics. 25-42.
  • Richards, J., Parry, K.D. and Spanjaard, D., 2022. Studying Sports Fans Through Ethnographic Methods: Walk a Mile in Their Shoes. Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom. 84-94.
  • Parry, K.D. and Richards, J., 2022. Football Fans and Food: Feeding the Desire. Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom. 377-387.
  • Kavanagh, E. and Parry, K.D., 2021. Tokyo 2020: athlete welfare and coping with new anxieties. In: Jackson, D., Bernstein, A., Butterworth, M., Cho, Y., Sarver Coombs, D., Devlin, M. and Onwumechili, C., eds. Olympic and Paralympic Analysis 2020: Mega events, media, and the politics of sport: Early reflections from leading academics. Bournemouth University: The Centre for Comparative Politics and Media Research, 74-75.
  • Parry, K.D., Richards, J., Batey, J. and Khan, A., 2021. Walking the Walk: Gender-bland Sexism, the Fan Experience and Perceptions of Value in Professional Women’s Cricket. Professionalisation of Women S Sport Issues and Debates. 211-227.
  • Rowe, D., Parry, K.D. and Pang, B., 2020. The China question and soccer in Australia. Softpower Soccer Supremacy the Chinese Dream. 285-306.
  • Parry, K.D., Richards, J. and McAuliffe, C., 2020. Real-Time, Real World Learning-Capitalising on Mobile Technology. Applied Pedagogies for Higher Education Real World Learning and Innovation Across the Curriculum. 371-393.
  • Parry, K.D., George, E.S., Richards, J. and Stevens, A., 2019. Watching football as medicine: Promoting health at the football stadium. Football as Medicine Prescribing Football for Global Health Promotion. 183-200.
  • Muir, K., Parry, K.D. and Anderson, E., 2019. Masculinity and inclusive rugby in the united kingdom. Palgrave Handbook of Masculinity and Sport. 323-340.
  • Parry, K.D., Hall, T. and Baxter, A., 2018. Who ate all the pies? The importance of food in the Australian sporting experience. In: Parnell, D., Curran, K. and Philpott, M., eds. Healthy Stadia: An Insight from Policy to Practice. London: Routledge, 22-38.
  • Parry, K.D., Rowe, D., George, E.S. and Hall, T.J., 2017. Healthy sport consumption: Moving away from pies and beer. Sport and Health Exploring the Current State of Play. 219-237.
  • Parry, K.D., 2014. It may be the World Cup, but how global is the ‘world game’? 205-208.
  • Parry, K.D., 2013. Can't buy me love: the rise and fall of an AFL" hero". 15-24.

