Mark Doidge | Senior Research Fellow in Sociology of Sport, University of Brighton

Mark has researched extensively on the role of politics in sport. He is the author of 'Football Italia: Italian Football in an Age of Globalisation' (2015). His early research focused on political identity in fan culture, especially within the ultras style of support across Europe and into Asia. This has expanded into understanding how activism in fan movements impacts on the wider governance of sport. He has worked on a UEFA funded project researching 'Does anti-racist activism by fans challenge racism and xenophobia in European football?' and investigates corruption in sport, particularly within governing bodies.Mark originally studied Law at Kingston University before embarking upon a career in business with a telecommunications multinational. After the company relocated to China, he returned to higher education, originally taking an MA in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter and focused on sport in the Ancient World. His interest in sport continued through completion of a PhD (also at the University of Exeter) that investigated football, politics and fan identity in Italian football.