The Football and Society Podcast

An escape from violence? Youth football's fight against crime in South Africa's townships

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Episode notes

Soweto, located in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa is a township beset by crime and unemployment. In the midst of all this, however, its residents - especially the youngest - find an escape from the danger and violence of the ‘street’ through football.

Jo Grønlund embedded himself in Soweto's grassroots football scene and in the process discovered the ways in which local, small-scale football helps to create meanings and identities for township dwellers.

In this podcast, he discusses the (perhaps naive) distinction that residents created between the danger zones of the ‘street’ and the footballing arena, where it was perceived that discipline and responsibility reigned.

Jo also built strong relationships with local coaches, who presented themselves as father-like figures, and the players in turn treated them as paternalistic figures of authority; in this way, grassroots football clubs operate as ‘families’ where a hierarchical power structure is in place to manage relationships.

How does the legacy of Apartheid still affect those living in South African townships like Soweto?
What can western sporting coaches learn from those who coach in the townships
How effective are these youth clubs in generating the professional players of tomorrow?

...all this and more in the 13th episode of the Football and Society podcast.

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Each week, Ash, Chris and Norman explore societal issues through the lens of the beautiful game.

From the ethics of gambling sponsorship to what a stadium move means for fans, we’ll be covering it all each week with expert guests from the worlds of sports journalism and sociology.