Conferences

  • Parry, K.D., 2024. Hero formation and the myth of Australian national identity in Australian football. , 78-92.
  • Parry, K.D., Neal, S., Rishbeth, C., Pang, B. and Aytug, R., 2023. Informal sport and leisure, urban space and social inequalities. In: Re-creating Leisure: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference 2023 11-13 July 2023 Bournemouth.
  • Parry, K.D., 2022. Conceptualising Organisational Cultural Lag on Marriage Equality in Australian Sporting Organisations. In: Building Equality and Justice Now - BSA Annual Conference 2022 20-22 April 2022 Virtual.
  • Parry, K.D. and Batey, J., 2020. For a Few Dollars More – The Representation of Elite Women’s Cricket in Australia. In: 2019 Women in Sport and Exercise Conference 11-12 June 2019 St Mary's University, Twickenham, London, UK. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 28 (1), 61.
  • Hansen, M., Parry, K.D., Kavanagh, E. and Anderson, E., 2019. “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve” – An analysis of online responses to the EPL’s support of Rainbow Laces. In: Fourth annual interdisciplinary Sport and Discrimination Conference 4 September 2019 Southampton Solent University, Southampton, England.
  • Parry, K.D., 2018. The formation of Sports Heroes: Mythology and National Identity. In: Changing the rules of the game? An interdisciplinary symposium examining the relationship between sport and media 16-17 May 2018 Loughborough.
  • Parry, K.D. and Cleland, J., 2018. Israel Folau, Australian football and racial folklore. Abstract Book of the 15th European Association for Sociology of Sport Conference: Sport, Discriminations and Inclusion: Challenges to Face (EASS 2018), May 23-26, 2018, Bordeaux, France, 48.
  • Parry, K.D., Khan, A.M. and Richards, J., 2018. Paying the price: ticket purchasing at sports events. Book of Abstracts: 24th Annual SMAANZ Conference 2018, 21-23 November 2018, Adelaide, South Australia.
  • George, E.S., Rodas, A. and Parry, K.D., 2017. Mind and body: academic engagement with industry. Sporting Traditions Conference XXI: The Business of Sport, Sydney, NSW, 3-6 July 2017.
  • Parry, K.D., 2017. The formation of sports heroes and the role of national identity. ISSA 2017 Book of Abstracts: 2017 World Congress of Sociology of Sport: Reimagining Democracies and Sport, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, May 30-June 2, 2017, 60.
  • Parry, K.D., 2017. Jeremy Cameron: boy from the bush. Sporting Traditions XXI: The Business of Sport, Sydney, NSW, 3-6 July 2017.
  • Cull, M. and Parry, K.D., 2017. The cost of organised sport: increasing sport participation in NSW. 23rd Annual SMAANZ Conference: Places, Events and Sport:'Going for Gold', 29 November-1 December 2017, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia, 58.
  • Parry, K.D., 2016. Unfair dinkum!: the exclusive nature of Australian sport. Team Sydney Sports Conference: Change the Game, 7 May 2016, Sydney, Australia.
  • Parry, K.D., 2016. Bullying or banter?: abuse in sport. No 2 Bullying Conference 2016, 18-19 April 2016, Gold Coast, Australia.
  • Parry, K.D., 2016. ‘We have lattes over here too…’: Sydney rivalries, old and new. History Week Symposium: Community Sporting Histories: Inclusion, Exclusion and Authority, 6 September 2016, State Library of New South Wales.
  • Gatzidis, C., Parry, K., Kavanagh, E., Wilding, A. and Gibson, D., 2009. Towards the development of an interactive 3D coach training serious game. Proceedings of the 2009 Conference in Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications Vs Games 2009, 186-189.
  • Gatzidis, C., Parry, K., Kavanagh, E., Wilding, A. and Gibson, D., 2009. Towards the Development of an Interactive 3D Coach Training Serious Game. VS-GAMES, 186-189 IEEE Computer Society.

Reports

Internet Publications

Theses

  • Parry, K.D., 2017. The bad, the good, and the ugly: the formation of heroes within the setting of a new sports team.

Others

Profile of Teaching PG

  • Researcher Development Programme

Profile of Teaching UG

  • Fusion Learning Project
  • Sport Marketing
  • Safe Sport
  • Beginning Research in Sport and Exercise
  • Coaching Principles and Practice

Invited Lectures

  • Conceptualising Organisational Cultural Lag, Coventry University, 01 Dec 2021 more

Grants

  • Beyond the Sidelines: Mapping the Fan Journey in Women's Football (British Academy, 01 Nov 2025). In Progress
  • Just turn up: informal sport and participatory social life in the superdiverse city (Economic and Social Research Council, 01 Jun 2022). In Progress
  • Informal ‘pickup’ sport, social inclusion and urban green space policy (Research England, 02 Dec 2019). Completed
  • Evaluation of Football Federation of Australia Multicultural Settlement Program (Football Federation Australia, 01 Feb 2018). Completed
  • Developing Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans + (LGBT+) Inclusive Supporter Groups (Cricket Victoria, 14 Jan 2018). Completed
  • Stadium Precinct Research Project (Populous, 01 Mar 2017). Completed
  • Improving health and wellness through Rugby League (Bulldogs Rugby League Club, 01 Feb 2017). Completed
  • Bulldogs EOI response NSW NRL Centres of Excellence Program (Bulldogs Rugby League Club, 23 Nov 2016). Completed

External Responsibilities

Public Engagement & Outreach Activities

  • Joined Up Acquired Brain Injury Data for Better Care (13 May 2025)
  • Extra Time or Penalties? The Future Shape of the Sports/Competition Law Relationship (03 May 2024)
  • Understanding Health: Raising public awareness of concussion in sport and practice (02 May 2024)
  • DCMS Roundtable Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
  • Priorities for safeguarding in the UK sports sector (22 Apr 2024)
  • Equity in Women’s Club Football: Strategies for Success (03 Apr 2024)
  • Expert reaction to study of elite football players and risk of dementia (16 Mar 2023)
  • Are we nearly there yet - The long road to gender equality in sport (29 Mar 2022)

Conference Presentations

  • Telling the Story of Sport: Narrating Sport in a Global Context, National identity, myth and sports heroes, 21 Sep 2020, Bristol / Online

Social Media Links

External Media and Press

Broadcast Interview